The Man on the Land.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 44, 12 June 1906, Page 6

The Man on the Land.

THE ORCHARD. The planting of all kinds of orahard trees should now be pushed forward at every favourable opportunity. The heavy rains experienced during the last fortnight have certainly retarded operations in this department, but if necessary preparations have been made (luring the fine weather, the work of planting can be quickly performed, as soon as the soil is in a good workable condition. The advantage of planting early (as frequently pointed out) is that the trees or plants soon root freely and become thoroughly established. This surely is of great importance considering the uncertainty of the weather during the spring and early summer. Dry weather frequently sets in before late planted trees have made sufficient roots to sustain life, unless very special attention is paid to watering, mulching, etc. When one considers the large number of trees that are planted one is forced to the conclusion that at least there are as many failures as successes. The cause of so many failures is without doubt the result of not giving sufficient attention to the trees and their requirements at the time of planting. Very frequently trees are planted in land of very poor quality, without any preparation whatever being made to ensure growth, and small holes are sometimes dug in stiff clay land without any provision being made for an outlet or drainage for surplus water. Under such conditions the very best of trees caunot thrive, in fact it is the best method of killing good trees. On the other hand there are numbers of trees planted, no matter how good the soil, that would be better and more profitable to the planter if they were burned instead of planted—trees that would not succeed under any conditions, frequently worked upon stocks that are altogether uusuited to the variety. Trees, too, that are forced into rank growth by too much manure are often slow to start, and wheu planted in soils lacking rich fertilising properties they remain stationary for a long time. Bad planting is the cause of most of the failures that result from trees dying, whereas a little care bestowed at the time of planting would (if the trees are healthy) invariably result in success. In the first place a large hole should always be dug, unless of course the trees are to be planted where the soil is kept in a high state of cultivation. In digging the hole, if the soil is found to be poor, obtain at any rate sufficient good soil to place beneath and over the roots, so that the tree can make a good start. As already stated it is of the utmost importance that there is free drainage. Digging a hole in stiff clay land simply means making a well for water, and unless there is free outlet, the tree must ;die. In undulating ground drainage is easily pro-

vided for by digging a trench from each hole on the lowest side. The trench need not be left open, but simply broken up deep and rough and refilled. In manuring for trees, well decomposed stable manure or other decayed vegetable matter may be used to advantage, but when artificial manure is used it must be carefully applied. Trees are often injured by the too free use of artificial manure, at the time of planting. When well incorporated in the soil it isjbeneficial, but when strewn immediately upon the roots it frequently has the opposite effect to what is intended. The manure should be well worked into the soil beneath the roots, while the roots should be covered with good fine soil. WRITING ON ZINC. Ink for writing on zinc labels can be made as follows :—Take a solution of chloride of platinum, and dilute it until it is of a pale amber colour; it can then be used for writing upon zinc if a new quill pen be used. The writing will soon become a full and deep black, and the more it is exposed to air and moisture the more intense will the writing be. In fact, it cannot be erased except by filing off the surface of the zinc. KILLING COCKROACHES. Of the mauy methods of destroying cockroaches and similar vermin the following is one of the best: —Put a drachm of phosphorus in a flask with two fluid ounces of water. Plunge it in hot water, and as soon as the phosphorus is fluid pour it into a mortar with three ounces of lard, and rub it up briskly, adding water and about ilb of flour with 2oz of brown sugar. Make the whole into a paste and divide into balls the size of a hazel nut. Place these balls where the cockroaches can get at them.

TO MAKE KALSOMINE. To every 51b or 61b of Paris white or zinc white about ylb of light-coloured glue will be required. Soak the glue overnight in a quart of warm water. If the kalsomine is to be applied the next day, add a pint more of clean water to the glue, and set the vessel containing the glue in a kettle of boiling water over a fire, and continue to stir the glue until it is quite thin and all dissolved. Put the Paris white or zinc white in a large pail, pour water over it, and stir until the liquid is thick like milk. Then mix the liquid glue with the whiting, stir the mixture thoroughly, and apply it with a whitewash brush. If too much glue is added the kalsomine cannot be laid on smoothly, and will be likely to crack. The kalsomine can be coloured French grey by adding Prussian blue or a little lake to it. For slate, use Prussian blue or common blue.

TANNING SHEEP PELTS,

A competent farmer gives the following simple process for tanning sheep pelts. This process may be used for tanning any other fur skin: —Wash the pelt well in warm water with soapsuds until the wool is thoroughly cleansed. Rinse it well. Soak it for one day in a solution of alum and salt, using eight ounces of each in enough water to cover the pelt. Strain well and stretch on a board. When the pelt is half-dry, sprinkle the flesh side of the pelt with equal parts of pulverised alum and saltpetre. Fold together and let it remain indoors for a week, turning it twice a day to get the alum and saltpetre equally upon all parts of the skin surface. When well dried rub the flesh surface well with pumice stone. This will make the skin substance soft and white. This completes the tanning process. The pelt can now be trimmed according to the taste of the owner.