HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 10

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Sy J. Gebbib. v

BENEFITS OF TRANSPLANTING. A young fruit tree which has been left; for several years undisturbed makes long rambling roots with little or no fibres which make their way into the subsoil. Trees with roots in such a condition cannot be expected to bear much fruit. On fche other hand, trees with small fibrous roots . necessarily not far beneath the Jurfaoe, and therefore directly benefited b 7 lS m&bkun that might be applied

1 are in an excellent condition for bearing fruit and in ordinary circumstances would give a good crop. In good nurseries young trees ar© regularly transplanted, some every yea.r, others every two years, so that instead of their roots becoming long, thick and without fibres, they make a mass of small fibrous roots and when lifted for sale are in perfect condition. Those gvow : ing their own fruit trees should see that they are regularly transplanted, otherwise they will never give good crops of fruit. Fruit trees which have been regularly lifted in the nursery naturally make vigorous growth when planted in private gardens, especially in good soil, and left undisturbed. Something should be done to restrain their vigour. If unattended to these gross shoots, which would never bear and in a few years many of the small shoots at the base of the tree will die simply because they have been robbed by these fross shoots which would never bear fruit, and they prevent the growths of moderate vigour from doing so either To restrain this vigorous growth root-pruning must be resorted to, an operation which may bo said to bear the same relation to the tree in after life as transplanting did when it was young. To perform this operaton a trench ought to be dug round the tree, varying in depth a.ccording to the size and age of the tree. The trench must be made deep enough to bring to light the chief roots. Those that arc Jong and vigorous should be cut back to within 18 inches or 2 feet from the point of origin. RAISING FERNS. It is very interesting work to raise ferns from spores or seeds, as they are commonly called, and by following the few simple rules here given the amateur or gardener may bo successful in a number of beautiful forms of greenhouse ferns. The great trouble with many is to keep the pots in which the spores have been sown free from moss, lichens or other vegetable growths. To get over this difficulty the sin or 6in pots, which are the most convenient size, should before using be dipped in almost boiling water. Over the hole place one good crock, then half fill with cinders which have been sifted and thoroughly washed. The soil should consist chiefly of good yellow loam, and ought to be baked, though not burned. This may easilv be done by spreading it on a flat piece of iron and baking it over a fire, keeping it stirred to prevent burning, afterwards sift through a fine sieve. The rough portion may be placed in the pots on, the cinders about l£in deep, with about lin or less, according to room, of the fine soil on the top. The whole should then bo firmlj pressed, and when finished off there ought to be a space of" lin between the soil and top of the pot. The whole should then be thoroughly soaked with water which has been boiled and allowed to drain. These processes will ensure the destruction of undesirable life in the soil. The spores may then h& thinly sown and the pots covered with a piece of glass. The pots are placed in saucers in the warmest available place in the greenhouse and kept shaded. The atmosphere must be kept moist, it watering becomes necessary the pots may be partly immersed, allowing- the water to rise from the bottom. When the ferns germinate they are allowed to grow undisturbed until largo enough to be pricked off and ultimately potted. The glass should be dispensed with when the young ferns make their . appearance. ONIONS FOR EXHIBITION. The method by which the Old Country exhibitors obtain onions of the largest size is to sow in boxes under glass during winter and treat carefully until planting out time arrives. Seed should be sown now in the greenhouse or frame and the seedlings pricked off into boxes as scon as they are large enough to handle. About September they would be fit to transplant into open quarters. The ground for their reception must be deeply dug and well enriched with manure.- Each seedling should be carefully lifted with roots intact, with some soil, and planted in rows 18in apart, with 9in or more between each plant. During summer liquid manure fertilisers are also frequently to be given, and if properly attended to, by February there will be large show 'bulbs of the size required. THE CALICO BUSH. The Calico Bush (Kalmia latifolia) is a very attractive, elegant and useful dwarf shrub, although in congenial soil it may ultimately attain a height of 10ft. The leaves, which are thick and leathery, are dark shining green in colour. The .flowers appear in corymbs, and are of a rosy pink colour inclining to white in -the centre, making- it one of the best flowering shrubs of the season. A peaty soil is usually recommended for the Kalmias, but I have seen it thriving in ordinary loam.