MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 8

MISCELLANEOUS.

PHYLLOXERA IN WHANGAREI. Mr BHckmore, tte Government uomclogist, has returupd to Auckland after having inspected every vineyard in the Whang- rei dif>tric t \ Ha found phylloxera on a number of properties besides Mr Alderton's. The vines will ba cufc down and burnt, and carbon bisulphide will be ir-jpcfced into the soil, by which method the vines and phyllcxera may be killed iv 10 days. ENGLISri CHRYSANTHEMUM BLOOMS. It is much to bo regretted that tho effort which wu.B made by Mr T. X Sidey, of this city, when he was in England, to havo t/peciraens of the finest blooms of chrysanthemums *.hat are grown at Home forwarded to New Z-al&ud in a frczen state has been unsuccessful. Through Mr H. C. Cameron, the offices of the O.C. and D.Tsomp»n.y were enlisted, ar d the company's manager (Mr Richmond Keel-j) consented to have the blooras fi\zeu in. tho centre of a solid block of ice tor fcrauft?a ; s%ioji to New Zfcalanri in a refrigerating chamber, and <he necessary stfcpa were taken. Our London correspondent, writes: — "I &m sorry to 3ay that a severe disappointment greeted M' Cameron when he attended to asrerl-ua tb^ result, and also awaits Mr iiidey. for, although the blooms were perfectly frozen, in ike hc-aifi o£ a big cube oil ice, 'pure and taui^p'-arent as the atmosphere itself, thei.. 1 beau'r-y had departed. They were utterly f*ded and collapsed, or, as the Americana expressively say, ♦ wiitpd,' so as to be utterly worthless for exhibit ioD, and the block of ics h&B ■accordingly been pitched into the rubbish heap with its disappointing contents. The failuie of the ;-xperinsent was rather a surprise both ro Mr Cameron and to Mr Keele in view of Hi 3 succeso which has attended pftveral eftv-ns to eoavey floral iplooma bsovjetw England and Ne - '/ Zealand, bub Ms- Cameron t.hiuka that the explaaati'jr, must be foucd in Hie fact that instead of tho blooms being cub freshly from plants and fjvz<*n at once white they were full of life and vigour, thesfl had been on exhibition for three days in a heated, artificial atmosphere, cin-equeutly had become merely the gho-d^ of then- former selves, or perhaps I should rather d&v- like the mnsamified remains of peoalo long dead, which at first preserve almost a life-like realism, bub immediately after exposure to the air crumble inio dusfc. At all event?, whatever the cause, the experiment has proved a lamentably failure." VEGETABLES, &C, IN SIBERIA. One would scarcely go to Siberia with the expectation of meetmg well-known varietiea of markeb garden produce. According to the Fruit-grower, it is stated, however, that in many districts beans, carrots, onions, beetroot, potatoes, and other vegetables are grown, white 100 ep.bbrtges may be purchased for 3s. In ?orue parts fruit can be had in abundance, 1000 waiifer mvlons costing only 6*. Fruit; eaten iv the wmter » fiozin, but pre^ervos its flavour ■well, while tho wild vine isst&tsd to grow to a height ot 15: t. THE APPLE MARKET IN ENGLAND. As there in & prospecb ot some shipments of apple-* being made to London thi* season by Now Zealand growers with the assistance of the* Agricultural department (says the New Zealand F-^rnser), i& may interest our readers to kuo^r that American apples have been worth much more during the 1597 season than in 1896. This has been due to an abnormally short crop. An authority estimates the American crop of 1897 at only 37.4-36,000 barrels, a* compared with 69,879,000 barrels in 1896. Tuis is not only one of the smallest crops ever produced, bub al-so one of tho poorest in qual'ty, and as fche fruit will prob.ibly keep badly a grea 1 - scarcity through the wmter is to be expected. It is therefore a particularly favourable time for colonial crowers to venture a few shipments, but the fruit roust be choice and well packed and graded. FLOWER GATIDEN. Perhaps there is nothing more likely to fSJ&pe the notice of an amateur, especially a beginner, than the growth of the suckers from rose Btocks ; and unfortunately there is nothing more likely to do injury to the rose than the growth of these suckers. Every beginner should make himself well acquainted with the peculiar foliage of the varieties of roses used for stocks, and then he would be able to detect the growth of "robbers." The suckers are very liable to start after the rains, therefore all rose-growers should be on their guard and remove these objectionable growths whenever they appear. The roses continue to produce beautiful blooms, and if they be pruned back slightly from time to time and some liquid manure ii applied there should be an abundance of flowera for some time to come. If any of your plants show hard, gaarle r l, short stumpy growth, more particularly among the tea-scented varieties, cufc this away so as to induce strong, healthy shoots to grow, and at the same time do not forget to give the plants a gallon or two of liquid manure. A USEFUL WINTER SHRUB. Hardy shrubs that blossom at midwinter are not common ; indeed, they are scarce, as there are only a veiy few of them, and the best is the laurusfcinus, which is kuowu to mauy and probably disregarded, &b when it is planted amoDg other shrubs that grow faster it is apt to be overshadowed and little seen, and then it will not flower, especially in winter, with the freedom ife does when well grown. It is a bush flatly adapted for small gardens, as it is not elaborate in growth but remains compact. It is slow in growth, but always in leaf, its foliage being dark green, svnd if grown fully exposed to Ih3 suu and ail' it will produce a cluster of

white flowers at the end of each Bhoot every season. The buds will form in autumn, and gradually develop until by midwinter or before the spring is far advanced ib will be a mas 3of white flowers. Ib is very choice and neat, and always valuable on account of appearing at a time when all flowers are scarce. The bushes when brought in are generally handsome little specimens, with short stems and nicely formed heads, and I advise all who desire to plant a choice evergreen that "will flower at this season and be conspicuous above all shrubs to introduce this. It possesses the advantage of growing as well in a town garden as in the country, and if planted in ordinarily good soil in any situation it will isvariably succeed, and if left fully exposed ifc flowers with great certainty. BEFLEXED CHRYSANTHEMUMS. A writer in the Garden remarks on reflezed chrysanthemums thab "it is more evident each season that the reflexed chrysanthemums are a declining class. The limited competition points to the facb ibafe the intere&t in the form of the flower is on the wane. At most shows one ciass is provided for these flowers, and generally three prizes offered. There are never more than two competitors, and at the November exhibition of the National Chrysaothemum Society, oub of all their members no more than two competitors staged exhibits in the class for 12 iargeflovered reflexed blooms iv not less thau nine varieties. Iv trying to find a reason for this decline one cannot very well come to any other conclusion than that owing probably to the lack of novelfcy and variety in this typa of flower and the somewhat stiff and form*! character of many of the older sorts they fail to please the majority when contrasted with the varied chaivctf-r of the Japanese varieties. There are FOtr»e v{ ry jiretty sorts among them, the briliia.'>cy of thd colouring of Cullingfudi for in*ifca.nre in well-developed blooms standing oul distinctly from that of almost all other chrysanthemums."' MOSS ON FRUIT TREES. In some localities, especially where the atmosphere is inclined to be moist, moss will grow ou mauy of the f:uib trees, a'iri. besides oif kitig tl'fi trees uusightiy, il interfere* a good doal with the growr.ii o? the wood &^d tha development of the fruib. A Dib«s-covered tree is never a very healthy one, and its appearance gives one tho idea of dec*y. Insects delight in ie, ag the moss sffords them an excellent harbour, and the fruit; produced on a tree of the kind, besides being inferior, is gciu-rall? oartial'V e&'cu with incectj. It will Uiu» hi understood that moss is very undoskafcle oe any ivc? taal be»i'3 iruit, and it bhould bft c eared off ?.nd destroyed wherever ife ei'sts. Now ia tbo nekton to do this, as ifc i« when th? brauchea are voi'i <>t fc-liage and while the buds ara dormant thab tha mobs i?; easiest and surest reached. Lime ii tbe best material to kill the rnose. 16 is sometim )a made into a liquid and syringed over fche trw, but I do not consider ifr so efficacious in this -,vay as when ib is made into a fine powder and dusted on. If the iime ii kepi dry and new and fresh, and on a day whea thii branches are osoisfc, but when no rain is falling, ib ia dusted all over the branches, it will kill the moss ati'd many of the insects as well. It shonld not be done on a windy day, but when it ia calm. If the trees are dwarf, all parts of them may ba reached from the ground ; bul» if tall, it may be necessary to get a step-ladder to reach the higher p&ris. Do not fcbrow the lime on in any form, bub be careful to dnst ib from all sides and in such a mannor that it will be left on all parts of the branches. Do not make a great du<r, but put ib ou quietly, *o that ifc will cling to the branchoP and remain ihare till ib hss killed the moss. The trees will b« somewhat unsightly when the moss dies, bu 1 : they will have n clean, new appearance before the end of next year.