TREES AND PLANTS

Taranaki Daily News, 28 June 1934, Page 6

TREES AND PLANTS

MAKING A HOME AND GARDEN. ADDRESS TO ELTHAM FARMERS. Mr. V. C. Davies, New Plymouth, was the speaker at a meeting of the Eltham Farmers’ Union on Tuesday. His subject was plants, trees and home gardens and he was listened to with interest by an audience of over 20. His remarks were illustrated by samples of trees suitable for planting in the Eltham district, which had a hard climate, being wet and frosty in winter. He would select for a homestead a site laying to the road, said the speaker, but he would not build a house near the road. The next thing was to plant shelter, which should be kept well back. Pinus insignis was undoubtedly the best tree for this purpose as it grew very rapidly. The second row should be macrocarpa and lawsoniana the third, or inner row. This would give the ideal shelter. There was a tendency . for macrocarpa to overlap the lawsoniana but this could be prevented by cutting the branches back. If the district were near the coast muricata should be planted to resist the salt spray. On the eastern, side one row of lawsoniana should be planted while in front on the northern boundary an ornamental hedge such as escallonia could be used. . If a barberry were planted on the outside it would keep the cattle from damaging the ornamental hedge. This gave a fair idea of the initial shelter required. A sub-tropical tree should not be planted in the coldest months, warned the speaker. As a general rule they should be planted either early or late. There was nothing better for trees than farmyard manure, said Mr. Davies. The ground around them should be kept cleaned and manured for a time, and stock should be kept off. Though he did not advocate a commercial orchard, Mr. Davies recommended a few good apples, pears and perhaps plums, selecting a position for about one dozen fruit trees, . starting with early apples and working in a few later ones. One of the best for the district was Reinette de Canada. He did not think it advisable to plant peaches as they had to be sprayed. If one wished to try a lemon he would recommend the Meyer lemon. The speaker recommended that the trees be not allowed to bear for the first year or two. A dozen gooseberry- bushes and rhubarb could be planted between. th.e fruit trees. An asparagus bed was also useful, but the stalks must not be cut for two years. Touching on the aspect of beautification, Mr. Davies pointed out that a few pounds spent in this direction would put much on the value of a property in a few years. Daphne, boronia, ranunculus, daffodils, and a few hardy shrubs, such as rhododendrons, were suggested. The upkeep was practically nothing. The planting of the native shrub karo was advised where there was an old line of draughty pines. This would flourish under such conditions and combat the draught trouble. Karaka and eleagnus were also useful in this respect. Bushy trees with plenty of branches were the best type to plant for shelter, .said Mr. Davies. The prickly acacia was another useful hedge plant, but was very susceptible to frost. This was a nitrogenous plant and improved the ground. For the planting of waste land the speaker recommended pines, to • be planted amongst the rubbish. Gorse or other rubbish was an advantage as it checked the side growth and made for more timber trunk. For posts it was recommended to grow macrocarpa, but this required fairly good ground and should be of good sturdy type. Ten per cent should be put aside to replant those that failed to strike. A few eucalypts were useful for timber- and posts, the only variety to be recommended being Eucalyptus McArthur. It was usual to mature 50 per cent, of the trees planted. The Tasmanian blackwood, one of the acacias, was another useful tree recommended by the speaker. It liked a dry hillside and gave a wonderful timber. The thorny or cedar acacia was another tree recommended. Both of . these suckered badly and should be planted in waste corners away from cropping areas. On warm hillsides he would recommend the black wattle. It gave valuable posts but would not stand frosts. For shade purposes the American evergreen oak was advocated. The Bentham cypress was another excellent tree for shelter, being easier to shift than the macrocarpa. The Japanese red cedar was another tree recommended ‘for Eltham, but the Oregon pine, although good well away from the coast, could not be recommended for the district. The golden ake ake was a tree Mr. Davies said he would not advise as it was subject to a midge that was destroying plants in many districts. Seedless barberry also was not recommended. The two or three year old ordinary barberry was the best. The Lombardy poplar was considered a valuable tree to plant on waste corners. PERSONAL. Mr. and Mrs. Jim \Bootten, Mountain Road, Eltham, are on a motor tour of the north. ELTHAM TALKIE THEATRE. “FRA DIAVOLO”—A GOOD COMEDY. Those two kings of merriment, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, appear as a couple of carefree vagabonds in “Fra Diavolo,” which will be shown at the Eltham Theathe to-night and tomorrow night. It is certainly these two actors’ best picture, and without a doubt among the front rank of comical films. In “Fra Diavolo,” these comedians run the gamut of foolery from flirting with milkmaids and being pursued by an unexpected bull to making a narrow escape from the hangman’s noose and being involved in a number of hazardous occurences, out of all of which they invariably come out on top slightly bruised but smiling. There is considerably more in “Fra Diavolo” than humour, although this is the outstanding feature. Several of the settings are worthy of classical production, and the singing of Dennis King and the massed voices is splendid. “Fra Diavolo” is based on the comic opera written by Auber in 1830. It is excellent entertainment, and the supports are of equal merit.