The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 264, 16 May 1888, Page 6

The Garden.

Trees and Shrubs. FuKguKNTLY I have drawn attenlion fco the cai'ly moving of trees and shrubs. I would again draw attention to this matter, as the time is nuito suitable. There is a good deal of benefit from planting early. There is no necessity to wait for showery weather, even though the soil appears to have no moisture in it. The hoat that is still in the soil makes planting now a certain success, on account of its assisting to promote the immediate formation of roots. In planting now while the noil is in an apparently dry state, it is imperative that every plant should be thoioughly drenched with water ; that; is, a suilieicnt quantity of water should be given to cause it to penetrate into the .soil below the roots. Where this is done new roots will begin to torm at once. ICvory loot that has been sevciod will soon push out a number of small feeding fibres, which will cause the plant to take a good hold before the winter sets in, and be ready to find nourishment for the plant early in spiing. Each tree or sluub as as taken up must be replanted at once, not allowing time lor the mots to get dry. This quick moving is essential to success, and early mo\ing now is only to bo recommended wheic tiecs and shiubs can bo immediately shifted horn one pait of a garden to another. Top Dressing Lawns. Theio is no season ol the ycai better for ieno\ating and top-dicssinu lawns than about, Uk, middle or end of May, )u-l befoie the hea\y wet soaking we.ithci sets m. About, this time the siufaee of the lawn is quite haul, so that the soil can easily be wheiled or called over it without doinsr much in|ury to the old giass, also doing a\\av w itli the (rouble and exha labour of pioviding and moving planks. Whcie a lawn is to be topdtessed the glass should bo cut as short ih possible, tlun the surface should iceeivc a good dieting ot rough bones ' The soil loi top dressing should then be wheeled 01 eaited over the suitaee. As the -oil is deposited on the lawn it should be spiead, just using the exact quantity leqnned, mki^loshc 1 mo\mg a poition fiom plate to place. The di easing should onl\ lie put on lou^rhlyat hist, till the whole lawn is diosed. Afteiwawls the diessing should be yone over ajrain, bieaking uji all rough piece-, ilioioughU uotking in the fine '■oil about the, loots ot the uias-, ami linking the sui l.ice perfect h smooth and level. If the dieting has been a heavy one new grass seed should bo M>\\n, lakul in, then heavily 1 oiled. Tlicdies-ing to becllectual should be well done, and nothing but the very best soil be used To use indilleicnt oi bad -oil frequently does moie haim than nooil, a-, can easily be seen b} the pool hunyiv, looking uria-su r ia-s on a good numberot tennis law ns which have lately been made aiound Vuckland. The quantilv ot soil to use on the lawn will vai\ accouhng to the quality of the soil composing the Kiwn. If the law n an i gta--aie in good condition. I about one fourth of an inch should be -ufheient. Wheic the mm lace soil is poo: and hung 1 } about an inch in depth could lie applied with advantage. The ownets and nuuagcis ot well-kept lawns must iccnlleet that cmiv Unn a lawn is ci<t and 1 the glass taken av\a\,-> much plant food h,is bten ,d)soibed 111 the pioducliou and lost to the lawn. Now, tin- food 111 some shape or anot hei must bo letuined to the I *oil, and the best, wa> to 1 c t tv uitisby an ,1111111. il application ot tiesli tjood soil to the smfiice. Theie is nothing that will ptoinotc a good, stiong healthy sjiowth of (juickci than thi- tieatnient. Dm mil; the wintei the ! will yet v\ell established, and ii the ; glass b kept shoi i and iiequcnllv, hcivil) Tolled, the uiass on the law n will be in a much bettei condition to stand 0111 usually hot,dij suumiei-. even w ithout the apph e'Uion ot hcavj wateiing-. In the makinir ot new lawns e\ei\ paiticle of ijood sui tacc soil should b(> sivol so is Input back on the new levelled smiace. How often do we sec lawns made heie vvlieic moic than halt of the yood soil has been buried undei (he sut tacc at <uch adeptli that the toot- of 1 the glass nevei leach it. At I lie same time alaiye poition ot the -mt.it_e doe- not leeen c suliieientlv uood soil to enable it to c.uiN goodL p ia-s. TheiLsiilt that i-iisiiallv to lie seen on t hcs< l.iw ns is, a poi non ot the eia-- does tan lv well, while in oLhei poitions, when the div we.ithei -et- in, the u:ia«- soon begins to net y ellow and diied up ;in some cms almost dyinu out Now , to yet sue h law 11* into good (ondilion it, Us\iall\ costs aliout double ot what it would liave dom ii evei t \ ]KUtiele of uood soi! had l>een icjilaced on the smfaee .ig.iin. CJias^ tollows the nile ot nm-l othei oops — the hiuher (,hc -tale of cultn.ilicii the soil i< bi ought into, the Imci the quality ot the i_m >ss if will pioduce . eon-e<[ueutlv, tile bettei it will be fin pla\in<; the dillerenf summer ynmcs on. \t the same time, look .it what a dilleient appearance it, has. e\eiv pait is coveted with nice, health} ui<iss, whereas the othei will show ,1 patchy bioken apiieaiance, with baie s|)ots heie and theie, tufts ol urass tisino m diHeieut pails like .small hills, making it nas(\, dangeioup, and disigreeablc to \i\d) upon. Correbponilenl.