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Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1911, Page 12

(By Experience.) ' Tiirj FRurTaAiibSN. Pruning, now requires attention, and should bs completed before fpi'nyihjr. tune pomps. aproyiiig ja luually left Jail as nenv tho bieoking of ihra burls as possible; tho latter pait of August, is tho time to made a etart, apd it should bo completed in two or three weeks. full printed directions in lcgard to spraying can be obtained on application to tho Di- j rector of Orchards 'ptmle'ns, ton ; these are supplied ired of eo3t. When j dealing 1 with orchard treeF, the first thing ' to look to is the cutting out of any I branches thai tend to crowd a tree, or I which cioss another. Hro\v<led trees are not prolific bearers, because tho free access of sunlichfc is necessary jto develop spurs, and also to produce well-coloured fruit. No branches should be allowed in the centre of the tree in ; ts early (stages of development, but wljen ths tree Ims attained some size,* side branches may be allowed to grow towar.ds the centre, £hu3 in the end giving an apparently lullcentred tree ; but those do not come from the bottom, which still remains open, and they muit not he crowded. These inward branches have a twofold use^-they not only increase the quantity of fruit, but a certain weight of fruit, leaning inwards helps to counterbalance the weignfc of that leading outwards, and .prevents the col« lapse of branches. Care should be taken to prune leading branches in such a way a* to direct growth ih the desired direction, necessary to form tho tree. If the leader is required to spread outwards, prune so a« to leave the top bud outwams, and the reverse if growth is wanted inwards. VVhencvct branches are cut out they should bo cub so as to leave no snag pf old wood, for either buds will break atjd tiew branches spring forth, or the snag will die, causing a wound. Cut quite close in to the place it is cut from, and then pare the cut cur* tace with a sharp knife, and paihfc it over with thick paint-*ordinary white lead paint; thi* prevents water lodging and decay of wood, and further the edge of such wounds, giving ready access to the sap, is a favourite hunting ground for woolly aphis; the paint eaves that. There should never be enough' branches left, even «ide brahohes. to crowd, the whole of the tree Bhoula be open) to the view and easily accessible. Side shoots that are to bea* fruit alt requite shortening, moro or less, according to strength and variety, Usually moderately strong shoots should have four buds left, weaker ones three bud«, and very weak ehoote only two buds. Ffequehtly shodts that are weak, and have bearing sptitu afc their base, require shortening to one bud. All this is ohly to be learned by observation. While .trees are in course of formation the primer should be, to a large extent., guided by the natural habit of the tree. Some Jißtuiaily droop or spread out ; these ehould have leaders, ahd fevati side shoots pruned to upward or inward buds. Others have a habit almost like a poplar tre«s these should be pruhed to outward buds, and, when shoots are thinned out those with &b outward t&n» dency nhould be kepi. Planting; Young Trees.—The fancy many people have for large trees is a wrong bne. More often than nofc a largo young tree spells failure. Medium grown hard wsod and a,well'shaped bush is of more value than eize, and this will apply to everything except peaches; with these shape is of no consequence, for the tree ehould be reduced to one straight stem, ail side branches being cut off. Other treea require, to be carefully examined before touching, them, with the knife. i What you require is four ibFanoheß at equal distances rotihd the sides of the tree ; all others should bs cub out, includImg the centre. If four branches well distributed cannot be secured, three will do, but four are better in moat cases. After cutting away all etitpluo growth as described, cut those to be left down to about lOin or ISm from where they Bpring,- making thp cut «o as to leave the top bud pointing outward. There aw other ways of starting trees, but for conditions here the above, plan i« best. Thfc roots should be examined and all the ends cut with a sharp knife or secateurs, and' all bruised toots temoved to above the bruised parts. The roots do hot al« waye admit of being spread out; it depends on the treatment they have had. The? are often without large roots, having ihsteftd a ball of fibrous roots, lioty" ever the roots may be-, they must be firmly fixed, in the coil by treading} about two'thirtls of the soil is first returned to the hole oyer the roots, then tread as hard ( aa possible^ next fill in the rest of the soil, leading it loose. Natw Bt.tempt to plant when the soil is stickyit cannot be properly done if the toil %ticke to your boots. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Continue to sow pens. The boil should bo well manured if it h&s been cropped before; peas will not do on poor land, and more particularly as the season advances, for when the soil becomes hot, ahd rainfall naturally less, they depend entirely on what is in the soil, and at that time they will not tjo well unless there is plenty of humus in the, ground from which, the roots may obtain mois. ture. Turnip seed *iay now be put In. The main crop, of carrots may now be sown, though it is not yet imperative \ yet it is as well done if convenient. Carrots sown how will remain in perfect condition until they 50 to seed, the fol« lowing spring. Parsnips, 1 consider, get coarse before that time if wwvii early, Mid considering that their chief, value is as a wmter vegetable, in the private garden at least, there should be no desire to get Ihem too early, t have found them comti large enough foi nnythins? whnn sown the ftrsfc week }n November. 1 prefer mid-October tor open situations, and midSeptember for the hilly land around Wellington, where the hours of guHsnine are naturally lessened in number hy the hills shutting it put. Get onions sown at once, if not 'oire&ay done, sow and plant ,lettuce, eabbftpe, end cDuliflower as requif-ed ; sow radish. Spinach of the round kt'nd, may tiow bo sown with advantage. It is sufficient to sow this as c catch crop, between rows ol other vegetables; thus if peas are sown, and spinnch »own betwoeti tho rows, thet« is no extra labour ehtailed in, pouring the crop of sntnach, and it will be off before it is in the way of the pens. Spinach is a, most valuable vegetable, lot it comes into use ouick&r than any othet, and entnils le«s latinat-— merely the sowing of the seed. To , maintain * supply, which is a necessity in some gardens, it must he aow t n frpqueht.lv, for it etßnds a very short timp during the suihmer mtiotljs. us it,oniclcly runs to seed, especially if the soil is dry. Sow huths, euoh as parsley, thvmfc, sase, savory, nmrjoram. or, in ease of the last four. pttrcjift<sft ft plnnt of each for a start, and it i«t pfl.iv nfter that to pei» pptuate It by revisions. Sow cucumber seed on hot beds. The best wnv h to sow one sspd fn a threeinch pot, ih anil cotnnosed of snndv l«nm ; niaee the seed upright, ntirrotv end down, The plants will require a «hift into five' inrh pf)ti when they have srrown a bit. Tomato seed may he sown in boxes. I do not care to mise the se&d in heat, for they Ret letrgy in n day or two, and if run nn in heat they ar" vpry soft, ahd trnnsnlnn|. with vm^e difficulty. I prefpi to wise the seed without heat; it comM siowlr, fthd the ymth<» plants fire »liort in tho Ie?: then T 1i1?p to rrHf n a soon ns they can tip nicptv hrhdtedt &nd put n-ipm on v mild hot-tircl! herp they po si might away mta growth without ah* losses. ■plntit a number of prttntdo^ for enrly tise. ,bnl not the cm. tt I* worth while io ri«rt fro»f for n fVw, and brides 0 fPW wiNy be rtmteeled. Tho v)rivntp gardc^r will fiid it worth while to draw drills for points, A lintuiful of wood ishM nnd a littl« > <*oot thrown over ench set before rtiyerinfir sarr") them from insects, ana feitilisps ns well.

Some consignments of fat stock wci'o recently vailed from Feilding to the Auckland market, but the experiment, it ta slated dirt not prove remunerative, espptisea lifting Vftry hekvy, Pat stock, to lie Bsle^bU iit Auckland, must ho absolutely jniiji* Ujjavy-iveigljle,' n&d tpppoa pft ,