The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 312, 31 October 1888, Page 3

The Garden.

Tcike Care of the Trees. -Ai/mor(m this counuy is splendidly ad . apled lo trees, better cave must be taken of them foi the first year or two. The reason that a great many have failed .to grow good trees is very plain, as can be seen in a few orchards in this neighbourhood, where tho trees- have never had any care whatever ; the branches allowed to grow in all directions, never pruned : the ground never cultivated and the weeds permitted to grow and sap the moistuie of the soil. To successfully raise fruit, constant work and attention un^t be ghon to tho trees. You cannot carelessly set out a lot of tree* and expect them to take care of themselves. The weeds must be kept down, the t>oil pulverised iiequently, and tho superfluous >hoots cut away at the light season. There is nothing to be gained by neglect, but everything where prouer care is taken ol the trees.

Horticulture for women. There is a constantly incieasing class ot outdoor workeis among women, who become such because of a better understanding of the laws of health and a necessity for outdoor exercise. Some of these are concent to follow in the beaten path, piocure a few seeds and spend the summer in transplanting, weeding, watering and admiring the flower*. Others go farther, and tiy to add interest by increasing the =ize of their garden, one Southern lady I heard of pushing matters in this direction until hot garden measured neaily an acre, and her Varieties exhausted a prominent catalogue. Such an extension of operations i> neither profitable nor possible to most ladies who seek health and amusement in their gardens, nor does it meet the wants of those who wish to step a tritle out of the beaten path. Here and there one goes a btep further and crosses the threshold ol the greenhouse and explores a very litt'e bhe mysteries of artificial plant propagation and growth. Beyond this none go, leavingunexplored some of the most atti active and interesting byways of horticulture. Methods ot propagation by budding and grafting, the starting of difficult seeds, the laws by which the increase of many plants is go%eined, and general botanical knowledge are sealed books to many women who, if they would only venture to look into them, would be surprised and delighted at the depth of amusement and "instruction to be found therein. — " Vick's "'

The Codlin. Moth. Doubtless many aie awaie of the uio\ ement now on foot to stamp out the codlm moth in this county. The success ot this effort depends \ cry much upon the co-opera-tion of the general public. In this connection permit me through your columns to urge a most important precaution on all purchasers of fruit or bho^e having tumefactions at places where huit is handled. While the attempt is being made to exterminate the insect in orchards where it is know n to exist, it is of the utmost consequence that it shall not be introduced to new localities b} r carelessness in this paiticular : it is quite possible for a sinyle individual to frustrate the best efforts of all his neighbours. It should be most forcibly impressed upon the mind of every indiwdual that until importations of fruit from abroad shall cea>e and the codlin moth is exterminated in our county, there is imminent danger in the transportation of any fruit package^ whether containing fimt or othei meichan disc, from one place to another without previous disinfection. .Furthermore, that^uch use of packages once emptied is prohibited by law under heavy peualties. Also, that the most rigid scrutiny should be exercised in the purchase of iriut for domestic use, and a refusal be made in every instance to receive fruit from any lot in which specimens can be tound showing the mark of a woim-hole. That this is no matter of mere sentiment, but one of practical weight, bearing directly upon the material interests of the community, may not be readity comprehended by some without reference to the character and habits of the insect, and a description may be generally useful. This moth is darlc in colour, one-half inch in length, with a spread of wings three-quarters of an inch. It passes the winter in the larva state, concealed under loose bark or In ciacks or crevices, and assumes the winged form early in the spring, and before the formation of the young fruit it begins the depo&it of its eggs, usually placing a single one in the calyx or blossom end of each apple, pear and quince which it teleets. From this egg in from seven to ten days a worm or larva is hatched, which proceeds to burrow to the coie of the fiuife, thence \ eating its way outward through the j side. It emerges from the fruit fully grown, having a length of about threequarters of an inch, and drops itself to the ground or another resting; place by means of a thread which it spins for that purpose. It then crawls towards the tree and usually ascends the trunk in search of some crevice in which to enter the chrysalis form, and in from nine to twelve days changes into the moth, '"o continue its work of destruction. Ab the lowest estimate each female is capable of depositing eighty egg-i, and there are in this State three bioods each season. Allowing one half of each brood to be females, we find a capacity of increase amounting to 64,000 in a single season. Doubtless tlaere are natural destructive forces which vastly reduce these appalling numbers 1 , which, unchecked, would utterly annihilate the fruitsit affects. If the fruit is picked before the escape of the worm, and boxed for market, it is liable to emerge while in transit, and either in that box, 01 crawling to an adjacent one, conceal itself in some nailhole or crevice, remain until carried to the proximity of some orchard, there hatch and proceed to locate, equally to the surprise and disgust of the proprietor. In case the fruit is dealt out before the escape of the worm, it may be carried to Ihe vicinity of orchards, the worm thrown out of the core or other refuse parts, and in this way also introduce the codlin moth. A few days, since a box of apples from one of our leading interior valleys was observed at a San Diego fruit stand snugly placed against another box bearing the address of a Santa Cruz orchardist and presumably a part of an importation from San Francisco, the latter a notorious distributing point for the codlin moth. The San Diego fruit was large, firm, handsome and without a blemish, and displayed in the new, clean box with the owner's name neatly stencilled upon it, was both a credit to the well-known good ta&te and skill of the grower, and a sample of what we should be able a few years hence to export by the car-load for the supply of other localities not naturally adapted to the production of this fruit, or where it is prevented by insect posts introduced, perpetuated and multiplied alike through the indifference and negligence of their citizens. If; is probable that the owner of the box in question has before now called for it and taken it to his orchard for renewed use.

Precisely in this way the codlin moth was carried to Paradise Valley less than two years since, and now ib is questionable whether the insoct can bo got rid of by any other means than a sacrifice of our entire crop of certain fruits in every orchard of its entire length. Fruitgrowers should never leave their packages, but empty them at the stores and take away immediately, if they intend to use again without disinfecting. Mr Editor, I do not wish to be regarded as an alarmist. No insect has yet appeared in California which has not been successfully met and subdued by available means. lam not afraid of insects, but 1 must confess to a fear ot the apathy and indifferoncc which encourages their introduction, and makes possible their increase and continuance. Remove but these and the, insects will quickly follow. I have faith in the horticultuial future of San Diego country. 'With your indulgence 1 will thow the grounds upon which it is founded at another time. — ' San Diego Union.'