THE GARDEN.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 280, 11 July 1888, Page 6

THE GARDEN.

Planting Shrubs and Trees. Most planters, when plan tin p 1 out a new place, generally plant far too thickly for all the plants to remain permanently. The object to be obtained by thiß thick planting is to give shelter and support to one another, and at the same time to get the space of ground covered much quicker. These objects are all very good in their way, but in accomplishing them a large number of what might be called good planU arc sacrificed by this thick planting. When planting either trees or shrubs careful consideration ought to be-given as to what you wish to attain in the future. Afterwards, consider what trees or shrubs will best fulfil the object to bo attained, giving full attention to the heights and s| Heading capabilities ot each. The places tor the permanent plants can then bo pegged out, and the plants planted. The wuik of filliiag up with other common and less expensive plants can then be carried out. Even when planting out the temporary plants, their habits, form, and colour of foliage must be looked to, so that they will harmonise with one another. As the plants giruv, care mu&t be taken that they do nob interfere with the permanent plants. Directly they begin to encroach, the limbs or branches should be cut off till the plant itself needs to be lifted, so as to give moic space for the still growing permanent plant". The permanent plants nniht al&o receive attention, so as to keep them in their proper habits, pruning back such branches as are inclined to grow too fast, and giving encouragement to such a& ai c not growing fa&t enough. If the habits ot trees and shrubs are well attended to while they are young and growing, the habits then formed will be permanent. How often do we see on places that have been planted for a few years, the shelter and permanent trees and shrubs all growing up in one confuted mass., all drawn out ot their natural habits - good trees that would have made splendid specimens, the pride and glory of the place, utterly ruined by the encroachment of the plants that should only have protected them in their younger dctyti. There are many instances of this •slate of things in the suburbs at present, and many places where the trees and shrubs are-fast reaching the same condition I would ask the owners of such placet to lake steps this season to give relief to their best plynts. Pruning Fruit Trees {Continued).

[fruit tiee&i that have been carrying 1 fair crop-s of fruit for the last few years must be \ciy cautiously dealt with. Any severe interference with the roots will cause a corresponding loss of f,ap, and this will curtail the fruit- producing powers of the tiee. Again, if the limbs or branches are se\erely dealt with (without any rootpruning) you will be very apt to cause the tree to produce stray gross wood, which may lessen the production of fruit for a year or so. In practice I have always found it be&t, where a tree was producing good annual crops, to inteifere as lifctle as possible with the tree, only cutting out such branches as would in time fill up the centi-e of the tree, or such as would overlie or cross others. At the same time I would also give a slight root-pruning so as to better balance the supply of sap. Such a system carried on from year to year will ensure fair crops of fruit, and at the same time promote a healthy growth of shortjointed wood every reason." When there is a tendency to stray growth in any branch duringthe summer, this should be nippedout or cut back. The centres of all trees should be kept clean of all willow-likeshoots, which from the shaded position they occupyduring summer could not ripen good fruifc, even though they might develop fruit-bearing spurs. The cutting out of such sprays will also allow a, freer access of light and air to the centre of the tree. After the pruning of the trees is completed, all trees affected by moss, scale or other insects should receive a thorough overhaul. It is much easier to dress trees during the winter than in summer ; in the winter the tree is devoid of foliage, and every part can easily be seen and got at. For moss-covered trees the hest application is lime. The lime can be put on as a thick wash or can be thrown over the branches in a dry state. The lime that I have found to answer for this purpose best is that made from shells. When dusting the lime over the trees see that you choose weather when the lime will adhere to the tree. 1 have always found that to use lime on one of those days when we have heavy showers, then a few hours' good sunshine, is the best. After a heavy shower the branches and limbs are wet, the lime will readily adhere, and the sun will dry it slightly before the next shower, just giving id that consistence that will cause it to stick on the branches for some time. Where the limbs or trunks are heavily coated with moss or fungus the best way to apply the lime is in the form of a wash. The lime should be mixed with water in a bucket and applied with an ordinary whitewash brush; it should be rubbed well into the moss and applied as thickly a 9a 9 it will lie on the trunk or branches. Dressings of lime over the tree will, in time, bo washed down te the ground, where it will ultimately reach tho roots, thus not only doing good to the tree at present,, but supplying a valuable manure to the roots. Whero trees are allectcd with scale or other insects, a winter dressing of the following compound will have a good effect : — One wineglassful of kerosene, one pound sulphiu, one pint) coal tar, one pound lime, half an ounce of Paris green. This, mixed in two gallons of water and sufficient clay added to make a tolerably thick paint, will make a capital winter dressing for painting affected trees with. The mixture, if applied early in the spring, before the buds burst, would greatly assist in keeping in check the codlin moth. As the mixture would be wrought well into the crevices and would there adhere, the young moths would need to pierce it before they could obtain their liberty. After pruning and dressing of trees is completed, all trees required to be dressed with manure should receive such dressing. The dressing should nob be placed immediately around the bole of the tree j it should be spread out a considerable distance fi-om the bole. The points of the feeding roots are some distance out, and the manure should be placed where they can easily reach it. Recollect that the roots extend quite as far as the branches of the tree, and the manure should be placed to suit it.

In describing the murder of a man named Jorking, a reporter thus commented on the event: 'The murderer was cvi dently in quest of money, but luckily Mr Jorking had deposited all his funds in the bank the day before, so he lost nothing bub his life.' fo Life is shorl, bul some people's lives aren't half so short as some other people are tempted to wish they were.