The Orchard.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 999, 24 April 1891, Page 25

The Orchard.

PACKING FRUIT FOR EXPORT. Writing to a large grower, Mr W. Bell, of Yarrunga, Camden, the fruit dealing firm of Pankhurst and Co, Covent Garden, nays ; —Yon will probably have heard of the English apple failure again, and the partial failure of Americans and Canadians, also the poor condition of tho Canadian fruit now arriving. This tends to make your apples in greater demand for the ensuing, spring, and, if large and of good colour, similar prices may be looked forward to; but of course the quality and quantity shipped will rule our markets. We must ask you not to pack any fruit that is at all ripe your end. You must have all fruits well papered and tightly packed in the oases. Do not send any small sorts home; good, clear fruit only is in demand. We must impress upon you the Importance of having the cases well marked ■o as to give as little poßßible delay this end. , , The apples should be packed with paper round each apple about three or four deep in the cases ; the apples must be tightly packed to prevent them from being bruised in transit, and shipped as soon as ufficiently matured ; they will colour and ripen in transit. We generally receive pple3 from Tasmania at the latter end of ril. The ppplea muafc be sent in the cool

chamber of the vessel They will arrive io bad condition if sent as ordinary cargo. Sydney Mail. FRUIT CASES FROM NORWAY. We learn from the Tasmanian Mail that Messrs C. B. Knight and Co, fruit preservers, shippers, aomraission agents, &0., have imported to Hobart by the barque HavfrueD, from Norway, timber for 150,000 fruit cases. White Norwegian Pine i 3 the . name the timber is best known by, and it is cut from the waste stuff in the sawmills, and done up in neat packages that are conveniently handled, carted or shipped. They are so arranged that the casenoaker in turning them into boxes has exceedingly light work, all he has to do being to place two ends and the centre board on their edges, begin at one end, nail the sideboards on, tarn the half finished case on end, tack the bottom on, and finish off the other side. The top sideboard on one side of the case projects a little over the end board, and the lid, when placed in position, rests against; it, thus making a very strong box. Every box has the centre board, which aid so much to the strength, and they are of the Hobart market regulation size. They are much lighter than the old paling boxes and look muoh nicer. Messrs Knight and C ! o are supplying the cases either made up or loose, and it is easy for anyone to make up tho pieces into boxes. The ends are pieces of Jin boards and tho centre board is Jin thick, and the side boards can be sup plied in two thicknesses. We wore told that three London Agents who wore here negotiating for fruit inspected the cases, and they expressed unqualified approval of them, »*>d the importers say that .they are going oil freely. PLANTING ON TOO LIGHT OR TOO HEAVY SOILSIt is too muoh the custom for many who plant fruit trees to depend too much on the natural soil at hand, viz., such as talsen out of the hole i(or in some cases tho grave is the more appropriate term) where the soils is or a heavy or clayey nature, while a little forethought should be brought to bear by making up a good heap of a suitable mixture —good”topspit pasture loam, that would also be all the better for having laid twelve months in a heap, adding to thi3 soma road scrapings, or mud taken out of a pond if procurable. This last ingredients, by the way, is better than manure, which, if used in any quantity, induces too strong a growth with newly planted trees. With a little old mortar rubbish or burnt (charred) earth added, well-mixed, one of the finest composts possible is ready for giving the newly planted fruit troes a fair start on the journey to productiveness. In the case of heavy soils, a good sized hole should be prepared about three or more feet In diameter, but by no means deep ; if about eighteen inches, tho bottom should have a few inches of any rough material, such as brickbats, stones, or rubble of some kind which might be available. Over this place the top spit of soil which was taken off when commencing to dig, placing the grassy Bide down, then about a barrowful of the compost before mentioned. The hole, whioh will then be nearly full, will be ready* for planting the tree. I would here state planting should always be a two banded job, one holding the tree in its proper position and gradually shaking it up aud down, so as to fill all the crevices while the soil is thrown to the oentre and allowed to fall all round, so that when finished the tree would be rather above than below the surface, and in addition to being well drained,- the roots could not get into the snbsoil ; on the other hand, the fibrous roots would be near the surface and warmth, which with a mulching or top dressing, would increase and conduce to the fruitfulness of the trees. W here the natural soil is of a light and porous nature, the drainage might be dispensed with at the bottom, and a doable layer of turf placed there instead ; more depth of soil might alao be given, and if anything the tree planted slightly deeper. The soil taken out of the hole may be useful, for filling np some vacant corner or raising to a better level some low place, or even spread evenly over the ground. It will be seen that if these hints are attended to where the soil is naturally either of a too light or too heavy description, a good and healthy start is given with but little expense, unless on a very large scale, and even in that ease it is worth while, when the best results may be expected. Examine thq roots before planting, and cut weli away any stroDgones that have a downward tendency. These usually make a tuft of fibrous roots where ent, and it might be years before any further top roots are made by trees so treated.—G. A. 8., in the Horticultural Times.