Horticultural Show.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 194, 18 August 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

Horticultural Show.

Tins Royal Horticultural Socioty hold th° first of thoir winter ( exhibitions in New.

market on Saturday. It was an entire success, tlio display of cut ilowots being the boat ovor shown by this Socioty. In tho camellia class tho judges in somo cases had a very difficult undertaking to determino wliich woro worthy of first honours ; thip especially applies to tho best dark camellia. Different sets of solf-nppointed judges afterwards re-judgod those flowers, with varying opinions, I would liko to see a little more competition of tho saiiio! class at all tho dillerent shows. Iri tho class for a collection of cut flowers three splendid collections wero staged, nnd I would liko to soo the three exhibitors again try conclusions at the show to be hold noxfc Saturday in Auckland. There wore also aomo fine out flowers staged in othor classes, which should obtain moro consideration from those who wish to cultivate winter and spring flowers. I was disappointed in not seeing moro of the Ponsonby growers at Newmarket, but I suppose they nro husbanding their strength for Auckland, and their own district show, to bo hold in three weeks' timo. Although Ponaonby did not come out strong at Nowmarket,' tho lattor growers arodotormined that ovon in Ponsonby they will carry nil tho honours boforo them. At Auckland and Ponsonby a salo of tho exhibits will tako plftco inunediatoly after the close of tho exhibition. Grafting. \Vk nro just now on the ovo of (.he grafting season, and those contemplating applying tho praotico would do well to begin preparations. A stock of scions should bo obtained, ho that the rise of tho snp or growth, in thorn may bo retarded. To work with a hotter prospoct of success, tho trco or stock growth should bo a little in udvanco of the scions. To obtain this tho scions should now bo cut off the parent tree, tied up in small bundles, nnd pub into tho soil as if thoy wero ordinary cuttings. Here they will remain in an almost dormant state till long after tflio growth in tho stock lias tivished out with vigour. Whon the sap legins to risoand make itaolf apparent in the stock, is tho proper time to apply tho scion.". In applying them eeo that" tho conflict is complete—that in, back to back, wood to wood, no that tho growing tissues of the scion and of the stock may bo in contact. Wlioii the contact is porfect the enn can moro readily pass from stock to scion, mid a union of (ho two -will tnke placo sooner. Whon planting out: slocks that are to bo crafted this season ■it ift bettor to head them back to about six inches above tho place whero they will be grafted. Jf now cut -somo six inches abovo tho graft, .it will provout tho newly-planted stock from being worked backwards nnd forwn ds with tho wind, and tho stock will not sufler by this pruning. When (ho graft i*< to bo nppliod tho stock can bo cutback to tho desired height, nnd it will bo found that it is then amply supplied with «ap. Of couiv-o, very much will depend on the cxtont and condition of the roots, but us grafts cannot for soreral weeks absorb all tho nap created, it is evident that a powerful flow early in the uoasou is not do«mibk', thereforo for this reason all. young stocks diouldeither bo lifted and transplanted or receive tt good root-pruning early in tho season, eixy about a month before they are grafted. This lifting or cutting of tho roots will cfl'octually cheek a too early or too rapid flow of sup whilo' tlio union is taking place. Later, whon tho union i." perfect and growth lias vomited, the sap loreo can hardly, bo too strong, as a vigorous, luudy, short-join ted growth from tho scions tho first yoar means tlio foundation of a vigorous treo in the future ■.!. , '. Tlicro are literally thqurunds of I rcos from five to twenty yOar<s old in Now Zealand which would be nil tho better of boing headed:back and. re-grafted. Wo have an immen.7o numbor of applo trors which arc worthless ~ varieties or uusuitod for Jtlie locality or situations that they arc plantod in. They either fruit sparingly, or produce fruit that is almost worthless to tho grower, and less than ..worthless if thoy nro sont to innrkut, froight and other charges absorbing moro than what, thoy soil for. In such enses it would pay thopwnors to head back tho trees nnd ro-graftwith some othor varieties that will prove moro productive nnd that are .already known to succood Well in tho district. A little chock ought to bo givon to tho roots of such trees n few weeks boforo tho grafting takes place, so that root action may fairly sot in boforo the grafts ure applied; tlion tlio now root action nnd tho grafts will advanco with tho season, giving now, life anctvigour to treos previously only lit togrub iipaiul bun. The robust growth of tho roots, >vill be alliod to a new healtHy and vigorous, foliaeo, inspiring tho treo with a; now vigour, which in time will produce a hoaithy fruitful tree. ■ Where old ifcreoi are thus :to bo ,ro-grafted they should bo cut baok- all to the main ; Btoms and each stem .should; have two or throe, grafts applied to it, taking oaro to havo tho, outer bark of the graft in exact position with tho bark of uho stock,: also using plonty of grafting clay ep aa to thoroughly exclude tho air from. the cleft mndo in tho.stock. The, grafts will soon grow ; tho roots and head.Will soonirobcqualieed, and in about three seasons should: form a large itree, producing a considerable quantity of fr'uitf In grafting, considerable attention should bo given to.itho quality.;of. tho scions uSod. iThoy; should always be taken from' a treo that lias already produced a good icrop of fruit. By taking from euch.trees you mnko a certainty of tho now trees producing exactly what you require. Often, when the scions have been taken from:trees represented to bo of a certain kind, grievous disappointment and considerable loss have occurred through the scions not being true to namo. ■ The sciona ; should always be taken from wood of last year's growth) and tho buds about ithe controarethe best'; they are moro fully developed; than those near the base, whilo those at. tho extreme cud are not fuly ripened, the; wood being soft nnd spdnvry. The'quality of the wiodof a scion will in a largo measure determine, tholqualityiof. the wood which will bo reproduced ifor,:tlio first few,years. Strong rank wood will vcp.roducp itself. The best wood of all is healthy short-jointed,,wood," buds,well, dovoloped nnd well, ripened.off. AnolhciV matter, which should be looked to is the ti'QO,from;which: the scions nro token., ■Care- should, bo .taken .that it is perfectly .freo from disease, as diseqsp in^ho.scipu-.or etock will bn v.qpilP^ucoU, : =, :,:.-.■ . . nv > s PJnntorsiwliQ havo sob o«t young orchards SihoUldliipMforKOb fco :i-egist ? i- rtho names.,of oil tho sorts in -a book. ■ lb may bo clone in. a common .account book, and will then/be always at' hand, 'and; ready,-for, reference.' .Commence.with.-a row on one side and pro-; i'ceed .regularly toj.the other.; in, ; this way. every tree may be found. Planters receive theirtrees' labelled from the nursery; and ■.carefully .observe, every; kind; but, iff two or three' years they forget them, tho labels being: ipst or defaced, and when; tho trees bear the first- specimens, are puzzled ; to: ; know'what they, are, .They call on. some wiseacre, whp'gives half the names wrong,, and misnomers ars; thus, multiplied.; Now .is the time to register them. ■ ,-, ~; ..; .