THE GARDEN.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 348, 6 March 1889, Page 4

THE GARDEN.

Strawberries. In nearly every garden there is a small patch of ground seb apart for growing strawberries. To grow these well and obtain good crop 3 the soil should be libeially dealt with. Early in March the break for the j oung plantation should be either trenched or dug as deoply ns possible, and plenty ot half-rotted manure , put in while digging. While digg'ng leave the surface as rough as possible, as this will expose more surface to the action of the air. "The soil should be kept in this rough state for about three weeks, when it should be broken up fine by forking it over. About the end of March or beginning of April we usually receive heavy rain, and when possible the young plants should be planted out immediately after such rain. Plenty of young runners are usually to beobtained about that time, and they should, if possible, be lifted with a little soil adhering to their roots, as this will cause them to take quicker to the new position. After planting, and especially if dry weather sets in, they should be watered about once or twice during April. This will givo them a good start. Early - planted strawberry plants will get a good start before the cold weather sets in, and will make strong plants before spring, when they will be leady to start away strongly and give much larger and finer fruit than those which aie planted during the winter term. The crop will also be much larger. lam well aware that early planting: sometimes entails more labour in keeping the giound free of weeds and perhaps extra labour in watering, but where there is only a small break planted for the use of the cultivator it pays to risk the extra labour for the increased quantity and quality of the crops. Strawberry plantations here should never be allowed to stand after the second crop has been taken from the plants, as both plants and toil get exhausted, and it is very seldom that the third crop is worth the trouble of picking. It is also advisable for another piece of ground to be used for the young planting. Sometimes it is also better to get a change of plants from some neighbour whose soil and aspect are different from your own. This change of plants very often increases the quality of the op.

Orchard. Autumn pruning of fruit tree 3 : At this season of the year a large number oi fruit trees begin to make another growth. Buds begin to swell, and if not checked will burst into leaf or flower, according to what dass of bud comes under this influence. The effect of this when the flower buds are opened out in autumn is to spoil all chance of a good crop of fruit for next season. The buds at this period should be still further ripening off, and getting into a state of rest for the winter. The cause of flowers and buds developing in the autumn is on account of our long genial autumns with moderately "warm days, and comparatively genial nights. It is very seldom in Auckland that we get a nisrht sufficiently cold to stop the upward flow of sap till well on in May or what should be well on in winter, where the extremes of heat and cold are greater. This long autumn with a corresponding growth in a great measure is detrimental to the growth of first-class fruit. Fruit trees getting little or no rest in many instances it is hard for the most expeiienced to tell when they are at rest. Now to bring about a longer period of rest artificial means must bs resorted to. The fibres or roots which collect and send up sap during the autumn must be reached and cut off. The instant those fibres are cut the power of the tree to produce leaf or flower is gone. The action of the sap is at once entiiely changed. Instead of an upward tendency it at once makes a downwai d movement to the roots, where itatonce begins to push forth new iibre3, getting a good hold of the ground again before the winter sets in. While all this activity is going on at the root, the action at the top is quite different. Immediately the knife has been applied to the root the sap begins to floiv downwards, the leaves soon show signs of having come to maturity and begin to assume a wintry aspect by becoming yellow and falling off. The buds also will cease to swell, but will become harder and assume a brown appearance, by which the practised eye will at once be able to tell they are ripening off properly. I have been enabled by root pruning to bring pear and plum trees into a perfect state of rest by the end of April, which cave my trees at least six weeks to two months' longer rest than they could have attained if left to the action of the weather. Now just imagine what immense advantage this long rest gives for next season's crops, especially on the pear trees. Root pruning, to be effectual, should be done during this and next month. The best way to root prune is to cut a trench all around the tree ; the distance to cut must be regulated by the size of the tree. After the roots are all cut the soil should be placed back in the trench, and where possible a thorough soaking of water should bo given ; it will promote a rapid formation of fibrous roots which will be all the better for next season's crop.