MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2303, 21 April 1898, Page 8

MISCELLANEOUS.

A JUDGE S APPLE ORCHARDS. I'he apple orchards of Judge Wellhouse in Kansas cover an area cf 1630 acres, and contain I 100,000 apple trees. In 13 years he has harvested over 400,000 bushels of apples, and whenever he has any money to spare he invests it in land, which he plants with apple trees. Just as seme men have a passion for horseracing and gambling, so has Judge Wellhouse a passion for growing apple trees. In fact, he says himself that the planting of apple trees and watching them grow gives him greater pleasure than anything in the world. A DEFENCE OP MACEOCARPA HEDGES. Mr A. E, Low has the following defence of the macrocarpa aa a hedge plant in a late number of the Tiinaru Herald:— "With your permission perhaps it would be as well if I gave my reason for objecting to the too sweeping condemnation of Cupressus macrocarpa as a hedge plant at the horticultural society's meeting as reported in your columns. The most invariable cause of failure is bad treatment. In the firat place, the height they are required to grow; then the ground is rarely worked deep enough, and usually you will find on -one side of the hedge % hud path, with the watershed falling from the plants. On the other side shrubs or trees ure planted close" up, which obstruct light »nd air, to say nothing of the roots robbing the larder below, or else there is a kosdes wJuclj fa _du£ j3O«Qd.ica]]y to fee d.es-

trucbion of the roots. if the border is manured occasionally, so much the worse, as ib entices the roots to their destruction. Cupressus macrocarpa is a surface-rooting tree, making a dense mass of fibrous roots which soon exhausb the soil of its moisture, so that in a dry seaton an occasional heavy soaking c>£ clear I water will beuefib the plants immeasely and [ make it uncomfortable for the grub of cockchafer, which has a liking for the roots. Thta as to pruning, as soon ss the platfc asserts its vitality by making growth, it is ab once snipped off 'to make it tidy like.' Now, it should be well understood f .hat without growth being allowed to mature, yoa will no* gel mature roots, and without ripe roora, «vhon the evil day comes the plant collapses. That it survives ab all und^r such treatment is a wonder. The hedge should be cub once aticually after the growth is completed. For a fence 6fb high the plants should not be closer than 2fb, giving more room the higher you require the hedge fo grow. No digging should be allowed within twothirds of the height of tho hedge and no shrubs or trees planted within the same distance, the surface of the ground being kept open with the hoe and the space between the path or grass also, so that rain may percolifcn down to the roofs instead of running off, Cupressus macrocarpa is a good, quick-gvov/iag, efficient wind break, and treated ratioaaily will usually give satisfaction in suitable soi}, and ia not at all fastidious. F. r a break or dividing line in the gardeu, a variety of, thrubs intermixed with some strong-growing roses would bo far more pleasing and beautiful, and would not; require the annual clipp.pg."