June L—It Ie rather surprising how many different "kinds of vegetables can be grown well in a small garden and, how interesting the, vegetable, garden can become if properly after. The owner of a house on Colum. bia Road has allotted an area of about half a mow for the growing of vegetables and w were so impressed-by the results achieved th we made notes of all crops growing as we sat under the friendly shade ofa Persimmon tree which was just beginning to show fruit. fa some parts of the world, persimmon trees do not have a very long life owing to their pro-life fruiting habits and with a view to pre. venting the loss of trees, much thinning of fruit takes place sharily after i¢ has set: ature was assisting man in his work on the tree we saw for many of the surplus fruits were dropping off. A plant frame close to the tree is being used for a novel purpose; there ly no room for a rubbish heap in the garden, so all' garden refuse is placed in the frame where, we presume, it will remain until the Autumin when ie will come in very useful for manuring the beds. The first bed we inspected Was full of fine, healthy carrots whilst, in the Second, tomatoes, neatly tied to stakes, were over a foot high; Red cabbage also occupied a little space in this bed. Pepper was being planted in the third and cucumbers, over 2 feet high, were in the next: chrysanthemums were growing between the rows, but these will probably be transplanted shortly. At the end of this bed, we noticed Spring-sown lecks, Peas occupied the centre row in the next bed fand a later crop of tomatoes was planted in the outside rows. There were also tomatoes in the adjoining bed as well as a fine lot of red cabbage with large heads as hard as iron. Healthy caulilowers shared the next bed with beetroot, but they had the next one all to themselves. Two varieties of lettuce were planted at one end of the next bed while kohl-Fabl_was forming is turnip.like, above ground roots, at the other. The greater part of the following bed wag occupied with Swiss chard while peas and more cabbage were planted in the next. Bush beans were next to the peas fand they were a fine loi; good beans. are not jeommon this year for red spider has played havoc with many crops. The last bed was full of lettuce and a vegetable that we are not quite sure of: the gardener told us that H was like a Kohl-rabi with fennellike leaves. We hope to visit the place again later to see what it really is: a new vogesable here Is always Interesting. The owner has all the erops: numbered, so he has the name somewhere. A beautiful lawn occupies the major portion of the rest of the garden; there is little space left for flowers. However, the terrace was gay with seedling geraniums and petunias, while hund-Feds of lobelia plants were flowering along the pathways. Healthy aquilegia plants were grow-Hing close to a camphor tree over fen fect high which, we understand, was a small sapling ye seats ago, The whole garden Was most eat and tidy" and it was plain to sce that vegetable.growing was the hobby of the owner and there ave {ew more inferestins hobbies, June 3—Those who still believe that' pollen from Privet flowers is one of the causes of the distressing symptoms known a3 Hay-fever, will be interested to know that the tree' will shortly be in full bloom, some trees are already flower; but the panigies on many are still in bud. We do not believe that the Privet flower hag any connection with the complaint, but it Is" possible that some very sensitive per sons may be affected when they come into close Contact with the lowers and their pollen, Some fof the grasses flower at the present time and these may be the culprits. Rambler roses of the "Dorothy Perkins" type, which have been mak-Ing a fine show In local gardens for the past week or 50, ate beginning to feel the effect of the hot weather and are fading: however, some are still beautiful; we saw a very bretly dis playin a garden yesterday, blue sweet peas had been planted "below a pergola of pink rambling roses and the colour effect was very charming. Sweet Peas have had a peculiar Mowering season this year, many plants were showing a large number of flower buds and they were looking very strong and healthy over three weeks ago, Heavy rain caused all buds to drop off with the result' that flowers were searce around Empire Day: a few days.of fine weather, however, made a great difference and fowers appeared in thousands, In some gardens that we know, blooms were cut by the basket-full in the morning and the rows were a pleure again in the evening. The recent hot weather hay affected the blooms, they are not large as they should be and their stems. are shorter than usual, The evergreen Magnolia Is, also in flower these days. We have not seen the arounds of H.B.M's but many others are in full are open, ho and even when they have fallen, their place Is taken bby' cone-like fruit which ripens in the Autumn when the bright reddish seeds are quite decora-
June 3—~The "Smoke tree" (Cotinus americanns) that we referred to in these notes on May 27, 1940, is again producing its mass fof ostrich-plume-like panicles. All attempts at Propagation of this tree by the cutting method have failed so far; but perseverance will be rewarded in time: the tree is yo attractive that it deserves to be belter known in local wardens. Cotalpa trees are also in flower. but the blooms are not very conspicuous yet. the foliage appears to be heavier usual' this year and If it is not thinned out shortly, many of the trees will suffer when the typhoon season arrives, for the branches are easily broken at the best of times. The. stately Hollyhock is again adding charm to our flower borders; this native of China is one of our most useful plants, it grows and flowers well with little attention, although it does appreciate sell enriched with farmyard manure. Some of the newer varieties are really most attrac. tive, but the older kinds are not to be despise Shrubs of The St. John's Wort (Hypericw patalum) are producing their golden-yellow flowers once again: same time every year. It would be a dim cult task {o count the blooms on an established specimen; there are hundreds of them. If the shrub has a fault, it ig its tendency to burn it exposed to the hot western sun, leaves are Hinble to become blotched during the Summer, but this fault may be overlooked in view of its beautiful display. at the present time. We noticed a few Clematis plants in flower th other day and felt sorry that this climber not more at home here: the plant requires a deep well-manured sell and they are very easily injured by drought, regular' watering is necessary during a dry spell. A firm support also important, for the plants dislike to be damaged by wind. The clematis is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and writing of this family vemindy us that Anemone corms are rotting in some places and that they may appreciate being lifted and stored unfit the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.