HINTS FOR WINTER—PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 661, 12 July 1871, Page 3

HINTS FOR WINTER—PRUNING OF FRUIT TREES.

TO THE EDITOR OF LAKE WAKATIP MAIL. Sir, —Now that the season has fairly sot in for the winter pruning of fruit trees, permit me through the medium of your column to give a few hints which may be useful to those who have small gardens, and do not understand the practical points to be looked after in pruning, as on this mainly depends not only the shape, but the bearing qualities of all fruits. If summer pruning has been attended to, very little winter pruning will be requiied ; but I shall take it for granted that no summer pruning has been done, and shall contine myself to- general remarks, as it would occupy too much of your space to go into details. The first point that requires attention in a young tree is to get it into a neat shape; to att.iin this the first thing is to get an open centre, clear away all branches growing straight up in the centre of your tree, and also those that incline inwards (unless they may be required to fill up in the outside). Next, cut away, all branches that grow ways—there is one point to be taken care of in doing so, for instance, two branches may cross one another, by cutting them both you leave a gap in the tree; the only way to avoid doing so is to cut both of them back (clear of each otiiei), leaving the bud next the cut, on the outside of the branch. After the centre of the tree has been cleared, and all cross and superfluous branches cut away, the next thing to be done is to head back, or shorten, the branches that are left to form the tree, which should be all growing in a slanting direction, straight out, if i>ossible, from the stem of the tree. In heading back those branches, I would not advise more than six inches of last year's wood to be left. Now comes the great point in pruning ; so as to get a neat shaped tree, there is one thing that should be paid particular attention to, namely, each branch ought to be cut close to a bud growing on the outside of it. If the bud is left on the inside, next year's branch is sure to grow towards the centre, spoiling the appearance of the tree; and all the branches cut should be a snear a uniform height

as possible, leaving your tree nearly in the shape of a cup. The above general rules apply to nearly all kiads of fruit trees for the first five or six years, especially apples, pears, plums, and cherries ; the finer fruits after a certain age require different treatment. By thoroughly clearing out the centre of your tree the sun has an opportunity, when they come to bear fruit, of acting on the fruit inside, as well as outside. In cutting the superfluous branches, I would not advise them to be cut clean away, but rather to leave one bud on the cut, as fruit-bearing spurs very often spring from them. If, after a tree attains the age of four or five years it has a strong and rapid growth, and shows no signs of fruit, then, the best plan to adopt is root pruning; the tree must be lifted, and great care taken in doing so not to injure the roots too much ; dig a trench from three to five feet all round the tree, then take a potato fork and loosen the earth away from the roots, going straight down underneath the tree; do not attempt to lift it until all the roots are perfectly cha\ have the tree lifted, cut away all the strong growing roots within two or three ft of the stem of the tree (according to age). Do not touch any of the small fibrous roots ; but all roots growing straight down cut completely away. In replanting loosen the subsoil thoroughly, give it a good dose of well-rotted manure, mixed well through the subsoil, put in soil sufficient to raise it within nine inches of the surface, then set your tree, taking care to spread out all the roots straight from the stem, covering them well with soil, tightly pressed about the roots; then, if possible, give it a light top-dressing of manure, finishing with the rest of the soil. If in an exposed situation drive in two pegs, one on each side, about six inches from the stem, tying the tree to them, which will prevent it from shifting, until the roots have a fresh hold in the ground. In the case of trees producing " flourish," and the " flourish" falls off before it has time to set, the above treatment will act as a preventative. In the small fruits, such as gooseberries and currauts, the same rule in regard to shape will hold good with them for the first three years. After that gooseberries should only be thinned, cutting the most of last year's wood, butjj do not touch the leading shoots unless they happen to be too long ; then they can be shortened slightly. In red and white currauts clear away all the young wood, heading back the leading shoots within three or four inches. Black currants require different treatment; no heading back is wanted with them, as it is the young wood that bears fruit; just thin them out, and cut away any old wood that is useless. I may state'that trees may be pruned and transplanted up to the middle of August without danger, but, if possible, it should be done this month. Hoping you will pardon me for occupying so much of your valuable space, and that my remarks may prove of use to some of your readers—l am, &c. Prunkr.

TO TEE EDITOR OF LAKE WAKATIP lUL Sir, —As a newspaper is the only means we have of bringing before the public certain acts of injustice committed by public bodies, may I beg of you to insert the following letter. In the early days of the gold discovery at Lake Wakatip, I discovered a coal seam in this district some miles from the Lake, near the Kawarau River. Knowing that in some time it would become valuable, I at once applied to the Waste Lands Board for a lease cf the land where it was situate (through my agents Messrs Gillies and Street, Dunedin), and obtained the grant of a lease of 80 acres for a term of 21 years, upon the following conditions : —The payment of the sum of £SO for survey within 1 i days of grant, and the price of coals at pit not to exceed LI per ton. All these obligations have been complied with by me, —the survey completed, and a map of the block lodged in the proper office. Upon the survey being made, I entered into possession, and have since laid out a considerable sum of money in making a road to, and opening tie "pit" Frequent applications have leea made through my agents for the completion of my lease; but upon the last application they were informed that until after the decision of the Supreme Court in a dispute as to boundaries between Messrs Boyes Bros, and the Australian and New Zealand Company (upon which disputed run the coal seam is situate) my lease woo Id not be perfected I immediately applied to Messrs Boyes Bros., and obtained their consent, and through my agents the consent of the Australian and New Zealand Company to my obtaining the lease, so that now all legal objections on the point of the Waste Lands Board ought to be at an end. But, instead of perfecting my lease, what has been their next move ? Upon the application of Mr Robertson, our worthy member for Queenstown (a wellknown monopolist) the Waste Lands Board have given him a lease of 10 acres of the land already surveyed for me, for a person named David Lyall, a well-known poor mar, and whose name has been used for convenience to blindfold the public. Should the Waste Lands Board have it in their power to act so disastrously in thus ignoring my just claim, it will militate very much against the development of the mineral resources in a young and rising district.—l am, «fcc., E. A. Dooley. Wakatip, July 10th, 1871. In compliance with terms of advertisement a public meeting was held in the Town Hall on Monday evening, to take steps for procuring a set of musical instruments for the Queenstown Brass Hand. Mr Warren occupied the chair. We understand more than sufficient money has been promised for this object, and it only remains to take the necessary action to carry the intention out. It was proposeo by Mr Surman, and seconded by Mr Vause —That the hon. Secretary write to Dunedin at once for musical instruments and music; and also communicate with the collectors requesting them to collect the moneys promised on behalf of the Queenstown brass Band, and place same as soon as possible in the hands of Mr Malaghan, the hon. treasurer. The resolution having been carried, the meeting broke up.