Educate yourself on popular dog breeds of the world:

Pugs

A Pug is a toy dog breed with a wrinkly face and medium-small body. The word "Pug" may have driven from the Latin Pugnus meaning "fist" since the Pug's face can look like a clenched fist.

The Pug is of Chinese origin and dates back to the pre-Christian era. They were prized possessions of the Emperors of China and lived in a most luxurious atmosphere and at times were even guarded by soldiers! Records show that the Chinese bred 3 types of short nosed dogs: the Lion dog, the Pekingese and the Lo-sze.

The Lo-sze or "Foo Dog" was the ancient Pug.

The Dutch traders brought the Pugs from the East to areas like Holland and England. This attractive little dog was enjoyed by many Monarchs of Europe and to this day is a favourite with royalty and discerning people all over the world. The Pug's popularity grew rapidly but then dwindled by the turn of the century.

The Pug became the official dog of the House of Orange at around 1572 after a Pug saved the life of the prince by barking at an advancing Spanish soldier. A pug also travelled with William III and Mary II when they left the Netherlands to ascend the throne in 1688.

In Spain, they were painted by Francisco Goya. Queen Victoria I also favoured fawn and apricot pugs in nineteenth century England.

While most Pugs in the eighteenth century prints tend to be lean and long, the current breed has a square, chubby body, a compact form, deep chest, and well-developed muscles.

The wrinkles on their forehead should be distinct and deep. Their lower teeth should protrude farther than their upper, meeting in an under bite.

The coats vary from apricot, fawn, silver or black. The tail should curl over the hip and a double curl is considered as a sign of perfection. They are generally about 30 to 33 centimetres in height and weigh about 6 to 8 kilograms.

Since they have extremely short snouts and no skeletal brow ridges, Pugs can easily scratch their corneas accidentally. Their short noses can also cause them to develop breathing problems.

They can become overweight easily so it is important for Pug owners to make sure their pets get regular exercise. Pugs are expected to live from about 12 to 15 years.

A Pug's character is unique in that he is a clown at heart with a terrific sense of humour. However, at the same time he is able to carry himself with dignity. They are not too delicate for fun and games and are very sociable dogs.

A Pug is anxious to please, anxious to learn and anxious to love. Pugs are sensitive to the tone of a human so harsh punishment is unnecessary. They get along well with other dogs and pets but require a lot of attention. His biggest requirement is that you love him back.

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Flower of the week:

Wonderful early riser - Jasmine

The Jasmine climber is the one found in Sri Lanka but the bush-grown jasmine is more popular and makes up the bulk of its plants. Jasmine is more an early riser and a delightful sight to greet the morning with. If you think Jasmine is not for front garden, you are most wrong. Yet innocent looking little flower, in fact is more versatile than many tropical flowers. They come in bushes as well climbers.

In Sri Lanka, it is only the white variety that we see but the Jasmine has few species like the Jasminum officnale Affine which has pink buds.

Yet another is Jasminum Stepanense that has lovely pale pink flowers that are large and fragrant. "Fiona Sunrise" with yellow leaves if propagated in the sun and lime-green if left in the shade is the latest.

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Bell Pepper

Garden Guide With Dr. Fazal Sultanbawa PhD, Director Research and Development CIC

TRADITIONALLY, chillies have been considered as ingredients to spice up our food. We add chillie powder to most curries and even green chillie is added to a salad to make it 'hot'.

However, not all chillies are 'hot' and a good example is the bell pepper. This is a variety of chillie (botanically Capsicum annuum) where the fruit is large (200 g) and the flesh is thick and juicy and mildly pungent, making it an ideal ingredient for a salad. It is best eaten fresh, to preserve its nutritional benefits.

Bell pepper comes in colours of green, red, yellow and orange, though purple and white fruited varieties are also available.

Nutritionally, it is rich in potassium, vitamins A, B6 and C (having twice the vitamin C of an orange) and contains pigments like anti-oxidants that are considered as health protecting. Unfortunately, it is not widely grown, resulting in limited availability and exorbitant prices.

Growing bell pepper is easy - it can be grown in home gardens in any part of the country, though most commercial production is done in polytunnels in the cooler mid country around Kandy.

The plant can be grown in full sunlight, but fruits tend to get scorched by direct sunlight, so a slightly shaded environment is recommended. Try to find a place that gets about 8 hours of direct light a day, preferably during the morning hours.

Plants can be raised from seed or individual plants are sometimes available from some nurseries. Plant them about 50 cm apart. If your are using a pot, plant one plant in a 2 litre pot (size of a small paint bucket), with a medium consisting of equal parts of soil, sand and compost.

Use of an available balanced fertilizer at 1 teaspoon (~15 g) per pot or plant will promote growth. Add fertilizer at 1 tablespoon (~30 g) per plant every month. Watering should be done carefully, as over-watering leads to disease and poor growth. A stake is often necessary to support the plant, as it can grow fairly large to 1 m in height.

Plants will start flowering when 4-6 weeks old and fruits will be ready for picking 3-4 weeks later. Fruits may be picked when green, or can be left for 10-14 days longer to change colour.

However, beware that brightly coloured fruits attract birds and insects! Under ideal conditions, plants will continue to produce fruits for 5-6 months. However, under tropical conditions, the plants are affected by insects (mites) and diseases, which limit the effective lifespan to about 3 months.

If left to itself, the plant will produce fruits of varying sizes, becoming progressively smaller as the plant gets older. If you desire large fruits, more effort is needed.

Firstly, cut back extra branches, so that you have only two main branches, growing like a V. Next, remove extra flowers and fruits, a process called thinning. To get good sized fruits, ensure that there are no more than 6-8 fruits developing at any time on a plant - 2 large fruits, 2 smaller fruits and 2-4 very small or just-formed fruits.

The most serious problem you will encounter with bell pepper (and any other chillie) is disease. One is called 'wilt', where leaves will droop as if there is not enough water, when in fact there is sufficient water in the soil.

This disease is caused by a ubiquitous and persistent bacterium found in the soil. Therefore, use soil which has not been planted with plants of the chillie/tomato family and also, do not reuse the soil.

Sterilizing the soil is an expensive option, but drenching the soil in a pot with hot water can be tried before planting. Alternatively, you can take advantage of natural sunlight through a process called 'solarization'.

The simplest way to solarise is to put your growing medium into a clear polythene bag, wet the medium slightly, tie it securely and leave it in the sun for 3-4 weeks. Keep turning the bag every week, so that there is mixing.

The sun's rays heat up the soil in the bag and this heat is often effective in reducing numbers of pathogenic organisms.

The other disease affecting bell pepper is called 'little leaf disease' where terminal leaves remain small and do not expand. There is little that can be done with affected plants, so it is best to pick any fruits and destroy the plants.

Bell pepper prefers relatively cooler conditions, therefore, with the cooler months of December and January approaching, it is a good time to start planting.