THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 164, 11 July 1906, Page 11

THE GARDEN.

["Horttis" la willing to ens-war any queries. Correspondents nrnst give tlielr real names and addresses, though not for publication.] TO CORHESPONDENTS. Cutting Down Large Lanrels.—G.O.)—August and Sept. are the best months for sucn severe pruning, as they break better and make new growth more speedily than when pruned at other seasons. F X S f . ta „ Glass Case—(P.B.)-r>oubtle S s the fronds turn brown prematurely, because you permitted the sun to shine upon them and did not ventilate them sufncientiy. Screen them from tne former and give thexn fresh air gaily. HINTS. Peach and Nectarine Trees.—lt is enshSfJf'J! 0 < . Pl ' Une CJlese as soon aa the buds , Ie wm ao <- b <= sate to U v J^ y^aohiß so - Particularly wlien Seen "? d««cate pistils often profomed., lOOmS , UPo^b befote are ™- and only young shoots formed during last summer retained for future fruiting if the trees are healthy these should exist, long and comparatively thin, upon ail plants of the older mains. The extremity of each young shoot must be cut off, both to encourage fine blooms and induce shoots to form to furnish young wood for fruiting next year. Cucumber planting, upon hotbeds. In frames, cannot be done too quickly once the beds are ready. They should be kept somewhat close for a few days, the backs of the sashes only being raised far enough to give egress to steam. When the internal heat approximates 80 to 85 degrees draw off the sashes, fork and turn over and level the bed, making the materials firm against the sides of the frames, to prevent steam from the linings entering; then place a conical mound, consisting of fibrous loam, with a sixth of decomposed leaf mould, or manure well Intermixed, centrally under •»ach sash. Each mound might comprise half a barrow load in quantity, and on its apex the seedling must be planted, so that the upper leaves are about two inches beneath the glass. In Instances where beds continue too hot growers place first a sufficiently large turf on the bed and the compost upon it. After planting keep up a warmth of 65 degrees by night, rising about 10 degrees by day, and this Is regulated by admission of fresh air at backs of the sashes; this also allows the escape of any excess of steam such as Is likely to do injury to the tender plants. FORCING RHUBABB. This delicious eculent can very easily tie forced with very simple appdamied, such, indeed, as may De wiuiln tne reach ol an wao grow a tew roots in their own garuens. ii tnere te an outnouse, or an empty suili ot a stable, In wmch a couple ol cartloads oi not manure may oe placed in the form of a notbed, it is perfect In every way for the yurpose. Let the manure pass through its nrst violent- stage of fermentation In tne open air, in order to get rid of the noxious = uses which are evolved In that stage. When thus prepared, make it up in the lo.in at a square, or parallelogram, as the floor space at disposal may permit, to the helgnt of about two teet, UeaUng It firm wltn the i>ack of the fork, but not treacling it. This part of the work should be done with great care, so as to nave the mass of equal soiialty throughout, and light, rather than heavy, un the top of the bed, when the building of it is finished, spread live or six inches of light earth, leaf mould is best if available, over the whole surface. On this the roots are laid in such wise as to be enclosed and covered over with any old packing boxes or barrels that may be available, l'he bottoms must be knocked out of these, and the lids retained loose, so that the Interior of each may be examined at will. After httlng the boxes in their places, till up any vacancies there may be between the plants with light earth or sand, or sifted cinders, and give a light watering with water just as warm as Is combfortable gor the hand to be plunged In. Then put the lids on the boxes and cover all over with mats, old sa-cklng, straw —anything dry and cold-re-sisting—which will assist to prevent fluctuations of temperature and exclude light. Fermentation will soon set up again IT all ■.roes well, but If the manure has been properly prepared, as above directed, there will be no danger of violent heating. But it is well to have some means of testing what jroes on in the bed of manure during the first live or six days after making it up. The simplest, and a quite sufficient, test is a wooden state thrust into the side of the bed. penetrating to the centre, leaving it there. The third day after making up the bed draw the stake out and feel It. It should be comfortably warm to the touch If all has gone well; if still cool and clammy there may be reasons for that which could only be solved by an expert on the spot, but certainly no grounds for anticipating failure. Examine azain in a couple of day 3. when In every likelihood yon will Jlnd the stake is warm. Should the stake at any time feel unbearably hot. uncover the boxes and make a few holes with a stout stake In the interstices between the plants. Fill them with cold water, leave the covering off and the boxes open for one night after so treating them. This will arrest the excessive fermentation and make matters safe. Boxes or barrels suitable for forcing rhubarb would require to be not leas than 1U Inches deep, but tor sea-kale and asparagus, which may be forced In the same manner, they need not be more than V 2 or 14 inches, for the former, and less for the latter. L>KfiSSI.NCr FKBIT TREES KX/B. INSECT PESTS. After all the orcbari trees n»w e Dccii pruned it will be advisable to give any winter dressing which they are to obtain. Orchards which are affected by codlln motn or other injurious insects may then receive a dressing which wlil have the effect of killing thousands of those insects as they emerge from their winter quarters. To apply any winter or early spring dressing, ix is better to apply it just before the buds begin to break out into leaf or flower. In applying it then, it Is only applied to the bark, and can be used at a much greater strength than would be possible to use on the foliage of plants. Where any early spring dressing is used. It should be mixed up with some other materials which will have some lasting adhesive powers. When applied in a liquid state, the first heavy l-ains will have the effect of washing it off long before most of the Insects emerge from their winter quarters to begin their new summer existence. Now, if a strong dose of farls Green were mixed up in a thick mixture of clay and cowdung, and applied to the trunk and limbs of the trees, it wouid have a much more lasting effect than If simply dissolved in water and applied with a syringe. The clay and cow manure would adhere for months to the trees and would also benefit during the whole period, if such a mixture were fully permeated with the very fine particles of Faris Ofreen It would be lasting till every particle was. washed off. The mixture should be made up in a large tub half filled with water; to this water add about one ounce of faris (ireen and mix well together. As soon as these are mixed- begin adding the clay and cow manure in equal proportions till the mixture is about the thickness of paint, also adding more water till the tub is quite fall of the mixture. The mixture dhonld be well stirred at every period in which some of it Is taken for applying to the trees. When applying It, it should be put on with a brush all over the bark, but 'he most Important part will be where the bark Is rough or where there are cracks or crevices. These should be treated with care the mixture should be well worKed nto'them. if possible filling them up. It is in these cracks and crevices that the larvae of the codlln moth and other Insects take ip their winter quarters, in these they lie -nug and comfortable till the warm weather again calls them to their work of destruclon. Now If these cracks and crevices are affectuaiiy filled with a poisonous mixture, svhlch must be bored through before they , an get into the air. thousands must be thus destroyed. Now to destroy one male and one female codlln moth means the destruction of what would be the parents of thousands of grubs. Next to syringe at the proper time, during the growth of the young fruit. I would consider the above one of rhe best remedies for all insect pests. Where tne trees are badly affected with moss or ichens a good thick coating of lime wash could be given over the previous mixture. This would not only assist In killing the moss but would also greatly assist the former one by providing on top of It another ,'oat of materials which wouid need to be wnshed off before the other would be touched by the elements.