The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 200, 23 April 1887, Page 1

The Garden.

Fruit in Cool Stoivigo. The following is extracted from a Californian paper : — California fruit-growers who shipped pears east last fall and received therefor but little more than enough to pay cost of picking and shipping, will doubtless be highly gratified to learn that thoir fruit was put into cold storage there, and has been held until recently. The New York " Evening Post " of a week ago says that California Easter Beurre pears are now being taken from cold storage, where they have been held until other pears were out of the market. They are sold for $1.50 to $2 a dozen, and are sound and rich flavoured. The producers of this fine fruit did not receive as much for an entire box as is now being paid for a single dozen, but they will doubtless be glad to learn that the products of theirorchardsare at all events appreciated, even though the middle-men do reap all the profit. , The question at once suggests itself, if such enormous profits are made by keeping fresh fruits in cold storage in America, why cannot the same be done hero ? The Auckland Freezing Company ha\e surely ample accommodation to store in large quantities. Why should not the grower pears and apples tor a few month*? so as to be able to keep up a better supply of those delicious fruits during the late winter and early spring ? There ib no reason m the world why this cannot be done all over New Zealand. Instead of having the fruit r-ent to market, where it almost fetches nothing, during the autumn, if the fruit were stored in quantity by^thegroweis they would thenhavea chance to reap some of the benefit f i om the labour and capital invested in their orchards. At a third of the prices given abo\e, the fruitgrower and the storage companies would make a handsome profit.

Layering. As this is the proper season for propagating a large number of hard-wooded plants by what is- called layering, a few lines may be of use to some of our amateurs. Plants such a? the camellias, azaleas, &c\, are hard to strip from cuttings, but are easily managed if layered in good sandy soil at this season. Layering is ••.imply the bending down of the side shoot-, of a plant,* taking each shoot singly and making an incision into the wood, cutting about half through, then giving the knife an upward j movement ana splitting- the shoot toi a. distance of about two inches. The shoot is then bent down into the ground, the cut portion being bui led from two to three inches deep. If the branch is very still and strong, it should be pegged down with a forked stick, and staked and tied soas to keep it steady and prevent the wind waving it. The best period of the year for layering plants is during Apiil, before the bark becomes quite hardened by the cold weather. At the same time thei cis a downward flow of sap at this .season that can so* the wounded or split portion of the wood to ] cicatrise at once, and more re idily throw out root's next spring. The best condition of shoots for layering pui poses is when the bark is somewhat soft and not too ripe. On the other hand, the worst .shoots are those which are stunted in growth 01 with a hard dry bark. These t.ike much longer time to root, and the plant> obi. lined from then are not likely to produce such free healthy growth. But still all <-hooi-~ if not actually diseased will root if suthcient time be given. Shoots that have been layered should be allowed to remain in the ground for at least about twelve months, when they can be lifted. Plants which were layered last autumn should be ready for lifting now — that in to say, whore they can be potted or shaded and watered for a few \\ eekt-. Where the layered plants are .simply to be lifted and planted in another situation the lifting I would be better dela^fd till the soil gets moistor and cooler. in the layeiing of hard-wooded plants it gives a great ad\ an- j tage over trying to propagate from cuttings, i from fche fact that while the roots are being formed the shoot is continually receiving nomishment from the parent plant. Anothei important consideration in favour of layering .some plants is that they cannot easily be increased from cutting.-}, and even with great difficulty by budding or giafting, but may be readily thus propagated. A moist humid season is the most favoumble one to the rooting of layers, as it causes a softer bark and a better flow of sap. Suckeis may be regarded as spontaneous layers, the new shoots being sent up from the buds or the roots, or portions of the stem below the surface of the ground. Stock raised from suckers as a rule is best a\oHed, as stock of this class on some plants is prone to reproduce sucker growth, which in ino-t situations is very objectionable.