THE GARDEN.

West Coast Times, Issue 906, 18 August 1868, Page 4

THE GARD EN.

HINTS ON PLANTING FRUIT TUBES, > &c, &c. As the clearing and cultivation of Inivl is now taking plaoo in Westland a few hints on planting may not be amis.-, mid perhaps useful to amateurs. Presuming that tho ground lias been properly trenched, drained, and o'.herwise ameliorated by exposure to the atmosphere, the spring will be found the best season for planting all kinds of trees, where the soil is of a strong and damp nature, otherwise tho autumn is the proper time for soils of a light description ; and I may hers remark, too much attention cannot bo given to lha thorough drainage of the land. It would bo a fruitless task to plant whore the the bottom is not naturally dry, or capable of being made so by draining — above all in this uct climate. Avoid deep planting; in fact, jou can scarcely plan ■* too shallow. The effects of deep planting will be, that moss and lichens will cover the stems of tho trees, which will then become hide-bound, the roots canker, the branches gum, and tho general health of the tree be destroyed. If this has been already | the case in any instance, take the trees up at onco aud re-plant, or the results will be as I have already stated. I have seen several instances already of this mischievous deep planting ; it appears to be done with the intention of steadying the treo. However, if the bole, or junction of iho stem and. root, bo covered about an inch or two with soil it will bo quite enough. As soon as the trees aye planted stako them neatly and firmly until they arc established, and so prevent them being blown about by the wind ; great cai'e, however, must be taken to prevent rubbiog against the stako or prop by introducing any soft substance between the tree and the prop, such as a 3mall piece of sacking, &c, and tie firmly but not too tight, which would prevent the swelling of tho stems. If you have no natural shelter, plant forest trees- of quick growth around your boundary, or nut trees of sorts if obtainable. In planting, after digging holes that will receive roots without being cramped, place some of the surface soil two or three inches deep around the roots of the tree. As this soil has been sweetened by exposure the trees will take root in it much better than they would iv the otherwise crude soil. The distance- apart must be regulated by tho nature of tho soil anil kind of tree planted ; and, as difficulties in the way of clearing are very great in Westland, I think the system of root pruning will be found to answer well in small garden?, and cause the trees to bo very productive. From the moisture of the climate gross shoots may be expected, which the root pruning will in some measure counteract. If the trees aro uot pruned, they may be thinned by taking out every other tree, after having obtained a few crops of fruit. In cultivate vegetables near tho roots of trees, see that thoy are not injured by the spade or other tools. The smaller fruit trees may bo planted from four to six feet apart. Khttbabb should be planted on well dried ground, heavily manured, three or four feeb apart from plant to plant, and the same from row to row. In putting in your roots uiako good sized holes, to hold two or three buckets or a barrow-load of manure, in the centre of which plant your rhubarb, just a lifctle below the surface. If the soils are wefc and heavy, raise your bods six inches or a foot high. After the roots begin to grow, give them worm soap-suds, or any other liquid manure you can get. Asparagus may be planted on well-pre-pared ground, in beds containing two, three, or four rows of plants, twelve inches apart, and the same from plant to plant in the row. Stretch your line along the outside of the bed nine inches from the edge; then with the spado cut; oub a small trench or drill close to the line, aboub &ix inches dee)), making that side next the line nearly upright ; and when one trench is opened plant that before opening another, placing the plants upright, and jusfc under the surface of the beds. Sea Kale may be planted iv four-feefc beds in two lines, in patches of three plants, two or three feet between the patches. In planting asparagus and sea kale, if possible, give tho beds a good dressing of sand on stiff soils, and plenty of manure ; also raise the bed about six inches. Beds sifter planting may receive a dressing of salt, iv which tho plants delight. Damaged salt will do. Those plants aro natives of the sandy sea-shores of Britain, and hence salt greatly promotes their growth. I must defer the window plants until next week. James Mabshall.

Ltndley Murray Ahoy !— One of ihe scribes of the " Telegraph" has penned a " gusher" on Brougham, summing up his merits as follows : — " For Brougham's fruitfulness we have but to look round upon the county courts, upon mechanics' institutes, upon the 'Penny Magazine.' upon the abolition of arrest on mesne process. A man that has done so much deserves, at the hands of the State, a public funeral and a stately monument." A column and a half of praise culminates in tho abolition of arrest on mesne process ! ! Well, we will not quarrel with the selection of the subjects ; to the writer these appear Brougham's greatest acts, and who knows but he might have a personal feeling of gratitude in regard to what he considers his crowning work. But we do object to his maltreatment of Lindley Murray in his desire to do justice to the memory of Henry Brougham, whose ashes he asserts should be — "Laid in the great Temple of Silence and Reconciliation where the dust of Pitt and Fox, Sheridan, Canning, and Macaulay are peacefully mouldering." To which we can only reply— Axe it ? Surely the writer of the brilliant article must have derived far more benefit from Lord Brougham's legal reforms than from his efforts for the spread of elementary education. — " Fun." An American paper i«. responsible f-i* the following remarkable incident: — A person of Foulliern Ohio fell into a ! niuee, was buried in a vault, and sU»v>.! there two days, when a bright idea f»! I ;.ck him. He kicked (he lid oft* and got out. The neighbours shot al him for a ghost, and through much tribulation he finally got back to his own house. A bittekly ingenious epigram is that of an old Greek poet on marriage. In translation it runs thus : — T\v© happy dnys in mamago aro allowed — A -wife in weddiug garb and in her shroud, Sure, thon, (hat state cannot bo called accurs'd Where tho lust day's as happy as the first. Ir a church was to catch fire, which part, must be burnt? The organ j because ' the engines can't play upon it.