GARDEN & ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 6

GARDEN & ORCHARD.

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Bx D. Tan nock.

THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Continue to line out rooted cuttings of shrubs and bush fruits, and to put in cuttings of hard wood plants, both deciduous and evergreen. Tuberous begonias have now ripened off and are ready for packing away in boxes of dry soil. Place a layer of rough stuff or leaves in the bottom of the boxes; fill up to within an inch of the top; and pack the tubers just close enough to touch one another, with only a light covering of soil. Place away in a cool cellar or a dry frostproof shed. Dahlia tubers can also be stored away now; fasten tho kbels with a string round tho tubers, pack closely in boxes of dry soil, and place away in a cellar or shed. THE FLOWER GARDEN Continuo to clean off borders, pruno rambler roses and ornamental trees and shrubs, rake up leaves, and tidy up generally. Tho planting and transplanting of trees and shrubs can still be carried out, and tho trenching of new beds and borders undertaken on cold frosty mornings. In districts where frost is severe some of the more tender shrubs will require some protection for about two months. This can be done by erecting manuka scrub shelters like littlo huts over the dwarfer kinds, or by •recting a framework of strong stakes ancl

covering l it with scrim. Another satisfactory way of keeping frost out of the centre of shrubs is to stick branches of pine or spruce trees all round them and in among the branches. Some of the North Island natives require a little shelter during southern winters, until they make some hard wood; afterwards, even if the soft shoots are cut back a bit, they will come away again from the old stems and branches. THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GAEDEN. There is little to do in .the vegetable garden at present except to trench and dig vacant ground. The formation of new plantations of bush fruits and the renovation and pruning of the old ones can now be undertaken. Haspberries (Rubus Idaeus) are a useful fruit. They like a fairly heavy moist soil, and will stand a certain amount of shade, though that of overhanging trees is not desirable. When the soil for raspberries is being prepared it should be trenched about two feet deep, or bastard-trenched, and a liberal dressing of stable manure, compost heap and wood ashs mixed in, not more than a foot deep. The canes can be planted in groups of from three to five, each group forming what is called a stool. The stools are planted in rows, four feet apart in the rows,- with four to five feet between each row, if they are to bo arched over, but if they are to be 6taked up or trained on wires they can be planted three feet apart in the rows with five feet between the rows. After thev are planted the caaes can be cut back to. six inches from the ground to encourage the growth, of strong young shoots from the base of the stem.

We do not expect to get fruit from_ a new plantation the first year. Raspberries bear their fruit on short branchlets which spring from the young canes produced the previous year. These are thinned out to five or six of the strongest on each etool, and the thin tips are cut off. If they arc trained into arches three canes are taken in each direction, tied together at the 'tips with a piece of flax, then tied to a similar number of canes from the next stool to form an arch between them. By 'this method the fruiting canes are out of the way of the young canos which spring up during the summer. Another very satisfactory method is to train them fan-shaped on a wire fence, retaining five or more canoe to each stool. The least satisfactory is to tie the young canes together at tho tops and fasten them to an upright stake. After pruning, raspberries can receive a liberal dressing of stable manure, which can be dug in lightly or mulched round tho stools, or a dressing of basic slag and kainit (three parts of slag to one of kainit) applied at the rate of ooz to the square yard. The latter dressing can sprinkled on tho surface and forked in. "Variet-'es to plant arc Superlative and Northumberland Fillbasket for early fruiting, and Red and Yellow October for the autumn. Loganberries and the better varieties of blackberries are worth growing on a warm, sunny fence or over a stone wall. They bear their fruits on lateral branches, both on, the voting and the older stems; but as the best fruit is borne on the young one-year-old stems, when 'the plants are growing strong, all tho old stems which have fruited can be cut out, as in the case of raspberries, and the young- ones tied on to the wires, allowing from 9in to 12 between each stem. Black currants (Ribes nigrum) will thrive in a moist, rich soil, and, as thoy can stand more shado than red currants or goose-

berries, they can be planted on the shady side of walls or fences. The preparation of the soil for new plantar ions should be similar to that recommended for raspberries. The young plants can be put out at 6ft apart in the rows, with 6ft to Bft between the rows. Newly-planted bushes should be pruned back to cause them to branch, and the branches encouraged to grow upwards and outwards, forming symmetrical bushes from sft to 6ft high and the same through. Ae black currants bear their fruit on the young wood, pruning, which can be done now, consists of cutting out a number of the older branches altogether and bringing up new branches from the base -of the bush to take their place, thinning out the young side shoots, and cutting back the unripened tips of the leading stems. They can also be trained on the shady sides, of walls or fences as cordons, one or two stems being taken up from each plant. The varieties to arrow are Carter's Black Champion, Boskoop Giant, and Black Naples. Red and white currants (Ribes rubrum and its white variety) will also grow in a shady position, but are more satisfactory in a fairly open place where they get plenty of sun. They like a rich, loamy soil, which should be prepared as recommended for raspberries, and they can be planted in rows from sft to 6ft apart, with 6ft to Bft between tho rows. As red and white currants bear their fruit on the old wood, and a 9 suckers are not desirable, the plants should have a distinct stem of from 9in to Ift in length, and from it the branches should be trained upwards and outwards. In pruning established bushes, all dead and decaying branches should be cut out; then all those growing in towards tho centre of the bush and all those which cross and rub one another. Thin out the main branches to 9in to Ift apart, cut back the side shoots to two buds, and shorten the leaders to about 6in, leaving the top bud as usual, pointing outwards. Red and white currants may very satisfactorily be trained as cordons on a shady wall or fence. Tho plants can be put out at 18in apart, and two stems can be taken from each plant. These can be extended unt : l they reach the top, and the side shoots spurred back as already recommended. After pruning, a liberal dressing of stable manure can bo spread between the bushes and pointed in with tho spade; but deep differing should rot be practised, as tho roots are near the surface and are easily damaged. Varieties to plant aro Dutch and Transparent in the case of white currants, and Fay's Prolific, Red Dutch, La Versailles, and Raby Castle in the caso of red. The gooseberry (Ribes grossularia) is probably the most valuable o.f all small fruits, as the green berries can bo cooked, used for making jelly and jam, and for preserving, while tho ripe berries are much esteemed. Though not the first fruit to ripen, it is the first fit for use, and thinning the fruit in the early stages of its development will mean larger and better berries later on. Gooseberries like a good, rich soil, and a warm sunnv position. When the soil is be ; ng nrepnred for new plantations, it should receive the Fame treatment as already recommended for other bush fruits. The plants should be planted 4ffc apart in the rows and 6ft between tho rows to allow plentv of room for picking. Gooseberries bear their fruit on both young and the old wood. In pruning, after all dead and decaying wood has been re-

moved, also all shoots growing towards the centre of the bushes and all that cross the ateral shoots aro shortened back to about .n inch, and the unripemd tip of the leadng shoots removed. Every year some of no old and worn-out branches should be ut out and young ones left to take their jlace. Tho branches should be a fair disince apart to allow of picking with cornart, and thoso near the ground cut away, oebkuse when they are laden with fruit thev bond down and the berries are splashed with dirt. Gooseberries are very satisfactory when trained as cordons, either on a wire fence or a paling fence or wall. Two to four shoots should be taken up from each plant, and these should be nine to 12 inches apart. Cordons require summer pruning when the lateral shoots are pinched back to four leaves; and charing winter these are again cut back to an inch in length. After pruning, if the soil is light, tho surface under the bushes can bo mulched with stable manure and the open spaces dug over liirhtly. If manure is not to be applied. the soil can be scraped from under the bushes, a little fresh soil from the oaths being thrown back, and the whole of the surface soil pointed over to make it look neat and tidy. A winter dressing of basie slacr or superphosphate at the rate of soz to the squara yard will bo found helpful where the so'l is fa.irlv heavy. Varieties to plant are • —For cooking: Winlnm's Industry, Warrington, and Ploughbov; and for dessert—Earlv Sulphur, Ironmonger, and Whitesmith. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Amateur." —To sow down a shrubbery, use a lawn grass mixture as supplied by seedsmen. Sowing will now have to stand over until spring. Acetylene gas should not hurt plants in a room. Gas lime can be spread on the soil after digging, and worked into the surface in the spring. You should not use coal tar for spraying your cabbage, or celery, to destroy blight. "Stirling."—The red gum Eucalyptus ficifolia will grow quite well in and round Dunedin, provided it is protected in some way for the first two winters. I havwj several in the gardens, planted among tho bush on the hillside.