(By Hortis.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 340, 6 February 1889, Page 3

(By Hortis.)

Syringing. During the late dry hot dusby weafcho 1 ' most of the plants in the open border will have been covered over with dust. This dust will havo lodged over the leaves and wood, entirely filling up the pores in such, thereby stopping a free healthy atmospheric action thereon. Now, all places are not blessed with an unlimited supply of water where at staled intervals the hose can be turned on, nob only to wash them bub to water as well, bub nearly every place can spare a few buckets of water for syringing purposes. In the evening, after the power of bhe sun's rays is over tor the day, the syringing should take place, just giving each plant sufficient to thoroughly clean the foliage. Camellias, azaleasandallautumn flowering plants will especially be benefited by this washing. Dust being allowed to accumulate for a considerable 6ime on somo plants is sure to cause disease and unhealthy action. It also greatly assists in giving harbour to insects. A plant in such a state can no more be expected to keep healthy than a human being who may allow his skin to beccme dirty and clogged A bath is as necessary to the one as the other.

Tlirips. At this season of the year, a large num" ber of plants oufc in the open border wil* get badly affected by a small insect called thrips. It usually takes up its quarters on the underside of the leaves, where it will soon make sad havoc if not checked. Azaleas, laurestinuses, etc., are very much subject to the attacks of this insect. Humidity either in the soil or atmosphere is one of the best preventives. Cry, hot air and starvation are a sine source of breeding it in profusion. Out in the open border the best means of getting rid of it is to water copiously at the root, and frequently syringe with soap and tobacco water, using soap |lb to the two gallons of water with a pint of strong tobacco water added. Plants in pots affected by thrips should be dipped in the above mixture. After the dipping or syringing, the plant should be allowed to stand for about an hour, then be s} ringed heavily with clean water. One or two applications of the above mixture if properly applied should get rid of most of the thrips. If they make their appearance again a fresh application will be required. Laurestinuses here are nearly always badly affected during the summer. This summer I have been watching a plant that is heavily watered overhead about once a week, and up to the present there is not the slightest appearance of the pest. At the same time the bean is making fine healthy growth.

Swine in the Orchard. An old friend, a farmer, whose orchard has always been above fche average in condition and production, recently told us that he thought most of his success in orcharding was clue to his fattening his swine in the fall and early winter in the orchard. Our own experience has shown us very plainly that the close association of swine and orchard trees is mutually beneficial. If the swine are given salt and ashes regularly and a variety of food they will Vot peel the trees ; and the falling fruit makes a good share of the needed variety. The early windfalls, at least, almost without evception, contain larva?, the presence of these being responsible for the falling of the fruit. The hogs eat the fruit and larva? also, and thus prevent their entrance into the earth or lodgment elsewhere ; and as a result, there is not a swarm of their descendants to blight the fruit the next year. The animals, being much under the trees to get the fruit and the shade, deposit their manure where it will do the most good. In exchange, the trees give the animals shade, when high feeding makes shade grateful and wholesome ; and vegetable food, when strong feeding of dry grains makes it a necessity to the health and thrift of the animals. If it is desired to evaporate or can the best of the windfalls, the hogs may be shut out during the night, and admitted after those windfalls desired have been gathered up. — "American Agriculturist."

Indoor Flower Culture. Plants in a window garden require much more care than those in a greenhouse, because they do not have the sun from above, bub at one side, or, at the most, two windows; therefore, they need to receh e more stimulant, and if placed close to the window they must be turned frequently — at least once a week— so that they will not become one-sided. Some plant raisers object to this because they think it stops the growth of the plant. Bub they do nob turn them oiten enough, and if left for a month or more they will become onesided. Great care must also be taken to keep them from the dust which vises from sweeping. Always cover the plants with a newspaper to protect them, and once a month pub them in the kitchen sink and give them a showering with warm water, with a sprinkler, or dip a w4iisk broom into the water and shake it over them thoroughly. This will wash off the green fly, but the scale bug sticks " closer than a brother," and must be eibher scrubbed off with an old toothbrush dipped in strong soap?uds or scraped off with the finger nails — the former is the best process, as ib cleanses the stems and destroys the larva?. The scale is as destructive to plant growth as the red spider, and suds are a good destroyer of both of these pests. The scale clings closely to the stems of the plant and sucks out its life in the course of time. If your plants look rusty, leaves turning yellow and dropping off, or withering on the stem, look for these scales and destroy them. If the under sides of the leaves turn pale or brown look for the insidious red spider— a mere mite, to be sure, bub will destroy bhe rarest of your plants, and make them look as seared and crisped as if they had been burned. A good showering is a remedy for them, as they thrive best in a hob, dry abmosphere. If red pepper is freely spattered over the leaves and the upper soil of the plants ib will help to rid them of these noxious pests. Lime water — two or three tablespoonfuls to three quarts of water — given freely will keep vermin from the soil, as it destroys the earthworm and &mall white worms that infest the earth to the decided injury of the plants. It is also an excellent fertiliser, making bhe foliage very green and luxuriant, and storting forth the buds and flowers. The watering of plants requires know ledge best gained by experience, bub the rule never to give water unless the soil looks dry is nob to be forgobben, as too much water will destroy plant life, i Fuchsias require a large amount. Helio- j tropes and fuchsias*require much' moisture to bloom freely, and especially thrive on hot water turned into their saucers,, as ib gives them bottom' heat. Geraniums and other succulent planbs, such as begonias, ; etc., should never be watered as freely, only giving them onough to keep the coil from drying up. — " Practical Farmer," I