THE ORCHARD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1198, 15 February 1895, Page 7

THE ORCHARD.

HINTS ON ORCHARD PLANTING. The paper printed below was lately read at a Conference of Branches of the South Australian Bureau of Agriculture. It contained some practical hints on planting trees by Mr G. S. Buttfield, a horticulturist of South Australia : f* X do not,suppose that I shall teach much, as this subject has been under the study of many observant men for many years : still there are a few things that I have learnt from experience ' which perhaps it would be welL to point out. For instance, take an apricot seed and plant - it in different positions —first with the point of the seed downward ; the root will not grow up, neither will the top grow underground. The consequence is that the top lias to turn up and the root down, and it will make a very crooked plant. But if -,\you plant a seed on its edge you will generally get a straight plant, with a large taproot and few branch roots. Then, again, if you plant the seed upright you will have a plant with a stem and a moderate tap and more the seed grown point downwards you will generally find very little straight Wood, so you must make a short cut for tlie splices. We have had fine trees snap off level with the ground, and on examining them find a mass of crossgrained wood—l think, caused by having too short a graft, on a plant that lias had to twist about to get out of ground. The plants grown from seeds planted on the side and upright are generally about the same for grafting, but I think the upright makes the better plant. “If you' are planting on a large scale plaugh" the land fairly deep, harrow down, then take the mouldboards off the plough, and cross the land as deep as the plough will go; harrow down well, then fasten your headland wire about eight yards from the fence, draw it tight, and see that it is straight; lay the wire to plant with. Two horse drays do very well side on, to act as straining posts, with a chain on the axle and through the spokes ; it is easily moved to the next line. Two small Reid’s patent wire strainers, one at each end, and you are fixed up. Strain your line eight yards from the fence, and then hajf hitch. Twine on the wire every 18 feet is a fair distance. Now measure your headland wire 18 .feet, and tie the twine on ; dig the hole and drive two ti-tree stakes in about a foot apart. Make the ground between the stakes a little high, so that roots will get a downward slant ;■ take the tree and see that there are not any of the roots injured. If they are cut them clean off, shorten the tap ; they will heal up. Plant the tree between • the stakes with a good branch in the direction of the prevailing wind. It is necessary to keep the tree balanced; and it is most difficult to get a branch to grow. Spread the roots out full length and cover with earth, press it tight with your feet, fill the hole up as far as the tree was grown originally, leaving the surface loose. Take a piece of leather and loop it loosely round the tree, then have a piece of cord fixed to the leather and tie each end to the stakes. The nurseryman may have sent you fine trees and a nice shape, and perhaps you think they do not want pruning at all, but the roots have suffered severely in removing, they have not ye.b taken hold of the ground, and you must not expect them to si art the whole top into vigorous growth V As trees differ so in shape, it is difficult to explain the best way to form them. If the tree has a large top, select, say, three or four branches close together and branching out, to give the tree a good balanceone of them in the direction of the prevailing wind about two feet six inches from the ground. Cuts away above and below them, leaving only the three or four you selected ; then shorten them to about nine inches, taking good buds, and that on the top outside of the branch, as that will be one of the future branches. The whole flow of sap will go into the remaining buds and give them a vigorous growth. ) “ In the summer you should rub off any shoots not required. In the following pruning season, when the leaves are gone, prune to give the tree the shape of a wine-glass. If you have a tree with one straight stem and no branches, choose the buds as high as you wish the stem of the tree to be; then cut the top off, and rub off any shoots not required during the summer. When pruning get it into

the shape already described, or the top will get too large for the stem. Pruning is much easier, and better in every way if you get the tree into shape while young. “ In large pruning trees I should like to draw your attention to the following : Keep the tree as evenly balanced as possible. Cut out all dead wood, or any where the bark has a shrivelled appearance that is r dying—and cut it back to the green wood if possible; and when cutting a limb off cut in as close as you can. That will heal up, and often fresh shoots will grow round the cut. Any branches that cross must be cub out, or in windy weather they will rub the blossom and fruit off, and where they grow too crowded thin out. Often take out the strongest, or any where the buds are a long way apart; sometimes by shortening the branch it will make it throw out fruit spurs. Keep as much close-budded wood as you can, and a supply of young wood. The fruit in different kinds of trees is

produced on wood of different ages—for instance, the peach tribe on one season’s wood; the apple, pear, and the quince on spurs of two or more seasons : plums and apricots on spurs of two years. sTou cannot go far wrong by keeping a supply of young wood and cutting off the dead. If the tree is not able to grow a limb in the direction of the prevailing wind to keep its balance, graft it on that side with a piece of the strongest growers you can get of the same kind—a piece a little larger than a pencil will do for grafting. Cut a scalf about two inches long; the piece you are going to graft on must be a little smaller ; scalf it, and see that the bark joins ; tie on fairly tight—a piece of candle cotton is a very good thing to tie it with—leaving about three buds from the tie, and cover it with some grafting-wax made by melting 4lb resin, and then adding 31b beeswax and lib of tallow. When all dissolved pour it into cold water, and when set work it into small sticks. :> \

“ Do not attempt grafting until the buds are nearly bursting. If there is no wood you can use to graft on, see if there are any eyes or buds, then cut through the bark just above them : that will check the sap, and may force a shoot but. When the graft has grown loosen the tie, and after a little while take it off.” ; ‘