Farm and Garden

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 193, 23 September 1909, Page 4

Farm and Garden

SRI.ANTING FRUIT TREES

A- soon as a tree has shed its leaves it is a.s much at rest aa at any subsequent period; because its excitability is completely exhausted by its season of growth, and it has had no time to recover it. If at that time the root is wounded process of ganulation will commence, aa it does in cuttings, and this callus, as we call it, will, in the spring, emit new roots, which will soon form reservoirs from which the tree can draw its nourishment from the earth. Since the roots must be wounded more or less in taking up to transplant, the sooner it is done after the fall of the leaf the better. The accidents to which the roots of transplanted trees are liable are of sacb a kind that it is impoxsible to prevent their being exposed to the air, sometimes for a considerable period. It is, therefore, of the first importance to have the roots kept a i moist as possible until they are planted in the moist soil. Many valuable trees have been lost by the drying up of the roots, especially when the bud-< have started to grow before the trees have been taken up.

Next in importance to the selecting of a fitting season is the preservation of the roots of transplanted trees. : The former is of little consequence if the latter is not carefully attended to. Some plants will live and succeed with the rudest of treatment, and bear the most severe mutilation without much suffering, but these are special instances of extreme tenacity of life and do not affect the general principles. In taking up trees it is necessary to have every minute fibre of the roots, if possible, but as this can hardly be done the trees should be lifted with the least possible destruction of these important organs, remembe-ing that it is not the coarse old, woody roots by which the absorption of food is carried on, but by the younger parts. The soil should be carefully removed at some distance from the stem of the plant, so a 9 to insure as many young roots as possible, digging well down an undermining the plant, so that it will pull gently, and allow the tree to be removed without straining or stripping the roots, as is often done where a spade is thrust down close to the stem, and, as soon as a few roots are cut, the tree is pulled out with force, which wrenches the bark and strips the roots of most of their fibres. Under all ordinary circumstances the roots will be injured more or less by removal. In that case all the wounds should be cut smooth with a good sharp knife, at an angle of about forty-five degree*, or less. If the ends of small roots are bruised they generally die back a little way, then emit fresh rootlets, but the larger roots when bruised, lose much of their vitality. Their injured tissues being open to the uncontrolled introduction of mo-iiturc, decay in consequence, and often become the seat of disease, which spreads to parts that, otherwise, would be healthy. TIME TO APPLY LIME. Although lime is often applied in the spring the best results have been obtained when used in the late autumn, for the reason that the winter rains and frosts have the tendency to thoroughly mix lime and soil together, which is never done quite completely by mechanical means. It is necessary when slaked lime has done its chemical actions on the soil tbat it ihould be converted into bicarbonate of lime by absorbing carbonic acid before it can be assimilated by plants, and it is i known that in the late summer and autumn the soil contains so much free j carbonic acid, due to the rapid decomposition of the humu9 in the warm weather, that the lime is quickly converted into plant food. A soil well treated with lime holds moisture much longer than does unlimed land, and the winter rains are held in the soil inreserve for spring. If land is limed in spring the effect of holding the winter rain is lost, and it also dries up ; the soil, the quicklime taking its required quantity of moisture out of the soil itself, especially in a dry season. The effects of the lime on the soil are comparatively well known, such as ridding the land of sourness and liberating dormant plant food, and other chemical action. A liberal dressing of lime brings about the necessary action by assimilating the soil ingredients, and makes them easily absorbed by the plant rootlets. From experiments in the application of lime carried out J in various parts of the world, it has i been proved that the best time to apply lime to soil is during the late autumn of the best results are hoped for. A REMEDY FOR BOT. As a remedy for botfly in horses, an American farmer advocates chopping up half a gallon of small potatoes, salting them well, and feeding them to the bot-affectcd animal. Not every borse will cat them, but if they will, relief follows in less than an 4iour. The poison in the potato skin loosens, or kills, the small white worms causing the trouble. Potatoes are also recommended by the sam? practical authority as instrumental in promoting the welfare of any mare tbat has not done well in foaling. One quart to half-a-gallon for one to three feeds will prove efficacious.