GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6065, 31 December 1897, Page 1

GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES

A red currant which is giving complete satisfaction to growers about Christchurch is La-Versailles. It bears well, the bunches and berries are large and the fruit is of the finest quality. Speaking' of fruit in the Auckland district, Mr Blackmore, Government pomologist, mentioned the success of-, this currant in the north, where it was introduced by him from France many years ago. It thus appears to suit all parts of New Zealand. A note should be taken of so good a variety. Of the- new strawberries imported last year by the Victorian Horticultural Board, four varieties — Scarlet Queen, Latest of All, Monarch and A. F. Barron — have ripened good specimen fruits. The first two are not specially attractive, nor do they possess either aroma or flavour. Monarch is a large, showy fruit, and is likely to be a usefnl market variety. It gives some indication of carrying well, as it has a rough, well-seeded surface, and the .flesh is firm. A. F. Barron is greatly superior to the others. The berries are of good, medium size and fine form, and the colour, substance, bouquet and flavour are exquisite. [^33 The San Jose scale has made its appearance in Victoria, having been introduced in some peach trees obtained from Sydney. Mr Neilson, inspector for the Vegetation Diseases Board, advised that it would be dangerous to allow any cuttings or fruit from the infected orchards to be distributed. Spray preparations would be a good check, but it would be better that all diseased trees were rooted up and burned, and the owners should bear the loss, having introduced the disease. The Board decided to proclaim the scale a pest under the Act, and this renders it compulsory for the owners to eradicate it. It is anticipated that the shipments of apples from Tasmania to London during the coming season will be about 115,000 cases against 132,702 cases last season. Many unsatisfactory returns were received last season owing to the fruit arriving in poor condition, for which the shipping companies were blamed. The plant which created the greatest sensation among horticulturists at a recent meeting of the English Horticultural Society was an orchid, delighting in the name of Grammatophyllum speciosum. • Some well-known authorities state that it take 3 about forty years to bring the plant into flower, and then, as in this particular case, it throws a, spike of bloom, 7ffc in length, and covered with clusters of riehlyaarked brown and yellow flowers, about Sin across. Tke pseudo-bulbs attain a height of 9ft to 10ft, and when denuded of leaves, hare a remarkably snake-likeappear-ance. The plant is a native of Java and other islands of the Indian Archipelago. Sir Trevor Lawrence wag the exhibitor of the plant under notice, and received the society's gold medal.