GARDENING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17038, 23 June 1917, Page 3

GARDENING NOTES.

By D. Tannoce.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. Tills UittlENiiOUUß. Cinerarias, various kinds ol primulas, cyclamun, aoid Ire&ias will now be uiakuy rap.d progress and will bonuiit by a ugnt uuaung oi Ulay'e fertiliser, or by an application ol hquid manure onco a lortmgut, not olteuer, and tliey Eiiould be placed wlicro Liicjy win get tuli sunugnt. 1: rt.gias require soinu support, and it is bettor, even tuiuugti it takes a littlo longer, to place a Btako to every stein. TiiU i'LUWUK GABDEN. Now is a good tune to prune flowering and loiiago troea and shrubs. Cuttings oi hardy trees, shrubs, rosus (both busn and ramt>lcx kinds), and also of. gooseberries and currants can still be put in. A outting ol any ot thesa is a piece of well developed, wuil-ripened stem, of the past season's growth, cut into pieces about tun or twelve inches long. In the case of deciduous kinds, they aro cut straight across with a olean sharp knife immediately below a node or joint, or taken with a heel. Evergreen cuttings, such as olearias, aro cut across below a joint, the young unripened tip of the shoot is out out, the leaves on the lower nine inches removed, and those on the few remaining inches left, iho cuttings aro then placed in a trench about two inches apart, the base resting on a layer of sand or fine charcoal, buried three parts of their length in the soil, which must bo tramped in firmly about them. it is most important to make the soil firm. VEGETABLE GARDEN. Potatoes for seed snouid be obtained now and stood up on tiieir oiida, the bud end uppermost, in siianow boxes or trays and placed m a cool dry airy shed, or in places where tnere is little Uo3t, right outside in the shady side ol the house. The top bud develops into the best plant; and, if left to sprout in sacks, it becomes long and thin and has to be rubbed out, a second-rate bud being left to lorm the new plant. As vegetable seeds are likely to bo scarce, those desiring any particular varieties should send in their orders to the seedsmen early and thus avoid disappointment later on. PRUNING ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SJAKUBS. The pruning of tlowermg and ornamental trees and shrubs is tar too olten neglected, with the result that each individual plant becomes a mass ol twigs and dead wood and toe whole shrubbery becomes a tangled thicket. It is quite as important to prune shrubs as to prune fruit trees and roses if the best results aro to be obtained, and a little attention to tnis will be rewarded. Much ol the pruning can be done when the plants are in llower, or again when in fruit,, or when tho leaves take on their autumn tints and the prun.ngs will be found useful for house decorations. Trees and shrubs should never be allowed to grow into one another unless they are planted to form a screen to hide some ugly or undesirable feature •tin your own or your neighbour's garden. Each should be allowed to develop its individuality, and pruning should not be done so as to spoil its character.

Fortunately the fashion of cutting trees into all sorts of grotesque and ridiculous shapes is now almost a thing of the past. Still, there is too great a tendency to pruno with tho hedge shears and treat all plants alike. One often sees shrubs with most of the flowering wood cut right away and the centre of the bush a tangle o£ small twigs. For the purpose of pruning, shrubs and trees can be conveniently divided into four sections:

1. Those grown for their ornamental foliage, such as hollies, laurels, cuouymus, yews, box, broadleals, etc. Most of these are grown lor their variegated or coloured leaves, and as there is a tendency for green branches to arise which, if left, will grow up and suppress the weaker variegated growth, these have to bo cut right out. All stronsr shoots which grow away and spoil the shape of the plant have to be shortened back, and a reasonable shape maintained. 2. Shrubs which llower on the young wood, such as hydrangeas, tamarix, oeanothus, buddlcias, Spiraea lindleyana, Spartium junceum, etc. Theso are out hard back to within two or three buds of the old wood to encourage the development ol strong shoots on whioh the flowers aro produced. Where frost is aovere it is just as well to leave the pruning of the large flowering hydrangea until the spring, as the branches aro a protection to the buds lower down.

3. Shrubs which are cut back immediately tho blooms are ov;r. These produce their flowers on the your.g shoots formed in the previous season, and, as they require a long season to grow and ripen, pruning must not be delayed. This section include tho fallowing: — i'orsvtJiias, ■heaths, lilacs, lierria, philadelphu3, Prunua pissardi, Prunua moseri, Prunus sinensis, chimonanthus, etc. To prune this section hard back in winter is to cut away most of tho flowering wood. 4. Those which llower on the old wood, such as double-flowering cherries, crabs, Styrax japonica, etc. These should bo thinned out, tho side shoots shortened back, and the leaders allowed to develop until the plants are large enough. There are still a large section of both powering and foliage shrubs which are so dwarf that they seldom require any pruning at all, snd others which flower both on the old and young wood. Theso should be thinned out regularly, and when they get tall and straggly they can bo cut hard back. This is tho case with rhododendrons. They seldom require pruning, but if they bccoma leggy they can be cut right down, apd they will send up fresh shoots from the old stem. After the priming, the soil .should be forked or dug over lightly, not deep, or many of the roots will be destroyed. Hardy trees and shrubs can be planted now, and as they are useful for providing tho- maximum display with the minimum of labour, they are particularly suitable for large gardens or for those in which thero is a limited amount of assistance. When they are properly arranged, many fine effects can be obtained, and as a background for the mixed or herbaceous border nothing better can be obtained. They are also particularly suitable for covering steep banks, which, if in grass, would be difficult to mow, and a judicious selection will, provide flowers, berries, or tinted foliage for cutting for house decoration all the year round. When preparing the shrubbery beds or borders trenching is necessary. They do not require manure, but as we usually grow crops of annuals among them until they grow up, it is advisable to dig in manure near tho surface after they are planted. When they are planted in holes, as they have to be on steep banks, a hole 3ft wido and 2ft deep should be dug, and care has to bo taken to provide an outlet for water if the bank be clay, and if the soil is not good the hole should be filled up with good soil. Most shrubs liko peat or leaf mould; this can be dug into the soil or put on as a mulch. Be careful not to add any limo where heaths or rhododendrons aro to be planted • Shrubberies aro too often composed of common things such as lauristinus,' snowball trees, laurels, and ponticum rhododendrons, and other things which, though good enough in a way, are quite out of date, and are not included in my lists, which aro as follows:—

Twelve deciduous flowering shrubs: Chimonanthus fragrans, Cydonia japonica, Daphne Mezereum,/ Exochordia grandiiiora!, Forsythia suspensa, Hydrangea paniculata, Magnolia conspicua. Magnolia stellata, Philadclphus avalanche, Spiraea prunifolia, Syringia Charles _ X, Tamarix chinonsi3, Styrax japonica, Viburnum plicatum.

Six evergreen flowering shrubs: Andromrda japon ca, Clothcra arborca, K aim in. latifolia,_ Embothrium coccineum, Arbutus Mcnzieeii, Carpentaria californica. Six_ ornamental, foliage shrubs: Acuba japonica, Euonymus japonicus aurea, Acor p-dlmatum, ,var. (Japanese maple) Aralia spinosa, Photinia serrulata, Hex aquifolium Golden Queen, Berberis Aquifolium ' Six autumn tint shrubs: Amelanchier canadensis, Oornus sanguinca, Euonymus 0 ropaaus, Rhus typhina, Viburnum opulus, Cotonoastor Simonaii.

Six berry-benrins shrubo: Arbutus Unedo Berboris Wilsonae. Cotonoaster frigida' Eugenia ugni, Skimmia japonica, Crataegus pyracantha. Six small flowering trees: Japanese double flowering cherry, Double peach. Almond, Prunns pissardi, P ran us Moieri fL, pi Pyrus Mnlus floribunda, '

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Smith."—What _ method of pruning should bo followed in an orchard which has boon neglected for some yoars?—Old neglected apples are affected with canker, are unhealthy, and unfmitffel. Old upple trees of this description are better prubbed out and new trees planted in their plane. Tf they are healthy but unsuitable ci;t down and graft with bettor kinds in qiring. ) should be thinned out, all branch-s

which cross and rub one another snd all dead wood being removed. The young growth can bo pruned baelc, but trees which are well established and fruiting frooly seldom require much pruning. Plums do not requiro much pruning, thin, out all undesirable branches, allowing plenty of light and air into the remaining branches.. Do not cut the leading stems too hard back. " ii. S. C." (Roslyn) has forwarded a samplo of soil with the statement that it had been trenched two feet six inches deep and garden refuse buried in, and he ask 3 if this treatment would bo suitable* for sweet poas. There is nothing wrong with the nample of soil. The mould will soon disappear; it is a sign of olenty of organic matter. The treatment " li. S. C." has given to the soil is excellent, und should produce good sweet peas, but ho must remember that as his soil is very rich he must tramp it firmly before planting. Loose rich soil causes a rank growth of stem and leaf and the early buds drop off. " Amateur " (Gaversham). —The best kind of quick growing hedgo for a dry exposed hjllside i 3 Olearin Fostcri, and the best bind of ciimbois for rustic work in an exposed position are the rambler roses, Hiawatha, Dorothy Perkins, Excels a, and Alberio Barbier.