31 JULY 1941, Page 13

In the Garden

It is a trick of old professional gardeners to display a very large plant, covered with an enormous number of flowers, in a very small pot. The secret is mainly liquid feeding ; in a smaller way, top- dressing. It is a sound rule that pots, especially of tomatoes and chrysanthemums, should never be filled up at first. An early August top-dressing of good loam or rotted compost will stimulate surface root-action, with very quick results ; another may be given later. Regular tying will stimulate growth ; and nothing, in my opinion, has yet superseded raffia for the job. Buy it by the pound and compare the quantity with the sixpenny bundle of the chain-stores. For feeding, a liquorice mixture of sheep-manure and soot is the gardener's heart's delight ; bonemeal for the particular. Be very careful of artificials ; take no notice of those who advocate a pinch of nitrate of soda on cabbages and onions. Soot, old, never fresh, can hardly be bettered as a dressing and a pest-control combined.

H. E. Batts.