The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 336, 23 January 1889, Page 6

The Garden.

Soil for Top-Dresslng Lawns. All lawns usedfor tennis, etc., must every season receive a slight top dressing, jbo aa to keep them in good order. By this'topdressing all the inequalities can be smoothed over and brought perfectly level again. The fresh-soil pub upon the surface will also give the grass a new starb, thickening it and bringing ib into a far better state to stand the annual wear and tear. To make this top - dressing thoroughly effective nothing but the very best soil should be used, and it should be only according to the nature of the soil already composing the lawn. Modify the quality so as to obtain as much benefit as possible. For instance, if the lawn is already made of stiff, retentive soil, the top dressing should consist of light rich volcanic or light rich sandy soil j the opposite where tho lawn is of a light dry nature— the top dressing should be of a retentive nature. Where possible, the soil should be taken trom a grass paddock and only about six inches deep stripped off with the turf. The sods should be placed in a heap to rob. In making up the heap ifc should be placed in layers of about nine inches bhick. A good sprinkling of shell lime should be given to each layer. If the soil be retentive a quantity of sand should also be put between the layers. After the heap is completed it should receive a thorough soaking with water. The water will cause it to sweeten and ferment the rotting debris of grata, etc., and bring it into a good state for pressing during the late autumn. While making up the heap it is useless to mix it with long litter manure from the stables unless you intend it to stand for another year, as it will take the litter manure all that ,time to rob sufficiently so chat it can be worked into the soil. If you can procure some old well-rotted manure it would be advisable to mix a little of it into the heap, but it must almost be rotted to the consistency of soil before it would be safe to use it. The quantity of soil to use will in a great measure depend on the state of the lawn. If the lawn be an old one and have been much neglected it might need about half an-inch of dressing put all over the surface so as to get it into good order. Again, if it be a new lawn, and per haps has not settled down regularly, then provision must be made to fill all irregularities, besides giving the whole surface a dressing Where the lawn has been regularly dressed or is in first-class order a very slight dressing will be required. So in making up the heap of soil now an estimate quantity required should be made, giving a large allowance for the difference in measurement of loose soil and solid . At any rate, see that more than sufficient is obtained. Whatever is leftvwill be of great use for some of the plants in the borders. At the same time see that the soil you obtain is of first-class quality, as the benefit to be derived from top-dressing depends on the richness of the soil used. Often I have seen clay or good subsoil used. In many cases it did more injury than good.

How Eastern American Fears Are Handled. As the fruit-picking season is close at hand, the following extract will show our amateur fruitgrowers how some bf the leading American orchardists pick their fruit for the market so that it may arrive in firstclass condition, and thus they obtain the best prices in the market : — Buyers of fine fruits are always willing to pay roundly for appearance. Growers who i-ealise this fact make the quickest sales and highest profits. By care in handling and shipping, we frequently get double for our pears in the Philadelphia markets, than do neighbouring growers whose fruit is nearly or quite as fine as ours, but is not shipped in good condition or style. As soon as the pears will leave the stem readily, which is before they are in eating condition, we carefully pick them by hand, generally in the afternoon when the foliage and fruit are dry. The pears are then (as carefully as eggs) taken to an upstairs room, used during the season exclusively as a fruit-room, which is cool and free from dampness, and heavy curtains are hung up — heavy hardware paper is cheap, and good for the purpose — to exclude the light. On the floor we spread heavy, cheap army blankets, single thickness. On these are laid the peai's, as closely together as possible without touching each other, and then covered with blankets. In one to three or four days, according to ripeness when picked, the pears commence to colour finely. As fast as they are coloured properly they are sorted, packed and shipped. Every time the pears are gone over, the specked or decayed once should be taken out, those which are fit being used in the house. As soon as they commence to colour they should be examined daily. By handling carefully at all times the pears will stand up well for quite a long while after shipping, as there is then little danger of rotting from bad handling. Inexperienced folk are surprised at the wonderful change which a short time makes on pears treated as above, and it is in this way that the magnificently-coloured fruits seen in the fruiterer's windows are produced. It is quite an art to pack fine fruit, especially pears, so they will catch the eye and the dollars of consumers, and it requires practice. We ship extra quality pears, in sixty-quart strawberry chests, having four trays (two tiers of two each) with one-half inch cleats on the bottom of the top trays, so they will not injure the fruit below. Each chest holds about three peach baskets. The pears are carefully laid in by hand, the top layer having the best coloured side uppermost. Each tray is lined and the fruit covered with white paper. This shows off the fruit by contrast. The name of each variety (never mix varieties) is written plainly on each tray, on the marginal paper. The trays are packed a little more than even full, so the lid of the chest when closed will firmly press on them without bruising and prevent rolling, The chests are locked and consigned to some J responsible commission man, who returns the empty chests and trays. We have frequently received $8 to $10 per chest for pears so shipped, and could have sold ten times as many. The varieties most sought after are the Bartlett, Duchess, Onondaga, Sheldon, etc. — " Boston Transcript."