The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 199, 16 April 1887, Page 1

The Garden.

Insecta Petto. I haee received the following communication from Mr W. Mclndoe, tit. Stephen's Road, Parnell, in reference to insect pests. He extracted the following receipt from the "Journal of Horticulture," about three years ago, üßing it ever since, and thinks that it might be of vast benefit to all horticulturists. The mixture is as follows : — " Black or soft soap, 2oz ; 1 pint of boiling water ; mix together until the Boap is thoroughly dissolved ; after this add one wineglass full of kerosine ; then boil for three minutes." For syringing plants in foliage, the above mixture should be put into two gallons of rain water, and stirred till i is thoroughly mixed. Then thoroughly drench with the syringe plants affected with the following insects : — Smut on camelias, citrus family, &c; all the different species of white bug, thrips, leach on pear aud plum trees, etc ; green and black fly on cucumbers, melons, roses, etc' In fact, ' all classes of insect life seam to disappear before it at once, and do not appear for some ; time afterwards ; and in the case of smut, it disappears altogether from the affected i plants. For winter dressing of fruit trees it is unsurpassed, and as it is then used on deciduous trees while the foliage is off, it can be used much stronger. It should then be used at the rate of one part of the mixture to four parts of water, applied with a brush to the affected part and well rubbed in. Fear scale, American blight on apples, and white Beale an roses are destroyed at once. I may add that on ail classes of insects, with the exception of the codlin moih, I have had great success, nev&r having a failure ; and I even believe that if apple trees were Byringed with this mixture several times after the fruit is set, it , would keep the moth from depositing its eggs thereon. I mean to try it next aeason Where quantities of the above mixture are required, they can be made at once, bottling it aud corking it tight. When wanted for use slightly heat the water it is to be mixed with.

Autumnal Growth of Fruit Trees. Last week I gave an extract from an English horticultural paper, dealing with the advantages of root-pruning in tbeir climate. In this paper I will now. try and show that in some cases here root-pruning is almost imperative on the pear and plum trees. Id most of the orchards immediately around -Auckland we year after year see trees burst out into full flower. Now in this process the tree has expended a certain portion of its strength, which it had stored up for the following season's fruit production. The trees at this pariod should Btill be advancing towards a complete ripening of their wood, and buds so as Co consolidate the cap in the wood and flower buds, and get a rest for the next season's growth, Tho flower bud thus being burst out at the wrong season, and the tree not then having the force to produce new ones during the winter causes the failure of the crop in the following year. Now the question is how to pat a etop to the lons of the flower buds in the autumn.

Cutting or Pruning tne Boots in the Antumn, Whenever the tree shows the slightest tendency to swell the buds, at once give a thorough check to the whole fctoe. Instead of the sap going upwards and forcing out the buds, the actioa 13 at once .reversed. The whole forces of the tree are sent downwards to repair damage to the roots. The flower buds, instead of being forced into premature activity, are drained of all superfluous sap, and ripened off at once. The leaves will at the same time feel the check, and begin to ripen off and fall, thus bringing the tree iuto a state of complete rest much earlier in the Beason than when left to nature. In some cases giving from one to two months more rest, and getting the wood and buds thoroughly ripened before the spring weather sets them into a state of activity again. The roots are also greatly benefited by the pruning in the autumn. It reduces the number of long, deep, stragly timber producing roots, and assists in increasing the number of small, fine filroua ones which greatly help the fertility of the tree. The down comming sap soon causes the wounds made on the roots to heal quickly, and push out numerous fibres long before the cold wet weather of winter setß in, and in the early spring those fibre are ready to colleot and send up the tree food of the highest quality suited for producing fine crops of fruit. How much to prune must be a question determined by the circumstance connected by each individual tree, according to the habit of growth trree I have root-pruned trees which had been planted for over ten years and had attained a good size- Some of those I cut thelroots back to within three feet 0/ the bole of the tree ; others more or less according to the strength or otherwise of the tree. The best time to root-prune is during April, or early in May for ordinary purposes ; but for extraordinary circumstances I have root-pruned and lifted pear trees during the early part of February, but would not advise it unless under pressure, and then the trees must be watered bo bb to keep the roots moist. While performing the operation, do not disturb the soil immediately near the bole of the tree, leaving a large ball of earth. Or, rather say, cut a trench round the tree about 3 or 4 feet from the stem, according to the age or vigour, and cutting off all the roots that extend beyond that distance, and such as are going down into the sub-soil. This can be easily managed by excavating under one side first, then gently healing the tree over on one side, thus cutting all roots penetrating straight down into the subsoil. Before covering up the ball of earth see 1 that all . jagged or broken pieces of roots are cut back to a sound part with a sharf knife. Glean cut wounds will hear much faster than rough wounds. The clean ones will almost heal at once, and coon push out ft multitude of small fibres.

Mr Shaw Lefevre is said to hare completed his book' on the Irish question, f « Peel and O'ConneijL" The publishers of the American "autlio. rleod " ediUon of Mr Gladstone's pamphlet on tbji Irish Qucation (MeM» boiibnor), Mid nearly 40,000 copies In) a month.