Horticultural Show.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 280, 25 November 1893, Page 3 (Supplement)

Horticultural Show.

ta flower show held lasb Saturday ab : Potter's Paddock in connection with the Agricultural Associabion was a success as . jl ar as exhibits were concerned. The roses < were past bheir besb, bub this wa 8 ] glanced by the exhibits of general cub ' flowers which were infinitly better than last season. The arrangements of the show I were also an improvement on last exhibi- . lion, and reflect greab credib on those who I had the management There was one 1 iefecb, and bhab was bhe number of blank ; jpaces. These blank spaces are nob a fault . uf the Committee, but of would-be exhibitors who send in entries and space is pro- 1 vided for bhem which bhey do nob fill. Now J think thab exhibitors should think bwice before sending in entries unless bhey are fully i confident thab bhey can fill the space ' which musb be allotted them. The above ; |s a fault which has in the pasb been very ! conspicuous ab mosb of our general ex- ; iibitions. There was anobher matber which caused a good deal of commenb, and i that was the neceesity of covering the fruib wibh a wire netting. Although I did i pob like to see the netting there, it was i absolutely necessary for the protection of ' the fruit. Even before the judging started i there wag an attempt to steal the fruib j from under the tent by two of the hood- < lums before it was netted. Ab some other 1 Power shows I have seen fruib disappear ] long before the exhibition was closed, and i fiave thoughb thab if ono thief were caught i and a severe punishment dealt him or her, 1 Jt would pub a stop to this bad practice, i At nexb season's exhibition, we hope the Association will have much better weather than they had lasb week. Mulching. Up to the present we have had fine, moist, genial growing weather, and if the presenb : prevailing weabher would last it would all be well wibh our garden crops and flowers. Though bill now we have had splendid weabher, ib is nob to be expected it will _aat bhroughoub bhe summer the same as {asb season. Now, it would be as well for Ihose who may cultivate on a small scale to make provision for dry weather. The beat way to make provision where there is not tn abundant supply of water is to mulch the surface soil around the plants. Tbe beab mulching materials are fresh stable Utter, long or short grass, straw, sawdust, tan bark, or any other substance of a similar nature. These if spread lightly ©ver the surface of the ground will effectually prevent the strong powers of the sun's rays penetrating into the soil, and thus prevent that great evaporation of moisture from the ground which always takes place en bright sunny days. The beab bime of the J'ear for applying bhe mulching maberials is usb whenlbhe change of season bakes place, when the ground is in a fairly moisb'condition, and are beginning,to only get a few (DCcasionalSshowers of rain. As long as wet weather lasts mulching is of very little use ; Sn fact, it is then injurious, as it will keep fthe soil in a cold, wet, uncongenial state. When applied just as the warm weather pets in the soil will be in a moderately moist, warm condition, and ib will then be of greab advantage, as it will assist in keeping the Boil from getting boo warm, and ab the came time will prevent rapid evaporabion of such moisture as is in the soil. Again, When we ido receive any rain it will pass ■rapidly and quickly through the lose mulching materials into the ground where it will be absorbed and again retained. Mulching can bo applied to nearly all manner of vegetable crops, and also bo all flower beds and borders. Where mulching Is to Ij)e applied, bhe surface soil uhould firsb be broken up with the hoe or fcjrk according to circumstances. This willj kill all weeds, and at tho same time give a greater depth of loose surface Immediately above the roots of the plants. After the ground is broken up the materials can be spread to a depth of from one to four inches, so that when they settle down thetfe will be a good coating all over the surface of the soil. The advantages to be obtained from mulching aro manifold. Amongsb the foremost are greater rapidity In growth, less trouble in watering during the summer, keeping weeds under, as no seed weeds will germinate and pierce through the coating of mulch. This is a.BO the beat season of the year to mulch all newly-planted trees and shrubs. Most of these will now be making rapid growth, and if a dry season set in they xnay geb a check which mighb permanently Injure bhem. All fruib brees which have been mulched during bhe summer should in tho late aubumn be dug round, thus converting the summer mulching materials Into good manure. IIQUORICE (GIyCYRRHIZA GLABRA, LINN.) The quantities of liquorice in different" eounbries vary greatly. It is said that bhe juice from Turkey and Greece is bibber, of Sicily and Spain sweet and rich, bub that of Italy the richest, though less is exported thence. Liquorice in these countries is a vigorous and abundant wild plant, almost too much so in many places. In Spain ib grows finest in the rich bottom lands of the great rivers, and the crop depends much on the mildness or severity of the winters. It Js of such vigorous growth that other Weeds cannot encroach on ib and crowd ib *ut, and no parasite or insect pesb is known to infesb it. It ia so tenacious of life that if enly a small portion of the root is lefb in the ground aftor the collecting season it shoots up again. There are two kinds of liquorice, one sending down a tap toot from 3 bo 6 feet deep, and the other funs underground from 6 inches to 2 or 3 feet deep. The latter is the most highly prized, from the facility with which ib ia dug up. Only the roobs are used, bhe bops being burned for fuel, Ib varies in quantity and quality according to the soil in different provinces, changes its colour to red, yellow or brown, and the proportions of saccharine and starch vary also. The climate best suited to the growth of liquorice is that where oranges and all the citrus family thrive, as ib cannob endure severe ground frost nor cold high altitudes. In Sicily it grows ttosb luxuriantly in low lands adjacent to streams of water. The valley of the river Simeto is so rich thab, wibh bhe rudesb bools and culbure, the peasants have no difficulty in growing cereals and other plants for food. Their principal trouble is keeping down the weeds tbab spring up go abundantly, in the cultivated land, and

the liquorice from its pertinacity is most dreaded. A crop can be gathered every three or four years from the same ground, and the digging commences afber bhe aubumn rains have seb in. Liquorice requires the hot sun to perfect its juice, but at the same time ib bakes bhe ground so hard the task of collecting the deep--Beb roots would be too laborious and expensive till the earth is

well saturated. There are seven manufactories in Catania alone, and they produce from 700,000 to 800,000 pounds annually, and others in various cities of the island. Very litble of the rooc is exported eibher from Sicily or Italy, only bhe rolls or sticks made from the inspissated juice. Asia Minor exports largely to the United States. So long ago as 1885 steam presses were in use there, and from Alexandreth. in Smyrna. 6,000 tons were exported at a value of aboub $192,000. ('Chemisb and Druggisb, Augusb,' '91.) Here in.New Zealand if bhe culbivation of the above were properly tried upon some of • our rich, alluvial soil towards the north of Auckland, I think it would do remarkably well and bring in a good return to those who were successful in its cultivation.