THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 169, 17 July 1907, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

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["fisttas" is wiiltas to aasvrer asor «uedes. Oorrcspantfenia most give tfceli real auaes aad addresses, thoagb not tor publication,.!

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Settler.— Native bush always dies out when ■caxtle get into it. The cattle would, also kill any trees planted to replace the bush unless each tree is fenced in. If this j>re■cairßon. is taken, any shady shelter trees could be planted. The fencing would need to stand until the trees are fully 15ft in height. It would be advisable to lence in the better part of the bush, ana only allow the cattle to shelter on the outskirts, as the native bush is now becoming so scarce that it is a pity to allow it to be destroyed.

HINTS.

Make new strawberry plantations from recently-rooted runners only, immediately the latter establish the-niselyes as separate plants, and are fonnini: two or three yotrng leaves. "We previously suggested that the necessary beds for them should be prepared by liberal mannring and breaking np tne ground deeply. is considerable advantage in transplanting them during showery weather. Eacii plant should be removed with a ball of soil, containing the roots attached, and care nrast be taken not to bury their crowns too deeply, particularly upon well-worked ground. w4iprein they ljave a tendency to sinl; as it settles down, and water heavily till the plant becomes •established and grows stronsrly. By such tirnply action the plants will have before them a further month or two wherein to grow and form crowns capable of carrying a crop nest summer.

Past rainy weather nas made it difficult to «ope TvitQ weeds, especially upon lands not subject to high cnltnre previously, still, young- seedling crops'have to be freed and kept clear of weeds if tney are to prosper. Advantage has to be taken of Bry weatner to ensure tills, though other parts of the garden suffer. Given ".sufficient length of dry weather. th"re should be no difficulty about the matter, provided the snrface soil is well broken up with the hoe and stirred to the depth of about an inch. If, on the other hand, rains become frequent—as they are prone to do in seasons where they have commenced, as In the present year—hoeing alone will not suffice, where grass and other weeds abound amidst seedling onions, etc. It becomes imperative to uproot them, then remove them from the beds, and the quickest way to get over the work is to toss them into heaps In the alleys or beside the bedf, for future removal. The.crop must be cleared of them promptly if it is to succeed. After such heavy rains 'as have been experienced, young crops— shallow rooting—suffer to an unwonted extent. The inch-deep stirring of the surface soil is a gTeat palliative, as it will lessen the power of the sun and draw up'nightly some of the super-abundant moisture existing at this time in the lower stratas and subsoil.

PKTJNING (Contimiea)

PRTJ> T rNG. THE APPLE.

The manner of pruning previously described applies very well \o the apple. It 16 best to plant yearling trees, and they may be headed back to from fifteen to twenty-four inches, according to the idea of the grower. But if headed at 24in care should be taken to let the first branch come out at about 12in from the ground, axid the other two, three, or four, at regular Intervals above it; as I have previoiteJv this makes a much stronger tree than if all the branches start from about the same spot. I have noted this objection in most of the apple trees I have seen in the colony, and also the fault of allowing too many main branches to start directly from the trunk. By doing so one never gets as strong a tree as would have been obtained had it been pruned as I described. When apple trees are of a close erect habit of growth, in pruning always cut to an outer bud,' as that win tend' to spread -the tree; aod If the trees are of a naturally spreading, habit, cut to an inner bud;_: which will ' tend to confine it, and cause" an upward growth. Even the most spreading tree, if properly pruned from the first, can be made to grow upright, and allow cultivation to be carried on right up to the trunk. The advantages of low heading apply to the apple as well as to other trees, and if ihe tree is started right, with a well bal T anced head, and the brandies well cut hack to throw out strong laterals and strengthen themselves, and not allowed to crowd each other, you will have a tree come to bearing that will be strong and shapely, and that will carry its fruit within ■easy reach. >'Many apple trees require little attention after they are once formed, . but where branches several feet long are thrown, out, they must always be shortened in; even a tree that has been started well wonld be spoilt if an excessive straggling growth were allowed to remain on. Care must be taken in warm ■ districts not to prune apple trees too much after they are shaped, for, as a. rule, they require all the foliage they can grow to protect the tree and fruit Jrom sunburn. The pinching of laterals as previously recommended is ofteu of great value in the case of trie apple, ac the laterals are thereby converted into fruit spurs, and the bulk of the crop of the tree is thus grown along the main limbs, instead of towards the end of tlie branches, which is often the case with ♦•'Htb fruit. (Most apple trees produce the greater portion of their frait on two-year-old wood, or on spurs, but in some cases most of the fruit is grown right at the end of the limbs, causing the tree to have a very straggling and untidy appearance, through the weight of- the fruit bearing the limbs down. pnvnxiyG the peae. What I have already stated with regard to the general training of the tree, and also what I have just written respecting the apple, applies to the pear. Cutting to an inner bud when it is desirous to confine the growth, and to an outer bud to spread the tree, and to an outer bnd one year and an inner bud the next, when it is desirous to continue the tree in a given direction, applies wtth equal force to the pear. Scene pear trees are of a very straggling growth, and for these no hard and fast rules can be laid down; all that can be done being to give the limbs a gene-, ral upright tendency, and keep the tree evenly balanced by shortening in long straggling branches. Pears are best set out as yearlings, but If larger and. stronger trees are desired, two-year-olds may be planted safely, and in this case the trees should be headed as yearlings whilst in the nursery, and must be pruned on planting out similarly to the yearling trees that bare been one year planted out. PRUNING THE APBICOT. The apricot is a rampant grower, and if not kept well cat back, it will straggle in every direction, and either split to pieces by the weight of its fruit, or be torn apart by heavy winds. Its pruning, therefore, requires very careful attention, in order to get strong symmetrical trees. Low heading and an oblique upward tendency of the main branches is absolutely Tipcessary, as is also the prevention of forks. Each branch • must have a hold of its own on the main trunk, and, in order to do this, it is necessary to start them from different heights along the trunk, Taking care to balance them properly. If this is not done the tree is very apt to split. The apricot is rather peculiar Iα its methc<( of bearing frufi,- as, like the .peach, it bear,s on one-year-old wood, and, like the plum, off spurs of two or more years' growth. Then, again, it is peculiar in its method of growt'j, as ea*:li season's growth is furnished more or less along its growth with laterals, thus causing a modification in pruning, for, in addition t> an annual shortening in, it is necessary to out Lack these laterals to length of about 2 inches, thus converting them into fruit spurs, which will bear fruit the following season. Moreover, the main wc-ight of the fruit is distributed thereby all alon™ the main branches, or Just where it is beet able to be borne. The apricot doe" very well with summer pruning effected soon as the fruit is off the tree, so that the young wooH formed will have time to harden before winter. Summer pruning is, however, not applicable in most cases, as it comes on just at the time the fruit grower is most busy, and, unless thoroughly done, it is better left alone, tlie necee sary shortening-in being left until winter. Whenever it is necessary to remove a largrs limb, always trim the cut carrfully with a sharp knife, ami cover the -wound with rubber paint or shellac varnish; otherwise it is very apt to die hack and ruin the tree. , (To be Continued.)