A LITTLE LAND PROBLEM.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 77, 2 April 1910, Page 12

A LITTLE LAND PROBLEM.

"Heretaunga" writes : — Lshonldi be much' obliged if you would adviae- me what plants will grow and' secure a succession of flowers on a bank pit-ualed as follows: — 1. At Heretaunga, faring nortti-west,, right- into tho prevailing wind. 2. Of very stonoy and clayey soil^ iru,. fact, thero is practically no-«ofl at all, but all stones. 3. Thirty feet wido by 180fti long,. And „ with a fall of about lft in 3ft. 4-. Very dry, as all the rains 'run off. 5. Hard frosts prevail in winter. 6. Sloping down> to a creek with, goodsoil at the bottom. There is a little gazenia on it already, but it has not spread at all freely. A few rhododendrons have done moderately near tho foot, but beyond this there is practically nothing on it. THE SOLUTION. Natural conditions certainly do not appear very favourable for gardening, whatever is possiblo should be done to improve the soil, such as top-dressing with stable manure, and adding soil at every opportunity. Possibly a trench dug along the uppfer boundary might arrest rain water and cause it to percolate through tho bank, instead of running off the top. Soil in tho locality is naturally poor, bono meal worked in will help it to grow plants, lewt. would be ample, evenly spread, and scratched in, it would be good for two years. It might also be necessary to provide a few loads of soil of a sandy nature to put about the roots of plants; it would certainly be beneficial. Somo shelter seems advisable. The situation should suit tho taupata as a hedge, it grows on bare rocks on the sea coast, but the frost might be too much for it ; you may bo ablo to ascertain if it grow 3in tho locality. Eleagnus japonica would, I think, grow there. Hedge 3 crossing tho bank at intervals of, say, 50 feet, would break the wind, and also lesion the offects of frost. A few shrubs of ornamental character would help shelter other things, and add to beauty. Suitable subjects would be, Eleagnua japonica vanogata — tho native broadleaf and the variegatod variety of the same — Cotoneaster (with red berries), Ligistrum Golden City, Craetegus pvracantha (with scarlet berries). The silver wattle should do well; it might be planted in a line about five feet apart, or singly; variegated tree box, Cistus laurifolius (rock rose), Esculonia pendula, Eugenia ugni. Yucca gloriasa, Fourcroyd gigairtea, Genista Andreana, and the white broom, Hypericum moserianum, double white and double pink plums. Tamarix gallica in a line, as a brcakwind, plant six feet part, and as tho growths extend, laco and tie them to each other; very beautiful in flower, and foliago, and not injured by wind. PerriwinkTe, particularly the variegated form, as it is very useful for decorating and handsome on tho ground, should be freely planted round margins. I see no reason why narcissi should not do well, the old varieties can be purchased cheaply in large lots; they should be planted aa soon as convenient; put them in deep, having a covering of at least 3in. of soil abovo them. The earlyflowering gladioli would do. I belie-ve trailing roses would succeed ; crimson rambler and Dorothy Perkins might be tried, letting them fall on the ground. Monbrettias should be tried; the torch lily, knifofia, and alstromerias. The day lily, hemrocallis fulva, and the various mesembryarithemum3, particularly tho orange and crimson varieties of the latter, would bo suitable. Seed of the Californian poppies, so-called escholtzia, broadcasted early in autumn, wonld flower in spring — Mandarin, Indusrosea, and Burpee's now crimson are very fine. Wallflowers, after being once established, would soed and perpetuate themselves. Candytuft, love-in-a-mist, viscaria, cornflowers, centaurias, and many other hardy annuals ought to acclimatiao themselves. Escholtzias, in particular, I would sow in quantity, in such a position the effect should be very bright, and their hardy and deep-rooting habit seems to point to them as very safe subjects. I will repeat that no effort should be spared to improve the soil, and in summer time a mulching of any light material, such as stablo manure, grass and soil of any kind, will help to counteract the natural dryncss of the soil.