GARDEN & ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 7

GARDEN & ORCHARD.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. ,' By. D. Tan nock. THE GREENHOUSE . AND NUBSEBY. Maintain a growing atmospnere in the greenhouse witn the minimum ot hie heat damp the patns and tenches anions the tube?ous begonias, and leave, both bottom and top ventilators open a little all night, unless there is a cold wind blowing. Chrysanthemums in pots should be staked at once. Place a good strong stake to each stem and tie out to them keeping the stem on the outside o the stake.J. a a strong stake at each end of the rows 01 plants and stretch two thin wires between th l£ at least one or two of the stakes to the wires to prevent the plants being blown over with the wind. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Continue to thin out the stems of.dahlias and loop them up to the stakes with stiong string or thin piece- of flax. In some places it is not necessary to stake dahlias, but they would be blown to pieces in Dunedin unless they are growing in a very sheltered position. . Pick oil all withered flower heads and give application of liquid manure once a week, unless the ground was very heavily manured before planting. Carnations are now about their best and the stems should be looped up loosely to neat stakes; or if spiral wires are used, the stems can be twisted round from time to time There is much to recommend the epiral wire stakes, they aro inconspicuous, they last a long time, and no tieing is required. You have only to give the stems a twist round .a* they require it I hey are only suitable for young plants. Where the plants aro old and there are a great many stems, unless a spiral stake was provided for each, it is better to put in a strong stake and loop up the stems with raffia. The carnation comes next to the rose in popularity in the summer garden, and it is certainly useful for gajtden decoration house decoration, and for floral work. At one time it appeared as if the sweet pea would beat the carnation for second place, but though this useful flower is still popular it cannot displace the carnation. Carnations are divided into several sections, but strictly speaking there are four great divisions. These are:— (1) The Malmaison section, rather delicate but producing large flowers richer in colour and sweeter in perfume than any other carnation. In specially favoured positions they will grow and flower in the open, but to get the best results they have to be grown in pots in a greenhouse. They must have a dry atmosphere with plenty oKair and the foliage must be kept firm. Otherwise they arc spoiled with the dreaded rust fungus. On account of their peculiar requirements they need a house to themeolves and do not grow well along with other plants. (2) The Perpetual or tree section. This section has received a lot of attention of late on account of its popularity in the United States as a forced winter flower. Acres of glass houses have been erected for its cultivation, and good prices must bo obtained for the blooms. They arc called perpetual becauso they continue to flower all the year round, and in a fairly sheltered position" near a house or wall they will be found very satisfactory in and around Dunedin. It is said that the Americans fancy a fringed flower, while the English raisers favour one with smooth petals, but Otherwise there is not much difference. Perpetual carnations can bo raised from cuttings, layers, or seed, and layers put down now will provide strong plants which will flower freely next season. (3) Border Carnations. These are the most generally cultivated, and for garden decoration thoy are the most useful. They have a distinct season for blooming, during which time thoy produce flowers in abundance. Specialists divide them up into sections, such as sclfs, flakes and bizarres, and picotecs, but those distinctions have little influence on their cultivation or usefulness. I often think it a pity that such a decorativa flower as the carnation, when cut with long stems and arranged in narrow vases with their own foliage or perhaps gypsophila, should be dressed up in paper collars and plastered down on a green box in rows when shown at exhibitions'. It is sometimes said that thia is done to hide their imperfections, such as a burst oalyx or a weak stem. Certainly it is not the method in which they are displayed either in tho homo or the garden. They can bo propagated oither from layers, cuttings, or 6oed, but layering is the most Satisfactory method. (4) There is still another section of carnations, very useful for providing flowers in lato autumn and early winter. They are the Marguerite or annual section, and thoy aro raised from seed in the same way and at tho samo time as stocks and asters. Their flowers aro produced in tremendous quantities ; thoir colours are good; thoir petals aro fringed; and they are fragrant. The growth of young stems round the base of tho plants is callen grass, and now is the

time to put down these shoots as layers to obtain strong, well-rooted plants for next .season's display. First of all, you have to prepare a heap of soil composed of one part loam, one leaf-mould, and one of sand, simi lar to a good sharp cutting mixturo and a quantity of pegs made of stout binding wire, like gigantic hairpins, with a long leg and a short one. With a hand fork stfr up the -oil round the plants and spread a layer of the prepared soil about two inches thick on top of the loose soil. Thin out the shoots if there are too many, and remove a few of the leaves from at least two joints of those to be operated upon. With a sharp knifo begin to cut in just bolow the lower of the bared nodes and cut upwards and inwards until the stem is cut half-way through and up to tho next bared joint. With the blade press the out portion of the _ stem called the tongue away from the main stem, and press it down into the loose soil; fasten with a layering peg put in just below tho cut, and cover up with soil to a depth of two inches. It is important to watch, when pressing tho layer down into the soil, that the tongue does not come back against the stem, othorwiso it will heal up again and fail to produce roots. Out off the tips of the leaves of tho layer and water well during dry weather. Tho descending sap accumulates at the node at the end of tho tongue, the cut surface is covered with a layer of callus, and in a short time roots develop at the node, and when the old stem is severed from the parent a new plant is obtained. The advantage of layering over cuttings is that the layer forms roots while still partly attached to the parent, from which it is able to draw supplies of water and plant food until its own roots are formed. Cuttings root slowly, and seldom produce strong'flowering plants in one year. After the layers aro severed from the parent plants they can 'be left until tho autumn, when they can either bo planted out in their flowering quarters or lined in until the spring. Some people pot them up, but this is only necessary when nurserymen want to send them away by post. If it is desired to grow carnations from cuttings, the cuttings can bo rooted in borders specially prepared in the open, or in pots or boxes placed in frames or greenhouses. To prepare a border in tho open, select a sheltered position, dig out the soil to a depth of one foot, put a layer of scrub or stones about three inches thick in the bottom of the bed to ensure good drainage, and over this place a layer of leaves or rough soil. Fill up tho bed with soil, the same as that recommended for layering, and spread a layer of clean sharp sand on top. Dibble in the cuttings which have been prepared by cutting the stem across just below a node, and trimming off the ends of tho leaves. Some recommend splitting up the stem to about half an inch. Fix a piece of scrim over the bed to shade the cuttings until they root, but leave the sides open to admit of a free circulation of fresh air. THE VEGETABLE GAEDEN. The warm, moist weather rwe had last week was just the thing for the rapid development of the potato disease, and it is now fairly common, especially on crops which are ripening off. These can bo dug before the disease reaches the tubers, or .the shaws can be cut away and_ burnt. There is no advantage, however, in leaving the tubers in the ground after the shaws have been cut away. It is better to dig them and pit them in a dry part of the garden or store them away in > a dark cellar. Where the shaws are quite fresh and the crop not nearly matured, spraying with Bordeaux mixture will arrest the disease. Those intended for next year's seed should be spread out on the soil to green, then spread out in boxes and stored behind a hedge or wall. Continue to plant out leeks and winter greens, and make sowings of onions, white turnips, stump-rooted carrots, and lettuce. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Livingstone." —Your potatoes are attacked by the disease, tho treatment for which has already been dealt with. "'New Zealander." —The name' of tho plant sent is Senecio Hunti, a native of tho Chatham Islands, but hardy near the sea. "Potato," Musselburgh.—From tho description given of your crop there seems every indication that your soil was too heavily manured with stable manure and that there was an absence of potash and phosphates. It is not desirable to save sets from your crop. Get some from someone who has a good crop (medim-sized tubers, free from disease), and green them, afterwards standing them on their ends in boxes as so often recommended. Dig over your potato patch, leaving the surface rough to expose it to tho weather. In the spring, a few weeks before planting, give a liberal dressing of lime and wood ashes, if you can get them, and when the potatoes arc planted give a liberal dusting of potato manure.

"J. ~W.," Kokonga.—The disease attacking your poplars is the leaf blister fungus, one of the Mclampsora species. It is not likely to do much harm in your district, but it might be wise to collect and burn the leaves when they fall. " Kew."—The best results are obtained by planting sets saved from potatoes dag before they are quite ripe, and this applies to both carlv and late varieties, but particularly to the early ones. " Stirling."—Chrysanthemum leaves becomo yellow and drop off when the stems ripen, but this only applies to those near the base. Probably yours hav'o been kept too wet. "Roxburgh."—The malformation on tho clianthus stem is quite common, and usually appears on old and weakened plants. When a plant becomes affected it is better to root it out and plant a new one. " Fruit Tree."—l should certainly dig out gooseberries which become unhealthy and begin to die, and replaco them with young ones. I would expect the apple tree to recover if cut fairly hard back. The troublo is probably due to want of drainage, we had such a lot of wet weather in the late spring and early summer. GARDEN COMPETITIONS. Messrs D. Tannock and J. Hollingworth, on behalf of tho Town Planning Society, have now completed their adjudication on garden competition D—vegetable and fruit gardens ,and have awarded points as follows: —Tho first pri?.e of £2 is won by Miss F. M. -Anderson, 11 Oban street, Roslyn, and the second prize, £l, by Mr H. A. Salmon, Claremont street, Dvnnottar. Tho judgos were struck with the excellent results produced in_ the gardens, and especially with the winning gardens, in the variety of vegetables ana fruits grown, and tho evident study by the owners of correct rotation of crops.

FRUIT GROWERS

ACREAGE AND YIELDS. A Gazette has been issued of the commercial orchards throughout the dominion. It appears that the total area planted, but not bearing, is 12,618 acres, while tho trees in bearing cover 12,192 acres. Apples are tho most popular fruit with orchardists, tho number of trees in bearing being 856,979, as against 100,359 pear trees, 202,45-; peach trees, 25,559 nectarino trees, 68,218 apricot trees, and 75,319 plum trees. The acreago is set out as follows:- —

, 12,618 12,102 Tho figures do not include - private orchards, in which Otago would make a good showing. Last year's actual crop in bushels of the four principal fruits may be shown as f olllows :

Tho average prices realised per bushel over the whole of the dominion were as folloiw: —Apples, 5s Id; pears, 5s 7d; peaches. 6s sd; nectarines, 6s 4d; apricots, 6s lOd; plums, 5s 3d. NURSERYMEN'S CONFERENCE CHRISTCHURCH, January 23. Tho annual conference of the New Zealand Nurserymen's Association was opened to-day. There was a very large attendance of delegates from all parts of the dominion. Mr Thomas Waugh (Wellington) presided. The delegates were accorded a civic welcome by the Mayor. The conference was opened with an address by .the Jlon. W. D. S. MacDonald (Minister of Agriculture), after which Mr Waugh delivered his presidential address. In the course of his address .the Hon. Mr referring to the great advance in the fruit industry, said that at present the markets were affected owing to the want of shipping facilities, but the introduction of adequate cool stores would solve many problems inside the dominion. The industry had increased by leaps and bounds, and it promised to be the source of .great wealth to the country when the conditions became normal again. The president, in his address, strongly urged nurserymen to pay attention to the propagation of native trees, as New Zealand liad one of the finest floras of any country. Tho following motion was carried:— " That the New Zealand Association of Nurserymen, in conference assembled, place on record its unabated faith in the righteousness and justice of the cause for winch the British people and their allies are fighting,- and their confidence in the final triumph of 'the. principle of moral right over brute force and military despotism, and "the association hereby pledges itself to assist the Government to prosecute the war to a successful issue; further, the association desires to place on record its thankfulness to Almighty God for the comparative success : so far achieved, and for the peace and immunity from the devastating ravages of war that have been enjoyed by tho Empire as a whole and by this dominion in particular." Officers were elected as follows: —President, Mr T. Waugh (Wellington); vicepresidents—Mr D. A. Hay (North Island) and Mr A. W Buxton (South Island); secretary and treasurer, Mr G. A. Green; committees: North Island—Messrs G. J. M'Kay, A. M'Donald, W. S. Johnston; South Island—Messrs E. W. Ivory, J. Millichamp, V. L. Grant. The following remit was carried: —"That the need of establishing a National School of Horticulture in connection with ono or more of the experimental stations be urged on the attention of the Government, with a spectal- reference to afforestation." Mr Pope, Secretary of tho Department of Agriculture, said it would require £30,000 to establish the school, and it would be a remarkably good investment. The following remits were also carried: (1) "That this conference requests the Secretary of Agriculture to provide financial means to assemble various conferences, provided that the co-operation of J.lio Fruitgrowers' Federation be first ".ccurecl in support of tho proposal" ; (2) "That the public receive some protection by way of the inspection and condemnation of worthless plants offered for sale." January 14. Tho Nurserymen's Association Conference resumed to-day. A resolution was carried affirming the principle of the Government supplying forest trees to private individuals for afforestation on wasto lands.

A discussion took place on a motion to take steps to secure tho retention of enough efficient"men to maintain tho industry during tho war. The matter was eventually referred to tho executive. Mr T. W. Kirk, Director of tho Government Horticultural Division, gave an address regarding root knot, which ho described as a serious menace to many kinds of fruit trees. Mr Kirk and the officers of the department were thanked for their efforts on behalf of the fruit-growing industry. Tho conference reaffirmed the principle of tho formation of a pomological board and protection for raisers of new vai-ieties. It was decided that tho conference meet next year at Wellington. Tho question of alt'orcstation was gone into, and a motion was carried that national forestry matters be referred to the executive with a request that after full investigation such representations as were deemed necessary in the best interests of afforestation bo made to the Government. It was suggested that control of such matters should be taken from tho Lands Department, which had its hands full, and vested in a now division of tho Department of Agriculture. It was decided that the executive bo instructed to consider tho question of Government advances to all kinds of agricultural (including horticultural) enterprises, such as twine works, wood and wool factories, and box factories, and that the executive he empowered to make such re-

presentations, as is necessary in tho proper quarters. Tho conference closed with tho singing of " God Save tho King." The afternoon was devoted to a visit to the Botanic Gardens and tho Museum.

Not Bearing. Bearing Acres. Acres. Auckland 2951 3384 Huwke'a Bay . ... 860 1324 Tarunuki . ... 10 48 Wellington , ... 279 482 Ifclson . ... 4949 3950 Marlborough . ... 679 153 Westland 59 77 Canterbury 695 855 Otago * 2230 190C Southland . ... 6 13

Apples. Pears. Peaches. Apricots Auckland ... . .. 92,192 18,308 42,158 1,010 Hawke's Bay . .. 06,254 28,635 31,441 1,188 Wellington .. 19,901 5,401 2,402 233 Nelson .. 263,147 13,723 19.666 3,338 Canterbury .. 76,077 25,318 3,496 1,676 Ofaago .. 56,454 12,952 30,988 32,913