GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15272, 23 June 1923, Page 17 (Supplement)

GARDEN NOTES.

(By “Nikau.") SEASONABLE WORK.

Vegetables and Fruit. —The chief work is digging whenever the soil is dry enough. Clear away all rubbish, and dig in as much of it as possible. Store vegetables and fruit in a 000 l but well ventilated place. Leave carrots, parsnips, swedes, leeks and artichokes in the ground until required, unless the soil is badly drained. Sow lettuce in boxes. Plant cabbage and cauliflower, also shallots. Sow a row of broad beans, and two .or three of dwarf peas, preferably on a raised bed. Plant all kinds of fruit trees. Prune hush fruits and begin on the larger trees. Prepare ground for asparagus-bed by digging deeply and manuring well: Flowers. —Make suitable alterations to beds and borders. Plant shrubs and trees” but do not crowd toe section. Top-dress lawns and remove weeds. Plant hedge. Cut down chrysanthemums and other perennials of similar nature. Plant late anemones and bulbs. Train and cultivate early sweet peas, and sow another lot. Plant climbers, but leave clematis plants until early spring. SPECIAL NOTES. Pruning Fruit Trees. —This is a difficult subject, in which even the broad principles are. not beyond controversy. Where space is limited and cultivation thorough, as on some of the larger farms, the orchard may be left unpruned. All that is necessary in that respect is to remove dead or dying wood. The trees will then strike their own balance between wood and fruit, though some varieties are naturally “shy” bearers, while others may crop themselves to death. It is evident, however, that this system, must be greatly modified where space is insufficient and cultivation inferior to that done by the plough, and where high grade fruit is required. We must then adopt a system of real pruning, to‘keep the trees down to a moderate size and good shape, and to make them produce a fair crop of fruit each year. Perhaps the greatest controversies centre round the pruning of peaches and nectarines. In view of toe numerous pests, cither insects or fungi, which assail these trees, there is a good case for leaving the trees almost untouched, so as to allow them their full vigour. Many commercial growers are now inclining to toe belief that trees of peaches and nectarines should .receive little or no pruning, so that heavy crops will be borne each year for perhaps six or seven years, and then the trees should be dug out and replaced by young ones. Probably it is better for us towndwellers to prune our peach trees a certain amount so as to keep them within bounds. As the fruit is borne on the young wood of toe previous season’s growth, it is plain that we must not snip off half or two-thirds of every twig, as we are then cutting off almost all the fruit. A brief study of a poach twig at this season will show a number of round fruit-buds near the tip, and a number of longer and more pointed buds nearer the base. By cutting back each shoot hard, then, we not only remove toe fruit bud, but we also stimulate the growth of shoots, just as if we were growing willows for commercial purposes. The correct way to prune toe peach (if we prune it at all) is to cut out a fair number of twigs in such a way as to leave only the two buds at the base of each; the other shoots should then be left alone, or only slightly shortened. The new wood required for next season will come from these basal buds, while tho fruit for next season will come from the. tips of the shoots left untouched. In the case of old trees, it is a good plan to cut out one or two large branches eacli year, so as to have a fair amount of young wood always coming away from the lower part of the tree.

Cherry-trees and apricots are best left alone, especially as the former are very apt to “bleed” from the cut branches. Plums vary much in growth, for some boar exclusively on spurs of old wood, while others, such as the Japanese, boar much of their fruit on new wood.

Pears require skilful pruning, otherwise they should be left almost untouched. Usually the bearing of heavy crops is sufficient to keep the growth of wood from becoming too rampant, but “topping” will be required from time to time. Coming to apple-pruning, we begin' to tread on safer ground. Except for a few notable exceptions, such as tiie Irish Peach, apple trees bear most of their fruit on. spurs of old wood. Occasionally it happens that a variety will also form a few fruit buds at the tip of long slender twigs, as in the case of toe Jonathan, so these buds may well be left intact. In apple-pruning the chief idea is to keep toe centre of the tree open,and to induce the formation of plenty of fruit buds along tiie branches. The leaders, that (s, the main branches growing up fairly erect, need not be shortened to less than eighteen inches of new w-ood, but laterals should be much more severely dealt with. Shoots growing inwards must be cut out almost at the base, though a few spurs may be allowed on the inner side of toe leaders. In conclusion it should be remarked that all dead wood must be cut out clean, no short “stub's” should be left, and shoots should usually be cut just above a bud pointing outwards, so as to make too tree more and morn odcii. Beginners should make a point

of attending the demonstrations given by the Government officials. Propagating Bush Fruits. —When a good variety of .currant, or gooseberry h-as been obtained, it. is an easy matter to propagate a number of plants from it. The surest is by layering, but this dpes not make a well-shaped bush, and besides a “standard” habit, cannot be obtained by it. Cuttings,..on the other -hand, arc fairly certain to grow, and toe resulting bush will be -of a good shape, while it is easy to grow a “standard” simply by making toe cutting rather long and removing side-shoots as they develop. It is usual ,to reimrve toe basal buds on the cuttings of red currants, white currants and gooseberries, otherwise a bad suckerin'g habit develops. As, black currants, however, fruit chiefly on the new wood, this suckering habit is rather an advantage,' and so no buds need be removed. Varieties of Roses. —While it is safe to say that almost every rose grown will find some admirers, there are nevertheless certain varieties which are especially esteemed. The follow T ing list may be helpful to those gardeners who require what we may call a “general purpose*' rose, as distinct from mere exhibition roses. Betty, a kind of a sweet pea pink, still toe best, of its kind; Mrs David McKee, still amongst toe finest creams; George Dickson and Hugh Dickson, very fine reds, but both fade in bright sunlight; Margaret Dickson Ilamill, a fairly new rose, excellent for garden and for exhibition; Frau Karl Druschki, still toe best white for ail purposes,, except that it is scentless; Queen Alexandra, rather new, but a favourite'; Lady Hillingdon, a very fine yellow; Mrs Wemyss Quin, one of the most distinctive of all roses; Prince Camille de Rohan, a very old rose, but still the darkest of all roses;' Los Angeles, a reddish yellow, now becoming a very popular rose; General Macarthur, perhaps the best red, and certainly one of the sweetest of all roses.

Hedge Plants. —As the writer has had several enquiries about hedge plants, a summary of previous notes on this question may be useful now. (1) Tccoma, too easily hurt by frost to -succeed as a hedge-plant in toe Waikato; (2) Abelia, probably toe best hedge-plant for a town section in this part of the world. It has fine foliage and beautiful flowers, is rarely attacked by any pest whatsoever, and requires little cutting beyond the ordinary spring and autumn cuttings. (3) Lawsoniana, too large for a town section, but is best of all on the farm. (4) Maerocarpa, not worth planting, as it dies when it should be at its best. (5) Eleagnus, too rampant and subject to scale, rarely looks well. ■ (6) Escallonia macrantha, very good, but subject to scale. (7) E. Ingramii, makes beautiful fence, and rivals Abelia. (8) Oleari Traversii and O. Forsteri, very subject to scale in this district. (9) Evergreen thorn, makes a very fine hedge, but in dry situations it is subject to red spider. (10) Privets, both broadleaved Chinese variety and too nar-row-leaved'European are very -healthy and will stand clipping. (11) Co-pros-ma Baueri, the Taupata, will not stand our severe frost. (12) Pittosporum Eugenioides, makes a good' and 1 beautiful hedge, but not suitable ..-for a small section. (13) P. Crassifolium, very good'for toe seaside. (14) Holly, too slow-gr Owing, particularly where summers are hot. (15) Euonymus, especially the gold-and-green- variety, makes a fine hedge, but is rather -slowgrowing. (16) Pittosporum Nigrescens and P. Tenuifolium, very beautiful -for six or eight years, hut will 'not endure continuous, cutting.