THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XVIII, Issue 5, 20 May 1919, Page 306

THE GARDEN.

By

W. H. TAYLOR,

Horticulturist.

VEGETABLE-CULTURE.

In the Journal for March of this year some results of trials with cauliflowers at the Arataki Horticultural Station were detailed. These trials should be of interest to cultivators in the warmer parts of the Dominion, to those who grow for the market, as well as private gardeners. In some of the warmer districts, particularly where the summers are usually very dry, the cultivation of this class of vegetable is attended by great difficulties ; in .fact, at times it is impossible to grow them. Even the hardy broccoli often fails to survive the combined effects of dry, hot weather and the ravages of the cabbage-moth {Plutella cruciferum). The Arataki trials show that cauliflowers can, in the warmer climates, be produced a month earlier than is possible in the most favourable places' in other districts, and two months earlier than they can be obtained in many places. The cabbage-moth does not affect winter and spring crops, and there are no difficulties to contend with. Snowball cauliflower at Arataki, sown on ist April and planted on 6th June, gave the first heads on 24th September. It may be remarked that

Early London and Early Paris would come in the same time. Early Erfurt and Veitch’s Giant, sown and planted on the same dates, gave the first heads on 21st October, when the earlier crop was nearly gone. Early Erfurt and Veitch’s Autumn Giant, sown on 1st May, came into cut on 30th November. This crop would last till the New Year. These trials appear to show that in certain districts broccolis could well be dispensed with and the quicker-growing . cauliflowers substituted ; but more particularly the- trials show the value of the earlier crops for market purposes.

Spring cabbages are amenable to the same conditions, and should also receive attention. For these crops blood-and-bone manure is an efficient fertilizer. Apply at least 2 oz. per square yard broadcast before planting. Nitrate of soda should be applied at | oz. per square yard in two dressings, the first soon after growth begins, the second four or five weeks later: The first dressing should be strewn close around the plants, the second broadcast. In places where growth is not so forward the plants should be drawn from the seed-beds and pricked out in a good plot of ground preparatory, to the final planting. The early varieties of cauliflowers and early cabbages are liable to bolt prematurely. Early planting or pricking out overcomes this tendency to a large extent, and, together with the dressings of nitrate of soda, usually makes them safe. Peas may be sown before the end of May in all places not subject to very severe frost. Dwarf varieties are usually sown, but in places subject to high winds, or where slugs or birds are very troublesome, it is found best to sow a variety of medium growth. The rows are given the support of sticks as soon as the plants are well up. The sticks render slug-control easy, save them from wind, and birds will hardly trouble them. Broad beans should be sown in all places about the middle of June. - • Lettuces in some places grow the whole year round — all places, in fact, except the coldest. For winter use small-growing varieties, such as Tennis-ball and All-the-year-round, are planted in the sunniest position available, perferably on beds raised a little above the ordinary surface.

SMALL FRUITS.

Pruning bush-fruits should be undertaken as soon as the foliage is off. A necessary preliminary, in my opinion, is to clear the ground of weeds, removing such as would prevent the easy clearing-up of the prunings of the bushes. If there are many tall weeds the best plan is to mow them. They might then be left to be raked up with the prunings.' The ground should not be dug before pruning, as that would make it difficult to take up the small pieces of wood cut off. I consider it important that this should be done, as when dug into the ground they generate fungus that may prove injurious. The prunings can be readily raked up on a firm surface. They should then be burned, thus destroying any insect pests and disease germs that may be on them.

Gooseberries.— Endeavour should be made to get the bushes . into an upright form. Some varieties assume this habit naturally, and those of a drooping habit can be got upright by skilful management. It is important to have a clean stem that does not branch close to ; the ground. A bush that has branches rising from beneath the - surface

should not be tolerated. Excess branches is a serious fault too often seen. A large number of branches does not result in heavy crops of fruit, for want of light starves many of the fruit-spurs, and others produce but poor fruit. A bush that is open to . light and air will produce good fruits on every part, the gross result in weight of fruit far exceeding that from a crowded bush .perhaps twice as large. Besides this, there is '.the increased labour in pruning, gathering the fruit, and general handling incidental to crowded bushes. Four branches are sufficient to start a bush, these being duplicated by a slight shortening of the leaders each year until sufficient height has been reached. From the leaders it is permissible to allow subsidiary branches to extend, but not in numbers that will crowd the bush, nor should they extend far. When growing, the fruit should all be visible. If it has to be searched out . by lifting branches the bush is too crowded and will not be as profitable as it should be. Varieties of a drooping habit can be got more upright by judicious pruning, cutting away spreading branches on the outside, and shortening others. Restricting the number of main branches and keeping the bushes open will strengthen the framework and enable the branches to stand up. The system of spur-pruning once adopted has long been discontinued. In most places it results in crowding the bushes with young shoots, and it is better to cut superfluous shoots clean out. The general plan of pruning- is to reduce the laterals slightly if they are long, or if they are very thin short, stout laterals need not be touched. This refers to the general outline of the bush. On the lower portion of the bush, and particularly on the inside, the laterals, ..which in such positions are not usually very strong, should be spurred back to about i in.

Red Currants. — The bushes should be started with four branches and a. clean stem, the same as for gooseberries. Duplication of branches is secured by shortening the. leaders each year to about 12 in. No subsidiary branches should be allowed until the bush attains its full height, which may be about 4 ft. A few short branches may then be allowed to grow on the inside of the bush near the top. The fruit is borne on spurs on wood that is at least two years old, and never on the last season's growth. Laterals should all be cut back to short spurs. It may be remarked that bushes are occasionally seen on which the laterals have not been cut back. These form fruit-spurs the second season, but such bushes are not permanently profitable. .

Black Currants bear fruit on spurs on the old wood, and also on last season’s shoots. In places where the borer is not troublesome the system of pruning recommended for red currants is the best for black currants also. The borer trouble, however, has made it necessary in many places to either adopt some other plan or abandon their cultivation. For this reason the clean-stem system has been abandoned. Cuttings are allowed to retain all their buds, which causes them to throw up shoots from beneath the surface. These are allowed to develop into branches, and the method permits the removal of . older branches from time to time. Usually this is done when young branches are ready to take their place, irrespective of whether they are affected by borer or not. This plan is rendered possible by the habit of the black currant bearing fruit on the shoots of -.the previous season’s growth. Pruning consists in removing old branches or portions of them so as to prevent crowding, and a slight shortening of long and medium length shoots; short shootsthose up to about 6 in. in lengthare left intact. An open-centred bush is not desirable under this system.

Raspberries.— Dig out superfluous suckers; , remove dead canes entirely ; reduce new canes to about six of the strongest, and shorten those left for bearing by about 12 in. Loganberries are to be relieved of the ' old fruiting-canesit should have been done as soon as the fruit, was past. The young canes should be tied in place and the weak tops cut back to ripe wood. Gooseberries require spraying for deaf-spot. These, as well - as currants and raspberries, are liable to be infested by scale insects. Lime-sulphur, 1 in 10, will-serve the dual purpose of a fungicide and insecticide. . ,

THE FLOWER-GARDEN.

This is an appropriate time for breaking up new ground,, the soil being moist and easily worked. Except in. specially favoured places where there is a considerable depth of loose soil the ground should be broken at least' two spits deep. The top soil should be kept on top. If there is grass growing on it the turf should be stripped off first, because if it is dug into with the top spit it holds the clods together and it is a long time before they can be broken up. The turves cut off may be placed in the trench, or, what is better, stacked till the grass is dead and then dug into the soil, or kept for potting plants, raising seedlings in boxes, &c. Old gardens are sometimes benefited by retrenching. This can be done without moving shrubs and permanent plants and trees. It requires a little scheming, and all temporary plants have to be lifted. .

• Hedges may now be trimmed. Hedges that are well kept are trimmed twice each year —namely, during winter and near the end of the year. The summer trimming is light, merely cutting back the young growths. The winter trimming may be more severe, and affords opportunity for keeping a hedge from becoming too . wide. In the ordinary course of trimming a hedge increases in width every time it is trimmed, as a portion of the young growth is left every time. . In a few years the hedge reaches an undesirable width, wasting groundspace and causing additional labour in trimming. When the species of plant will stand drastic treatment it may be heavily cut back to form a new face. Some plants will not respond to such treatment. The labour involved in doing it might prevent it being done, and, moreover, it might not be desirable to have a bare face for a few weeks or months. The necessity for drastic treatment can be avoided, and the hedge kept from increasing in width by other means. A wellkept hedge has always abundant foliage independent of the last twigs. At the winter trimming a number of the growths should be cut back into, old wood, taking off bunches of stubs formed by cutting back the face spray. These cuts are, of course,' inside the face of the hedge. Only a proportion of the branches should be so treated each winter — just those that are becoming -prominent and prevent the shears cutting hard back. By this means a hedge can be kept permanently to the width desired. -

Rose-planting may be carried on for several months to come ; still, it is better to get the bushes planted early, as they then break stronger. Bushes planted in June and after should be pruned before ■ planting. Cut out weak shoots altogether, and shorten others to two or. three buds in the case of young plants. The pruning of older bushes will be dealt with in the next issue of the Journal.