MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 8

MISCELLANEOUS.

APPLES FOB SOUTHLAND. , " What varieties of apple are the most suitable to cultivate in Southland ? " is a question many orchardisbs would like to sco satisfactorily nettled. For geueral information we (Southland Farmer) may state that Mr James Gslt, of Marairua, has shown us a list of apples recommended to him by an Inverc&rgill nui'Eerjman. They include Sfcurmer pippin, Adams's pssrmain, Cox's orange pippin, Rymer, Lowell, Worcester pearmain, Cox's pomona, Hawthornden, Melor, Yorkshire greening, Hnbbarton's nonsuch, Dredge's fame, and forgo. If a consensus of expert opinion were obtained from Southland orchardiats, it would probably be found that the three varieties in highest economic favour are Eyrner, Yorkshire greening, and H&wthornden in the order named. Rymer because it will keep to Christmas, Yorkshire greening (it is also called winter codlin and other names) because ifc will keep till aboul September ; Hawthornden bec&uso it is ouch a heavy and early cropper. Ifc will be seen that one or two popular varieties are nob included in the trio, because they thriva uone two well in our rigorous clinitta. FREES IAS. These are charming, early-flowering bulbs, which may be grown by anyone with the proverbial bit of glsss. The bulbs are tiny, not expansive, and of Easy growth. Well-grown specimens are exceedingly pretfcy, and the blossoms are nicely scented. This bulb will grow in almost any soil, but a compost; rich in leaf-mould and sand is one to be recommended. Pot the bulbs in in autumn, about seven in a sin pot and 10 in the 6in size ; slightly bury the bulbs, then stand the pots in a frame. PRUNING SMALT. FP.UITS. Gooseberries in rich ground make a great deal of growth. The bhoots are sometimes so closs together that the hand can hardly be inserted to gather the frnit without being scratched, and free pruning is nob only a convenience, but ifc causes the fiuis to be larger and better flavoured than can be produced on over-crowded bushes. In many c&sec pruning is neglected year after year until the fiuit ia not more than half the size ifc ought to be. The bushes should be pruned annually, and the present is the time to do it Whore branches are dtcayed or not in good condition cut them ont, and allow the young ones near them to take their places. If any young shoots have grown up from the root, aad are thick amongst the branches, cut them out. In doing this remove them from the bottom without allowing any 6f the wood to remain, as if they are left there will be a more numerous lot of growths next season. These suokcrs, like growths, are a nuisance, and should not be allowed. The young shoots which have grown on the old branches should all be cut back to about; lin from whsro they originated. The two or three buds which are left will bloom and bear fruit. There is always aa upright shoot on the top of each branch. If the bushes are smell and young this may be left about lft in length ; but if the bushe3 are full grown half this length or less will be enough on the end. Always prnno so as to get a nicely balanced head aud properly formed tree. Bed and white currants should be pruned in the same way as gooseberries. Black currants do not require to ba out in. but the shoots and branches should be thinned out, so *s to avoid crowding. This is all the pruning these require. When tho branches become old they are generally cufc out, and their place given to healthy young branches. Rappberry reds only live two years. Those which have grown during the past summer will bear fruit next year ; then they will die. The way to prune them is to cut out all the old growths which have fruittd and allow tho young ones to take their place ; but sometimes these will be too numerous and more than are needed. In that case let the strongest remain, and cub out the weak ones, and both these and the old ones should ba cat down level with the surface of the soil. Some cut those left to bear down to 3ffc or so from the ground, but this is doing away with wood that would bs fruitful ; and, if it necessary to cufc the tops off, it should be afe a height of sft or 6ft. THE BEST APPLE. It is not easy to pick out one variety of apple from the hundreds in cultivation and declare that to be the finest of the throng. But I do not think many will disagree with me when I give first place amopgat culinary kinds to Lane's Prince Albert. This note 13 prompted by a row of dwarf trees I saw a few days ago in the Earl of Dysarb'i garden at Ham House, Richmond, and Mr Sage, who superintends the garden, said no apple oould beat it for the kitchen. The trees were remarkably healthy, the leafage exceptionally robust, and the branches bending down with the burden of large, handsome fruits. It is a kind that seldom fails to crop, even in very bad years for apples. I strongly recommend small fruifcgcowers to select Lane's Prince Albert, and trees put in within the next few weeks will bear well the following year. — Home paper. MOUNTAIN FLOWERS ARE BRIGHTER, All who have rntde pedestrian tours through the Alps remember the virid beauty of tho mountain flowers. Comparisons lately made by a botanist show that toe superior purity and splendour of floral colours in the Alps are not imaginary, or a mere effi-ct of contrast. The reds, blues, and yellows of the mountain blossoms aro much more intense than those of the same species of flowers grown at ordinary levels. The leaves, also, have a deeper and richer green, aud microscopic examination shows that chlorophyll, or green colouringmatter, is more abundant in Alpine plants th&n in those of the plains. One fact which seems quite natural, yet is very interesting, is that on the mountains plants have relatively smaller aerial organs and larger subterranean ones. Thus, a graceful flower which, in the plains, is seen nodding at the summit of ao aspiring stem, will be found when high up on the mountain slopes to be hugging the soil, anchored by comparatively heavy roots and beaming up with accentuated beauty from tha ground. THE RIBSTON PIPPIN IN YOEKSHIRE. This famous apple was, uufcil recently, more widely cultivated than any other apple in the kingdom. Ifc is now giviDg way to its offspring, that excellent variety Coxa orange pippin, a seedling raised by the lato Mr Cox, of Coinbrook Lawn, near Slough, in Bucks, iv 1830 from a pip of the ribston pippin. Thess two applts, which for flavour cannobbe surpassed, are excellent examples of how slow apples of the finest quality are coming into general cultivation in this country. The Rib3fcon pippin was raised at Ribston Hall, near Wetherby, in Yorkshire, the seat of Sir J. Dent Dent) ifc is said, about the year 1689. The original tree stood in the park until 1810 r when it was blown down by a violant gale of wind. Ifc was afberwards supported by stakes in a horizontal position, and continued to bear fruit until it lingered and died in 1835. All the vitality was not gone out of the root, for it afterwards threw up a sucker, which, I am informed by the head gardener, Mr Jones, still survives, although in a somewhat unhealthy condition from canker. Mr Jones, who has had charge of the tree since 1857. states

that at that time ib was in a very sickly condition, so he removed the soil from the roots, 2-^ffc deep 12ft from the stem and half way round the tree, aud filled in good loam ; three years afterwards he did the other half. For six or eight years the tree made good growth, and then became subject to cauker, and Usb aa much wood as it made during its summer growth, so that for the last 20 years he cannot ace that it has got any larger. It stands out in the park in a very exposed position, without any shelter, and the fruit it bears is of very inferior quality *nd muuh covered with rust, no doubt owiug to its exposed position and poor health. As I have heard many people remark that the Ribstoue we get nowadays are not to be compared with those they used to eat in their youth, I have asked Mr Jones's opinion on this paint, and it ia worth repeating. He status : " The Ribston pippin apples grown in these gardens last year were never better ; the fruits were large, straw-coloured, without a vestige of rusfe upon them. I have known and eaten the Ribaton pippin for the last 60 years, and cannot tell any difference." I may mentiou tint Mr Jones has a portion of the trunk of the original Ribston pippin tree, which, judging from ibs diameter, must have been a splendid tree atone time. The Kibston pippin is still one of our best fruits when grown in the southern or midland counties, but should have a warm soil or a wall in the northern ones. It does not ripen its fruit in a cold or damp soil, and is much subject to canker. F. Boxes, in the Field.