THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 136, 9 June 1911, Page 9

THE GARDEN.

(By HOB.TUB.) [Hortns is willing to answer any queries. Correspondents must give their real named and addresses, though, not for publication. 1 TO CORRESPONDENTS. Grape Vine (Anxious). —I would advise you to spray your vine with Bordeaux mixture during the growing season. Bordeaux mixture can be obtained slrom. any of the Auckland seedsmen. If the leaves are off your vine prune it collect the prunings and leaves carefully, and burn them. Spray the canes with a strong solution of the above mixture. Next season, when the vines start growth, and mildew appears, begin to spray and continue as required, with a weaker coution of the mixture. "otatoes, etc. (J.C.A.). —If you want early potatoes, it would be better to plant about the first week in August; the planting of late crops can be deferred until September if you want to have dry, well-flav-oured potatoes, you can plant potato onions now; they require a deep rich EOIL The best way to keep paths clean and free from weeds is to destroy the weeds as soon as they appear. Where the weeds are very strong in paths a liberal use of agricultural salt will kill them for the time beine. Care must be taken tnat the salt does not touch the edgings of the borders, for the plants would perish. Vines, Carrots, etc. (Rambler).—The vine Is not a free fruiter iv this climate. Many varieties do not fruit at all In the open air, and those varieties which do fruit you will need to constantly look after, so as to keep mildew, etc., under. Carrots: When the seed Is germinating and coming through the soil, It Is liable to be attacked by slugs and snails, which, in many Instances, clear them oft before the young plants are visible to the eye. There is also a little white aphis, which is very troublesome, and which must be ke#t under by one of the numerous insecticides, which you can procure at any of our seedsmen's. PRUNING. Fruit trees must be pruned more or less every winter. The advantages to i he gained by systematic pruning are enormous, but it is difficult to write on the subject, as every tree, according to its condition, requires different treatment, so the operator should' have a good general knowledge of pruning. I will deal only with a few of the advantages that follow the use of the knife. Before a limb or a branch of a tree is cut off, the person qperating must not only have a clear knowledge of the result that he wishes to produce, but; also a knowledge of what will result j to the tree from cutting off these branches. A few of the objects to be obtained by the judicious use of the knife are these: It is used to produce more wood on stunted trees, and again it is used for the retarding or stopping the growth of trees that are producing too much wood. Where the tree is not producing sufficient wood every season, the pruning of the branches will induce fresh growth; also when too much wood is being made, root-pruning will restrain the too luxuriant growth. All fruit trees, with the exemption of the pear, should be trained in the form of a cup; the pear should be trained in pyramidal form. Tne great object to he obtained is free admittance of light and air to all parts of the tree, so that the fruit should

be of uniform quality throughout the tree. The medium dwarf is the test form for the following reasons:—(l) A low-headed tree makes strong upright; •branches, takes up less room, and, there- ; fore, they can be planted close together, giving more trees per acre; (2) treea ■with a low head make a more vigorous upright growth, the branches are stronger, and are, therefore, more capable of sustaining a heavy crop of fruit ■without bending or breaking; (3) a low tree does not suffer so much from the effect of high, or boisterous winds; the fruit is not so liable to be blown off or injured before it becomes ripe; (4) a systematic pruning can be more easily given them each season, and the trees kept in a round handsome form instead of being bent and warped out of all shape, as is often the case with high-headed standard trees; they can be more easily attended to in the matter •cf spraying to kill fungoid and insect pe3ts; (5) a low tree will not require to have long stringers for roots; they will not be necessary to keep the tree in position, its bulk presenting a less leverage to the force of the wind, and being less liable to be blown over; such a tree ?an be root pruned When required to promote the growth of the fine fibrous rootlets that trees ought to possess, so as to be able to produce fine crops of fruit. In priming apples, pears, and plums, all new or last year's wood should be cut back about one third, cutting back to a 'bud pointing in the direction that you wish the future branch to take. All shoots or sprays not required for the future well-being of the tree should be cut hard back to within two or three buds of the main branches to induce them to form spurs, for it is on these spurs that the future fruiting capabilities of the tree depend. A good fruiting tree should be furnished from its base to the very top with spurs. A tree that needs severe pruning should be root-pruned at the same time, if the roots are not pruned. Xext season's growth of wood will be stronger and ranker than last year's; this can easily be avoided by judicious root-pruning at the samo time as the branches are pruned. Any old ■trees that are worthless should be headed back to be grafted next spring. Peach and nectarine trees may now be pruned in favourable weather to get work well advanced. When pruning, retain most of the young shoots, cutting back to a bud or two; all gross-gTOwing ones, where they can be spared, %hould be cut out, because they are too sappy and illma turcd to fruit. Ultima-tely cut onefourth, of the young shoots back, as it. is only on the young, well-matured shoots that good fruit will be produced.

Fig trees must have all suckers re-moved-around their base, and such soft young shoots as are forming centrally amidst the main branches cut out. It is only the well-matured, hard upper growths that can form and ripen fruit. When the pruning of the trees is completed they should be sprayed. The following is recommended: The caustic alkali wash applied during the winter months, or at least before* the buds begin to swell—up to the middle of August— rids trees of moss, fungus, loose bark (which harbours insect pests), besides destroying insects' eggs and generally brightening the bark of trees. The wash is prepared as follows: Dissolve separately in water one pound commercial caustic soda and one yound crude potash (carbonate of potash) ; then add half to threequarters of a pound of soft soap. Add water up to nine or ten gallons, and therewith saturate branches and boles. It is best to distribute with a fine spray nozzle, and avoid letting the solution find its way to the ground over the roots.

Climbers attached to house or garden walls and fences ought to be pruned and neatly nailed at leisure during fine intervals. It is particularly necessary in regard to clematis. Cut back to main shoots to insure their blooming well. Where any made a. very weakly growth last summer, it is a good plan to cut the same away down to the ground ; they will push up stronger shoote. Wistarias must have all minor weakly young shoots cut back-to two or three buds. Privet, hawthorn, and other hedges should all receive attention. Too generally they are neglected at their base. Clear away all decaying parts, and roughly fork the ground up, leaving it somewhat rough and exposed to the weather. Where hedges form a. protective boundary line, supported by a mould and a ditch, take advantage of this leisure time to clean oat the latter, and pack more earth where necessary against the former. Shrubberies. —In forming new shrubberies, it is dpsirable to so arrange them as to insure their contrasting well cue with tho other, both when planted and in bloom, to destroy straight lines, and to form as bold recesses as space will admit of. By this means more picturesque effect will be given to the shrubbery and the lawn. Beyond this, wherever space permits, appearances will now and in future be improved if here and there a goodlysized cupressus be introduced towards the back or more central parts so as to break up the too dead level of-the mass in regard to height. Superior effects are obtained by growing shrubs in pyramidal form, a plan preferable and more natural in appearance than clipping them with rounded heads.