The Garden.

Otago Witness, Issue 1489, 29 May 1880, Page 7

The Garden.

By J. N. Grigor.

{Specially Written for the Otago Witness).

PLANTING.

If new grounds are contemplated they should now be commenced with. Where hedges are to be planted, now is the proper time, trenching and enriching the ground with manure for their reception. Thoin, holly^ sweet-briar, beech, pear-stocks, and Eurebia make good fences. All outside hedges ought to be composed of plants suitable to resist the ingress of cattle. Gorse, in every case, ought to be rejected as a garden fence. It not only harbours vermin, but is liable to be set on fire ; besides, its seeds spread to a considerable distance in its vicinity, which grow and soon become a perfect naisance The Hawthorn.— Among the various species in use nothing can excel the Cratcegus family, which makes without exception the best and ..most lasting fence of anything yet used for that purpose. The seeds (termed haws) from off old hedges should be gathered now, or as soon as possible, and storedpftst in apit mixed with sand, to be turned four or five times throughout the year, so as to prevent them from heating, and to rot the flesh from off the seeds. If sown as gathered, they do not germinate until the second year, thus incurring a considerable loss of time and expense in weeding. After having been in the pit for a year they should be sown in September, as the seeds will begin to germinate very rapidly, and it neglected in the pit, the growths are long and drawn up, which, when sown and covered with Boil in the seed-bed, rot and entail a considerable loss. In October, if they are through the ground, a few branoheß of scrub should be stuok into the beds bo as to protect them from the hailstorms which frequently occur throughout that month. In the following spring, say in the latter end of August, the seed-bed Bhould be loosened with a fork, and a draw of the tallest seedlings pulled out, the smaller ones left in the beds to form two years' seedlings. Thoße that have been pulled should be root-pruned, slightly puddled, and lined into nursery rows nine inches apart, and two inches plant from plant. The ground where the hedge is to be planted should bewell manured, and trenched in a strip of four feet wide, and left some time to the action of the weather. The quicks in the nursery rows, if not allrequired, should be taken up in alternate lines. This will leave the remainder 18 inches apart, and they should be prised up with a spade, so as to disturb and break the points of their roots, which, when firmed saves trans- | planting. „ J Pear Stocks.— Pear stocks form excellent hedges, and are strong and quiok of growth. Pear pips should be sown in October, steeping them in water' two days before sowing, co as to make them vegetate more freely. By, autumn they will be fit to undergo ;the same treatment mentioned for quicks, and, as the buds begin to swell in the spring they shonld be headed back, leaving three inches or so of wood above ground, which forces up a host of young growths. They are fit to be removed the second year, toba planted from 8 to 12 inches apart. The Barberry.— The common barberry makes a good hedge, and attains a height of 10 feet, l» deciduous, and is armed with long spines, produoed in threes. It has a shrubby habit, stocking itself with, a multitude of suckers, whioh generally grow clos6 to the original stock, and not beyond a foot from it at the most. It requires little or no prun- , ning, and is remarkably hardy, thriving well almoßt in any soil. The wood is yellow, and thorny around jthe leaveß, whioh grow in rosettes, producing long yellow raoems of flowers, and scarlet oblong berries, very acrid, but delicious preserves are made of them. It can be grown in quantity from seeds, whioh are very plentiful on old plants, or from cuttings of suckers, which may be stuck in the ground in the autumn or spring, which root freely—plant a foot apart. The Sweetbriar.— Sweetbriar makeß a good hedge, serviceable only against sheep, unlesß raised on a turf wall Its hips may be sown in the autumn as coon as ripe, or better still, mix them with Band until September, and then sow. It is better to plant them a year old, leaving them to grow as they like for the first year after being planted, and cutting thflm down to the ground the second, They will then spring up and require no more care, save an occasional trimming with the pruning knife to keep the hedge in shape, which should be tapered towards the top ; and when it becomes a sort of naked at the bottom, it must again be cut down, so as to re-establish itself. The plants should be set for a hedge line from 8 to 12 Inches apart. The Elder.— The common black-fruited elder, may be planted, if it is desirable that a hedge should arrive very rapidly at such a size as to be a good defence against cattle. It grows very rapidly, throwing out long soft shoots, which soon become hard, and are very suitable for a fence, as oattle will not eat the leaves. Its only fault is, that it never grows close enough and has frequently to be cut down. When old, especially in the winter season, when it has shed its leaves, it displays very unsightly stumps, all knotted. But still, by many it is esteemed highly. It. may be inoreased freely from cuttings of ripened wood either of one or of several yearß of age. The plants should stand 10 inches apart.

The Privet.— The evergreen privet makes a very ornamental hedge for gardenß, and serves well to be mixed with white or black thorn, as it retains its leaves throughout the winter. By Borne it is attributed to be injurious to cattle, although so common in Britain, where it is planted by the sides of public roads, mixed with quicks, and no injury from its effeots has ever been made mention of, although horses, &c, have browsed on it freely. It is easily increased from cuttings of young wood, which should be lined in thickly in nursery rows in April, and will root as freely as willows. It is very serviceable, as it grows well under the shade and drip of trees. If mixed with white thorn, the hedge will assume an evergreen appearance, adding shelter as well as beauty. Beech and Eornbeam.— Beech and hornbeam make excellent, strong, and durable fences, bat are wholly unsuitable for clay Boils. Hollies we too expensive, and too glow in|growtb, to be planted in quantity,

Yews are only suitable for gardens or grounds that are well protected from cattle, as the spring growths have been known to kill many tr at have been tempted to eat them. Beech and hornbeam should be planted from six to ten inches apart. Beech, owing to the difficulty of getting those imported fresh, seems to,be rare, and at the same time expensive, but if a few trees could be procured they may be inoreased by layers. p3 Renovation. — When a hedge has become old, and many of the plants have died, vacancies occur which have to be filled. If young quicks are to be planted in their placeß, the soil must be removed and fresh added, as the old earth is exhausted or deteriorated. For filling up blanks, nothing suits better than the common barberry, common pear stock, or the holly, which grow well, and fill up the deficiencies ; but in the case of young quicks, the hedge must be cut, or so trimmed that the young plants may not be shaded, otherwise it islabour lost. Where plants are not procurable, the plashing method Bhould be practised. It jconsists of cutting half through some of the stems near the ground, and bending down the upper parts in an oblique or horizontal position (keeping them so by means of forked stioks, driven firmly into the ground), which, by thebending, check the usual supply of sap from ascending, and this in tarn forces out young shoots along the bent stem, which soon fill the gap. Where hedges are properly formed and kept, they will hardly, or never, require to be thus maimed.