NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1486, 8 May 1880, Page 7

NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

THE TLOWEB, GARDEN.

Bulbs.— The season for planting has now virtually nearly expired with certain bulbs— that is for early blooming. For many of the popular and showy kinds tbe trade and the public are at present entirely dependent on supplies from Great Britain and Continental Europe : and even in theße days of quick transit dealers well know that whether the supplies will arrive in sound condition or not is quite a matter of chance. Take for instance tulips, croous, anemones, snowdrops, ranunculi, Crown Imperials, and many of the lilies. The confinement on board Bbip for a few weekß, at a time when at Home they would be starting into active growth, often appears to destroy thei* vitality. It necessarily f oUowb tbat about donble |tbe price is charged for a bulb, tree, plant, &a, to that charged ia Britain, simply because they cannot be procured without a considerable amount of risk, tbe whole order often being sacrificed.) Chrysanthemums ought to be £ ed frequently

with liquid manure. It will be observed that many of the large growing sorts are subject to draw up info naked Btems, which appear unsightly, especially in small plots. For mass of bloom and shape of plants " pinohing " ought to be practised frequently to indnoe growth and produoe flowers in quantity. For exhibition, single stems and single flowers, that is. one flowerto each stem, isproper because the solitary bloom gets all the benefit of the whole nourishment, which otherwise would be divided among those that would be growing if more were on the same plant. PRUNING. This being the proper season for 'pruning ornamental, forest, and fruit trees, a treatise I on the variousjiystems will be furnished for the use of farmers and those who may'have cause to putthesystemintopraotice. Many theorists deny the use of pruning, and it is sometimes denied by carpenters and mechanics, who have wit nessed the bad effects of an improper system ; and [who readily discover the evil resulting from the "lopping" and "bougbing" of a bad method, while they are unacquainted with the advantage of an early and judicious pruning, which leaves no blemish on the future trunk, but directs it early into the figure most valuable as timber. It must, however, be admitted, although pruning does not in ordinary cases ultimately increase the bulk or weight of timber, yet trees whioh have been operated on early in a scientific and judicious manner, will be improved in qaality and ultimate value, and will grow ia greater numbers in a given space. All practical foresters will agree that early pruning is the most benefioial system, doing a little at a time, but frequently repeating cbe operation as necessity demands it, directing the leading shoot in its ascent until tbe stem of the tree has acquired a proper form. Before enlarging on this subject, it is necessary that a few physiological particulars should be stated prior to giving any rules for pruning : In all trees the sap acts tbe sam<) part as blood does to animals. Both Iflow through vessels I from, and return by others to, the chief seat of ' vitality— viz., in the former to the roots, in the 1 latter to the heart. This vegetable blood ascends tbe stem through the alburnum or layer of young wood, chiefly situated beneath i tbe bark, in whioh the vessels are stationed for | oonveying it from the roots to the leaves, which it enters, and is exposed to the influence of | light. Having undergone its duties, a portion descends on the outside of tbe alburnum or | inner bark, part being detained, and becomes I organised by theaotion of the medullary rays, forming a new particle of woody matter, and a part is facilitated to the roots. In other words, the layer of longitudinal fibres immediately surrounding the pith is called the medullary sheath, and the vertical plates of ooller tissue whioh radiate from the pith or from the medullary sheath to the alburnum,! are palled medullary rays. The sap here is detained in forming wood, in enlargingthe trunk or branch, as the case may be, _ The thiokness of the layer so formed differs in different spsoies ; but ia the same species, all other ciroumstances being the same, it is in pro portion to the surface of foliage the treepos sessea. In all cases the diametrical extension of the stem, branch, and even roots, 1 ) depends entirely urjon the quantity of healthy layers. The diametrical increase of any particular part corresponds with the greater or lesger proportion of leaves above that paTt. The value of a timber tree depends chiefly on the stem, branches being of lees value ; hence art has to be em. ployed in attaining valuable stems, which if left to nature, would ultimately be in some respects serviceably only for firewood. The object in pruning for timber is the production of a clean stem with as small a proportion of branches as possible. But as has been asserted, the growth of tbe stem depends on tbe quantity of foliage, and without branches tbe latter cannot be maintained. True, but on tbe one band a preponderance of branches is prevented by pruning, while on the other, as much foliage should be preserved as ciroumstances will permit. An ex cessive deprivation of foliage should never be occasioned at any one time. This subjeot will be continued next week.