HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3249, 21 June 1916, Page 8

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

By ,1. Gfbeik.

THE EGG PLANT.. , Botanicaliy the egg plant is known under several names. In some seed catalogues it is found under the name of Solatium melongena, S. ovigerura. and S. esculentum, but commonly called egg plant or augergine. A native of Africa, it was introduced into English gardens about 1597, and cultivated for its ornamental fruits. In France, Italy, and some other countries it is much used in cookery, and has for a long time been esteemed as much ns tomatoes. In England and elsewhere it is coming into favour as a delicious esculent, and, when generally known, will bo in great demand. Where its merits as an article of food are not appreciated it forms 'a decidedly ornamental feature in the greenhouse, the fruits retaining their brightness lor a considerable time, which is a groat point in favour of the egg plant, as it is popularly termed. There are several forms; the two commonest are the white and purple. The most effective is the white-fruited form, which stands out quito distinct from any other berried or fruiting plant in the greenhouse. All that is necessary in ite cultivation is to sow the seed in gentle heat in spring, and pot on the young plants when required, in good soil, giving them much the same treatment as tomato plants. In the warmer districts they may bo grown in tire open air. The fruits are very palatable when fried. HINTS ON POTATO CULTURE. It may interest the amateur to know that much depends upon the selection and treatment of the “sets.’’ It is necessary to secure good moderate-sized potatoes, which should bo set up on end in shallow boxes or trays and allowed to sprout before being planted, as when this is done much advantage is gained both in the development of the plants and in the weight of crops. Potatoes like a good open position in the garden, and the most suitable soil is a medium light one in a well-drained position. The ground should be deeply dug in autumn, and at the same time manured. Where stable manure is available, a good dressing should be given at the time of planting, placing a layer on the bottom of the trenches. Well-decayed leaf mould is also excellent for this purpose. When planting it is important that an abundance of room be left between the rows and the sots in the rows. x\llow a distance of 2ft between the rows for the early and 3ft for the late strong-growing sorts, and 12in to 18in between the sets in the rows. When the young plants begin to push through the soil care must bo taken to protect them from the frost by. continually earthing up the soil round them —neglect of this lias often resulted in the loss of a complete crop of early potatoes. When it is desired to grow exhibition specimens, only one haulm or shoot should bo left to a plant, all the weakest ones being drawn away as theyappear. Slight dressings of some fertiliser during the growing season will bo of advantage. Immediately the growth is completed, the crop should ho lifted. Choose fine weather for the work, and store the tubers after having had a few hours’ sun on them. It is important that seed potatoes procured during the winter and early spring, when not required for immediate planting, should bo taken out of the bag in which they arc received and laid out in a dry, airy place protected from frost, or they will begin to sprout, and a weakly growth will be the result. PRUNING IN RELATION TO FLOWERING. Statements have been made from time to time that thq pruning of fruit trees at

certain or at different times will affect the time of flowering. There is a fair amount of reason in this theory, for it is generally considered that to prune or cut a tree in any way and at any time would stimulate the tree to some action or another. It is usually thought that for some obscure reason growth or flowering will quickly follow pruning, the main reason advanced being that the pruning upsets the balance of growth, and the sap movement, however small, which is necessary to heal up the wound as a result of the pruning all unbalance the tree or disturb its period of rest, and so the theory is frequently met with that to prune a tree early would result in early flowering and vice versa. Against this theory is the general opinion tnat in winter deciduous trees are enjoying a period of complete rest; therefore, whatever is clone in the way of pruning will have, no effect on the tree, and that the tree is affected by climatic or thermic influences only. That is to say, a fruit tree will blossom at its correct blossoming time, influenced by the advanced spring, whether pruned early or late, or if unpruned. This is borne out by experiments carried out; at the pruning season of 1913. Seven Graycnstein ipple trees and four Beurre Capiaumont pear trees were selected for the purpose, and pruned at various dates, trees were pruned wholly at intervals of a, month and others were pruned at monthly intervals, only one-half of the tree being pruned at one time. When the spring and flowering time came the results were absolutely nil. There was no variation in flowering on any tree or on any side of the trees—each tree flowered simultaneously, each being in full flower at the same time. These are one year's results only, and they will need confirmatory experiments before they can be considered as, definite.

SUCCESS IX KITCHEN GARDENING. The very foundation of success in kitehen gardening lies in obtaining seeds which are pure, true to name, of the best strains, arid of good germinating power. If plants of vegetables are purchased care should also be taken that they bo good, true, clean from insect or fungus pests, and of the right size for planting. Nothing is more annoying than to purchase seeds which either have lost their growing properties or, after a long time of waiting and cultivation, prove to be something very inferior to that expected. The seedsmen are not always responsible for failures. Dry weather or the reverse may bo the cause, or the seed may have been' sown too deeply, or in some cases not deep enough. It is not always possible to hit just the right time to sow seeds, but if possible sow just before light rains. No hard-and-fast, rule can be laid down for the right depth seeds should bo sown —in light sandy soils they may be covered a trifle deeper than in those of a heavy nature. Peas and beans should be covered to a depth of about 2in, while the smaller sized seeds need a shallow covering of from lin to sin. Novelties in seeds are numerous. These need not be neglected; but it is better to stick to the well-known good kinds for the main crops, -as the newvarieties arc not always what they are represented to be. CHOISYA TERNATA. Severa 1 large plants of this Mexican shrub is now (June 14) flowering magnificently in a wayside garden in North Otago. It is a most desirable shrub, having shining evergreen foliage, and producing a large quantity of sweet-scented white flowers. Although not perfectly hardy in all districts, if planted in a sheltered position and protected during very severe weather, it is seldom damaged by frost. This shrub is well worth growing more extensively. MOSS ON LAWNS. This is generally a sign of poor soil, and also it indicates that the soil needs draining. If the drainage is perfect and the presence of the moss is attributed to poornose of the soil, the first thing to do is to rake the lawn rather heavily, so as to drag out as much moss as possible. After having done this, spread over the lawn a mixture of rich soil and lime. To two loads of soil add half a load of lime; add to this before putting it on the lawn one of the special lawn manures advertised by seedsmen. Two or three weeks after the lawn has been drossod with the soil sow some good lawn grass seed. It is too late now to carry out the work of dressing the lawn and sowing the seed. This should bo carried out in spring, merely raking out the moss now. In some places it may be advisable to top-dress the lawn now, but defer sowing the seed until the spring.