HORTICULTURAL CLIPPINGS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 366, 8 May 1889, Page 4

HORTICULTURAL CLIPPINGS.

Removing 1 Large Trues. — Very often large trees can be removed better during the winter than at any other time, by taking up a considei-able part of the soil with the roots. It requires more work, but there is much less danger of breaking orinjuring the roots. The hole should be dug sufficiently large to admit the whole mass without dis turbing any part. Poultry Manure. — We have often in The Farmer impressed upon our readers the great fertilizing value of poultry manure. We find it works little miracles in our own garden. Here is what a writer says about it after trying it as a top dressing on grass: — "We sprinkle our ashes over the floor of the fowl-house every morning, and when it accumulates to 6in. or Bin. used to clean it out into the dunghill. Last spring I put a few barrow loads a thin as I could over a piece of meadow Alongside I dressed a piece with stable manure, another piece with a special grass manure, the rest of the meadow with about ljcwt. nitrate of soda. The fowl dung far surpassed all the others in the hay crop, and at present the small greon patch is easily observable." Pruning Apple Trees. — No applesshould be pruned the first year of planting ; for the first two years commence to form the standard trees by taking oufc all the inner wood to attain a boul shape, and cut back the young growth to four or six eyes, to a bud pointing outward ; the fourth or fifth year shorten the wood of the current year to six or twelve inches, and keep the centres clear, and after that time let them grow as they like, merely shortening the tips to procure an evenly balanced head, and taking out any crossing pieces of growth. If you grow dwarf trees these can be cut in "to form pyramids or basin?, as desired, for two years, and after that be allowed to grow freely. ' Old Apple Trees.— ln a paper on apple culture read before the last Chiswick Apple Congress a practical nurseryman said :—": — " A word as to old existing orchards. My text is — Woodman, spai-e that tree. If such old trees are well manured, in two years they would be either producing good

fruit, or, If cider apples,, ,they would so benefit) from the improved culture that they 1 should pay for re-grafting' with superior kinds. I believe much may be done in this way, as the roots soon "respond to generous treatment, and the foundation of success rests upon them." Suitable kinds for graftingold trees would be— Stones', Lane'sPfincB Albert, Small's Admirable, the ne\v, and splendid Bismarck, or the smaller dessert; npples, such as '.'/Duchess Favourite, and. Yellow Ingestrie." ,\Ve may remark .that the Bismarck abovelreferred to so favourably is of 'New Zealand origin, from whence ifc ,was introduced into England some years ago. Improving- the Soil of Flower Beds. — Digging up and manuring flower beds and borders in late autumn brings them in belter condition for the growth of plants tho following season, facilitates spring work, and makes the surroundings ,more neat and attractive during winter. Beds of a stiff and clayey nature are often much benefited by an application of good, sharp sand or scotia ash well mixed with the soil. Sand rend ers th c soil ca&ier to work, makes the plants start into growth quicker and to produce a greater abundance of flowers. It is not advisable to make flower-beds too rich, as this is apt to encourage a too succulent growth at the expense of, flowers. Leaf mould makes the best material for fertilising flower-beds ; when this cannot be had, use thoroughly decayed barn-yarn manure instead.