Transplanting and Pruning.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 8

Transplanting and Pruning.

As the season for transplanting and pruning is now upon us, tha following interesting remarks on the subject from the Journal ol' Horticulture are appropriate: — TBANSPLANTING FRUIT TREKS. Trees planted too thiskly in former years should be moved to freth positions before either they or adjoining trees loach one another. The present ia ' an excellent time to carry out the ! operation, and if the trees are gro-viog etrougly - so that numerous fruitless shoots are biiug produced, or if they exhibit that tendency, the lifting and replanting will prove equal to rootpruuiug. Attention must be paid to carefully pruning smooth any broken roots before replantiog. In lifting preserve all the fibres possible with soil adhering to them, forming a ball-like mass of roots aud soil. This is quite poeoible when the trees have nob to be removed tar, say fcom ens position iv a garden to another. Dig a trench round the trees at such a distance from the bole that will form a portable mass of soil and • roots according to the sizo of the trees. This can usually be calculated on to a nicety with young specimens, but with older trees the trench shou'd be commenced further away, workicg the ball smaller by carefully picking away the Boil from the outsides, retaining unshorteued for the time all the fibrous roots, and securing them out of the way of injury dui> ' iog the procsss of reducing the ball. Tae lets reducfoa ofjthe latter, however, the better ; but much depends on tho number of fibres. When numerous they hold the soil together ; if scanty there is a difficulty in retaining sufficient. The soil for the reception of the trees must be well prepared previously, and the holes excavated wide enough to admit of the ball aud its probable fringe of loose roots — these being spread out at full length, and, like those of newly-planted trees, placed horizontally between layers of coil near the surface. When well furnished with fibrous roots near the bole many of the longest outside roots can ba shorbeued back, fre-h ones being speedily forrwed ia good soil in the ca c of vigorous trtea. Plaab the tiees no deeper lh*n before ; stake, if necessary, to keep them steady, and fiuish with mulching over the toots. ■WALL TREES. Thinning Branches. — This is a good opportunity to examine trees that are crowded with growths and ascertain which of the mam branches can be dispensed wHh without; making ltirge gap*. It frequently happens that the trees are fruitless from overcrowding. Hori-zontally-traiaed tree* ought not to have the branches neater than a foot asunder. Crowding of the branches rapidly causes the spurs to lengthen, and aa they extend oubwarda from the wall the base becomes bare. This mmt of necessity occur, because of the absence of I'gki as well as a dua circulation of air. Thin branch-training to a large extent mitig >tes the disadvantages thus arising, and cannot be coo early adopted. In the case of fan-trained trees, cutting out large branches neceisitare3 rearranging the remaining, and this gives an oppoituuity to train them at ample distances apart, so that crowding doe 3 not so readily afierwar-lb ocsur. Apples and pears have each branch treated similarly with regard to pruning as cordon and espalier trained trees. Plums and sweet cherries may be grown in the sama way, though it is often found of advantage to train in young wood when there is sufficient space for admitting it without crowding the spurred branches. Peaches, neefcaiiues, and apricots in a general way produce the best fruit on comparatively y-.ung wood ; therefore a constant renewal mu4 be oarrkd on, in order that old exhausted branches ara not permitted to remain. IViqueut light renovations are better than severe removals of a quauUty ab orco, which often produces gum and the death of branches. Shortening Long Spurs. —Old trees frrqu«ntly have their branches clothed wifch abnormally extended olu.fcets of spurs. These should be thinned oufc, and gradually reduced back to better placed buds nearer the wall. This is a work of t'me. In very bad cafes, when there are but few buds to shorten back to, the drastic remedy is adopted of cutting the whole spur away to within an inch of its origin with the main stem. Tue following season growths will .be emitted from di nuant eyes. An < ady selection of these will V>e ufcciss&ry by the piO3< ss of disbudding, while the growths can be rubbed off. The selected shoots afterwards grow stroDgly, atid their vigour muet be regulated by 6UDomer pruning. They must have also the full benefit of thin disposal, when-by light and air can act beneficially ou tv« leaves., PLANTING FRTJIT TREKS. \ Take every favourable opportunity of planting young tree? an.l bushes. No work pays better for being carefully carried out than this important matter of establishing youog trees. Those that are destitute of an ami.ls mass of fibrous roots ueed more than ordinary care in spte*ding out those they h%ve. The enda ought firs*-, to be pruned nmooihly, as fibres cmi o'/ be «> ig.nateJ from itijur»d crb'uised parts. Lt> outfc;.«root3 ho'izjntally at the various levels from which they start, stre'ehing them out to their full extent, covering with soil spread on them from the stem outward*. Firm the soil about them, and avoid planting too the uppermost layer only needing a few inohes covering. The roots must not be allowed to dry previous to planting tha tree 3. Should they become dry thoroughly soak Ihtra in water some hours before plant_ii!g. Libelling.— AU fruifc tr=ei a'tou'd be conspicuously and permanently labelled with thf-ir propsr name*. There are several labela suitable fur thepurpos;, but in addition each tree ought to be entered on a plan, with its name and date of planting. The election* are being generally discussed every wherd. It is conceded, by heads of families that Woods's Great Peppermint Cure for coughs and colds muet be at tbe bead cf tbe ' polL :

SOUTHLAND LAND BOARD, The usual meeting, Leid on Tuesday, April 28, was attended by the Chief Commissioner (Mr G. W. Williams), Messrs C. Cowan, A. Kinross, J. M'lntyre, and A. Baldey. Colonel Chalmers wrote objecting to a transfer of reserve No. 16 from Jatne3 Giant to J aud W. J. CUrk, sanctioned by tho board at the last meeting.— Mr M'Nab appeared for Colonel Chalmers, and stated that the transferees refused to make any payment for the fences which had been put up by him when he held the land under a pastoral license. When Grant took over the reserve he agiead to pay 6s a chain for the fencing, but Oolonel Chaltnew had received a communication from the Clarks stating that they would impound all sheep and stock found trespassing on the land. Grant unfortunately was away, or he had no doubt they could soon get the matter put right, as he would not repudiate his agreement.— Ihe Chairman said that the Clarks had been rather premature in asserting their rights. The transfer had not yet been given effect to. It appeared to him a flagrant case of bounce and blunter on their part- He thought there was sufficient cause shown for tho boaid to withhold the title until ihe matter had bean amicably settled.— Mr Kin> oss said there appeared to lie a sort of opinion growing up with the public that the board had no power to decide iv these matters.— The Chairman siid the sooner the people understood the position tho better.— Mr Co wan thought it would be a fair position for the board to take up to say that the transfer should nob be granted until Colonel Ghalmurs was satisfied.— Mr M'Nab faid he would lik« an adjournment of the matter until next meeting, as he hoped to see Mr Grant in the meantime.— This was agreed to. Mr M'Nab appeared for Robert S. Trotter, who applied to purchase 150 acres of Run 323 and 50 acies of Run H2"?a. —Mr Kinross thought the application required very careful consideration as there was such a large area of high country and low country in that district, and if they parted with tbe best land the remiiuder of tbe ran would be of littla use.— The Chairman said they were especially enjoined by the act about parting with low country in such diotricts.— Mr Kinross said that if the applicant took it on lease in perpetuity ie wuul'l still be taking it aw>y from the run. and , would deprive the holder of low country.— The Chairman did n4 think Iho application was one they should grant. The proportion of lwel land to broken country was infinitesimal.— Mr >wan asked if the applicant would bu satisfied with the right of cultivation.— Mr M'Nab said he would like an adjournment to next meeting to consult his client, as he had not anticipated the objections raised.— This was agreed to.'' Mr Hanan appeared on behalf of M. Cnrran, who aiked for reconsideration of his application for 50 acres of reserve No 14 at the head of the New River estuary. Currau .pplied for ihd land in question, and his application was granted subjjee to the approval of tlio Harl>our Hoard. The Land Board wr«>te to the Harbour Board on the mater, and so far h&d received no reply. On the other hand, the nuyor of Inverciugill bad written tothi Head Office in Wellington obje ting to tha applic ition, and slating that the Harbour Board wi.-he4 to make use of it for a rifle range and other publi-j purposes. On th«se representations tho board had recommended that tbe laud bo vested iv the Harbour B jard As a matt rof fact, it w»s not part of tbe foreshore, and the EUrlio'ir Board h^d it already. Tbeii the borough council (the Harbour Board) were not unanimous on the point, some of the councillors holding that Mr Cuiran should get the land. The Chairman said that the mayor had stated in bis letter that the council intended to improve the land.'and it was understood th.tthe was speaking for the council as Haibour Board.— lt was decided to adjourn further consideration of tbe matter uutil next me. ting, whon reyies'ntatives of the Harbour Ban! and Mr Cnrran BboulJ be a«ke<l to fitu-iid Mr M'Leod was granted a teoipoiary grazing license of 50 acres at Forest Hill aC £1 per annum the land being overrun with rabbits, whioh were becoming a nuisance. Mis Murray v> rote objecting to the sale of section 2, block Id, Hifstrield, whioh she ha*! held under temporary occupation license, without ; notice having been given her. A letter w<is also ! lead fromTlioi«a< J. B-;ll, who had bought the»ecs tion, complaining that Mrs Murray had been per- ! sislently annoying him 1 and had sent him a bill for I ft. j-^ ciama S es and expenses in connection with ' ?? e < i 7i pu i t8 ir'v tl ? Mvr «y. who was present, , stated that she had paid rent for the flection up to October next, and by reason of the improvements sU^ had made it was worth more to h«r tba • anyone cl 3 •. she would be willing to give £V) for it 1 whereas it hvi been sold for £5 Bell who was a statio(im»stor, had applied fo> two adjoining sections under another name —Mr M'lutyre *aid he did not think the b>ard was entitles! to give Bell a title until the lease on wh eh Mra Murray had paid money expired.-Mr Kinross thought they might ask Mr Bell to forego his claim to tha section. He might agree as a matter of expediency.— The Chairman <Hd uot think he was likely to do that —Mr Cowan considered that it wa. a mater to be settled between the patt.iea —It was eventually decided to wiite to Mr Ball asking him not to tatto po s»s*ioa uutil Mra Murray's license had irxpired liy if&uxion of time. Mr Prater, M.H.R., wrote with reference to the board's deci-ion to put up for auction the unsold lots of Swiczers commonage, Waikafa, and requos'ed tbe hoard to withdraw the sections and lease them to tbe Cummnmge Committee for public grazing at a nominal lental. He urged that txich a course would be in accordance with the wishes and in the Irest interests of the ro»idents of the locality —The Chairman, said it wai true that the course they had agreed upon ami tho wav they were leasing the sections might load to their monopnlisaMou by <>ue or two persons. Oa tha other band, they could not sec the'r way to band over the land to become a part of the commovaze. The proposal was that the sections sh'wld be subdivided a>.d let on the alternative Rj'sl-'tii, and the board then to ler for grazing any Lmds nnioM.— Mr Cowan thought Mr Fraser's difficulty should bo met by telling him that rhe unsjlil 86'tion3 would still he open to the public forgrassins uurposes —On Mr KimWs motion, it was decided to inform Mr Fraser that the board desires to afford settlers an opportunity to obtain small areas, and thi land can be resume! for the p:i<p93<3 he mentions at any time. Tho Under-Sccretary for Lands wrote stating i that the Minister could not alter Ihe decision already come to with regard to the leanest for relief in connection with Runs 323 and 323 a viz., j that the 'eduction in the area of tfie two iuns of j lj'l per acre should be granted, and that tho extension of tenure be 14 year* from March 1, JS9 ! The I requust for a similar concession with re«p»ct to | one run only c«uld not be granted —It w^s decided to acquaint the trustees of the late W. D. Trotter with the Rfijiisfcor's replr. Isauc Burt :-p])'ic.d to purchase education reserve section £9, block IX, Waikawa, in place of eipht acres he wns relinquishing jof section 17. — 'Ihe application was declined, as the land is not contietunua to his property, and the board was of opinion that he. had already suffi i^nt land to work.— The Education Board's application to have the eight acres referred to reserved was granted. M. Buttolph applied for a lease, with right to J purchase, of a bush reserve in blo^lc Vf, New River Hundred. — Deferred pending the ranger's report. F. J. King applied to purchase a piece of land adjoining section 3i)l, Taringatura, on Run 149. — Granted. John Deegan applied to le=ise or purchase about 33 acres adjoining Run 149 — Request coiWd not be acce-'ded to as section 114 does not apply to email grazing runs,, and the run cannot be added to. W. M 'Lean's apuli&.ition to lease gravel reserve section 2, block XXIII, New River Hundred, at 2fls per annum, was granted: '1 1»onu» Fitzsimmons applied to lease section 3. bl-ck 111, and section 2. block V, Wairio f Village.— To be put up for lease at 3s each per annum. Mr R. H. Rattray wrote on behalf of Edward. Cos-riff that he could not pay arrears on forfeited section 8, block XIII, Lillburn. — Possession to be resumed. Mr R. H. Rattray wrote stating that he bad been instructed by Mr John Tennant to take proceedings in the Supreme Court to cause the sale of Pastoral Run 149 on February 28, 1896, to be set aside.— It was decided not to iasue the license u alil the case Is settled.

Applications for the transfer of sections 29, 30, 36, and 39, block XXI, dnatton district, from Catherine Gould to H. J. Burrowej, and of section 40, block IV (grazing license), Cwnpbelltown Huudre 1, from B. P. M'Goun to George Niched!, were granted. George I.e"g*tt wrote surrendering section 23, block VII, Waikawa, as he had to leave owing to illness, and asking for valuation for improve* ments.— Surrender accepted, ranger to report on improvements. It was decided that a number of sections forfeited should be reopened for selection. Applications for laud were granted subject to the usual conditions :-Ch»rles Roff, section 18, block XX, Invercargill Hundred; 0. Susan Moffatt, section 17, block XIII, Waiau : George How and Patrick Ahem, tedious $9 and 33, block XV, Ohatton Village. The Wallace County Council's application for authority to spend the thirds accruing from section 2, block XIII, Longwood, on a road between the boundaiy and Camp Creek was granted.