DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21668, 11 June 1932, Page 4

DUNEDIN GARDENING CLUB

The Gardening Club met on Tuesday evening, when there was a good attendance, Mr F. H. Hollingworth presiding. The subject for the evening was “ Plant Raising” and was in the hands of Mr John Whyte, who explained that many garden plants could only be raised from seed, and that was the economical -way of raising forest trees, palms, etc.'/; It was cheap, and much pleasure could be derived from raising new varieties of many garden plants. It was a very interesting hobby. ' Some plants did not come true from seed, but in others there was no change. It was the most popular, way because it''did not’ require much space or labour, and the ‘results were quick in development. For the raising of small seeds and those slow of germination sterilised soil was. beneficial. Sterilisation killed all fungoid pests as well as all weed seeds. Many plants, such afi chrysanthemums and dahlias, did much, better from cuttings than by any other method, and cutting was an economical •, way of carrying plants such as pansies, violas, penstemous and geraniums, etc.,' over the wintcA It was also a good way when large quantities were wanted. A cutting always came true to the parent plant. Division, said Mr Whyte, was the easiest way of increasing, the stock ,o£ many plants which lent themselves to that method such as spiraeas, pyrethrnm, trollius and many others. Layering was a well-known and frequently used method of increasing that were difficult to root from cuttings; Some plants were easily layered, but did not make shapely bushes, such as gooseberries or currants. Root cuttings were much used by nurserymen when large quantities were required of plants such as anemones, japonicas, phlox decussata, papaver Orientates, eryngrums, etc. They also all came true to the parent plant. ij Budding was described by Mr Whyte as a very popular way of increasing many plants, and it had many advantages, 1- such as getting a fine variety on to a stock, or to secure earlier fruiting, on such as the apple, etc. It would also help in the control of blight, on certain varieties. Grafting was used to increase stock, but chiefly for the purpose of producing the finer and rarer varieties on to vigorous stocks, such as rhododendrons, conifers, hollies, apple trees, etc. Like, budding, it was also the means of producing early flowering or fruiting systems. Ferns for comercial purposes were generally grown from spores. A few were produced by division and bulblets. In commercial nurseries where large quantities were produced the handling of cuttings was reduced to a very fine art. A man could insert cuttings of pansies and violas at the rate o£ 1500 an hour, and could pot up cuttings into v 2iin pots at the rate of 1000 per hour. :. At the conclusion of his. remarks Mr Whyte was accorded a vote of thanks for hia interesting address. ./,•