PLANTING.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 1797, 18 May 1912, Page 2

PLANTING.

WHAT TO PUT INTO YOUR

ORCHARD

SOME SEASONABLE ADVICE

wiutten 1?0b the stab By Hampson Caldeks. Now that the planting season is about to commence, thero is an inrush of catalogues depicting everything in glowing terms. There are so many varieties of the different fruits and the descriptions are all so nico that the intending purchaser gets contused. The following is a list of tho best. 11l early varieties of apples, that come in with Irish Peach, thero are Cardinal and Grand Sultan. These apples originated in Russia, and are far superior to Irish Peach. They haven't the sprawling, woody tendency of the latter. Climax and Beauty of Bath are next in season as tho best second earties, followed closely by • early Gravenstein and Worcester Pearmain. Then comes a long list of mid-season varieties, of which Cox's Orange, Golden Reinette, and Duko of Clarence are the nicest. Some of the best dessert keepers are Claygate (late), Crofton Delicious, Jonathan, Cornish Gilliflower, Scarlet Pearmain, Northern Spy, and Stunner Pippin. Prince Alfred and Peasgood's Nonsuch are two huge cooking apples, very showy, and keep fairly well. Too much cannot be saiel of the Stunner. It is also the best allround apple, tho best keeper, and

improves with keeping; is a good cooker, and as nice to eat in October as in June. My favourite apples are Stunner, Jonathan, Worcester Pearmain, Golden Reinette, and Duke of Clarence. The best pairs are Williams' Bon Chretien (early), Gansel's Bcrgarnot and Beurre Rose (for midseason), La Couto (an excellent pear, both I for dessert anel storing), and Vicar of Wiiikfield (a great bearer): | In plums, Coe'w Golden Drop and Prune Silver are about the best for | preserving and dessert. No plum beats Greengage for dessert or jam. ; One cannot go wrong in planting 1 any of the old .English varieties of plums. Japanese plums and their hybrids I would not plant. They are coarse to eat, the skin breaks- iii preserving, and the jam mado from i them is watery stuff. I J Some good apricots are Early Moor Park Hewskirke (midseason), and a great bearer), Dundonald (largo and late), Royal and Royal ~ George (good for drying and pre- j serving). . | It is hard to'say which are the best peaches. Brigg's Reel May and Colerielgo's Favourite are as nice as any of the early peaches, delicious for midseason, suitable for small. gardens. Foster (a midseason peach) and Sea Eagle Improved (late) are two good preserving peaches. Royal Sovereign (true) is easily the best all-round strawberry. Northumberland Fill-basket is mv fancy in raspberries. I Gregory's Perfection in very early gooseberries is the best of the green sorts. Farmer's Glory is as good as any of the red, Golden Drop being mv pick of the yellows. I In planting black currants, choose tho smallest, leafed varieties. I For wet or clay soils, it is best to havo your apricots and peaches worked on plum-.stock.