The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 380, 26 June 1889, Page 3

The Garden.

<By Hoktus. )

„ Iriseot Pests. As the period for pruning and winter dressing of , fruit trees is at hpnd, 1 a few lines as to the way in' which 'the debris should be treated may be of value to those who may be troubled* with inject pests in their fruit trees, and more especially the codlin moth. There are two great periods in the year when an inexpensive war can be waged against this most troublesome insect. The first period is when the fruit is beginning to swell. If the trees are then syringed with Paris green, large numbers of insects can be killed as they develop from the eggs laid by the moth on the fruit. Numbers of our local fruitgrowers tried this system with success last spring, and it is' ,to be hoped thoy will continue the same measures every spring. At the same time a large amount of good can be done during the winter months while the pruning and dressing of fruit trees is being done. The codlin moth has got what might be called two existences, and these might be divided into active and inactive stages. The active state is during the summer, when the moths fly about and lay eggs which develop into the grubs which play such sad havoc with our fruit. The inactive state is after the grub leave's the i fruit. After it has finished feeding, its life becomes inactive, but before it rests completely it makes a comfortable covering for itself by spinning from its body "■& fine cocoon of a kind of silk. The position where the grub performs this operation is usually in some crevice of the bark, in the forks of the branches, or any rough place where it can get a good hold. When the grub is in this state, it can be easily destroyed if a little trouble is gone to in hunting it out. I myself have taken out more than twenty cocoons from one large crevice in a pear tree. After cleaning out such places the crevices should be painted with a thick mixture of clay, cow-dung and Paris green. Another groat help in getting rid of a large number of insects is to collect from time to time the leaves of the trees as they fall, and get them burned at once. Thousands of the different insects could bo destroyed every year if this system were properly carried oub. When pruning commences, a large tarpaulin should be placed under the tree so that all the prunings may drop on to the tarpaulin. The object to be attained by this is that the cocoons, eggs, etc., of insects that may have been on those branches.may not be allowed to fall off on the ground. After the tree -is pruned the cuttings should at once be burned, besides any small d°brk left on the tarpaulin. Numbers of the eggB, etc., of insects might every season be destroyed if ordinary care were taken. After the trees are all pruned, and just before they begin .to burst their buds in the spring, each tree should receive a thorough dressing with a mixture that will be of such an adhesive nature that it will stay on, the trees for some time during the spring. A strong mixture of clay cow-dung aod Paris green, in my estimation, is the best ; every crevice or rough place should be filled up with this. The object to be attained by doing this is that early in the spring when the insects begin to move about they then have only limited, powers for moving about. At this period they must entirely feed upon their/immediate surroundings, and if these surroundings are charged with poison thousands will never . get beyond the first stages of their new spring life.

An Exploded Theory. Many years ago theory held a much more prominent place in agriculture than it holds to-day. Theory of that day taught that analysis of a small amount of the soil of a given field would correctly indicate the kind and amount of fertiliser needed to render such a field productive.- This theory was advanced' by scientific men, andadvo-' cated by agricultural writers of that day. When brought to the test of experiment its fallacy was soon proved. No cliemiat or agricultural expert now relies on anything but careful experiment with growing crops' to determine the particular enriching element needed in any given case. This discovery, for so it is termed by some agricultural papers, was made longenough ago by George Ville, the famous French agricul- 1 tural chemist. Still, unpractical men will teach us that a college training where no crops are grown or tested will make us first-class farmers or horticulturists.

Lime on tne Land. There is a difference -of opinion among agriculturists and scientists as to the value of lime on the land. Some maintain that it is not only a stimulant, but also a manure. Others have come to the conclusion that lime represents no plant food, bub merely acts as a solvent to prepare for use what is already in the soil. The mechanical acbion of lime on sour clay soil, by mellowing and warming the soil, and causing decay in the vegetable fibre, cannot be over-estimated Ib must, however, be borne in mind that over-liming will soon exhaust a soil by causing the decay of all vegetable matter in the soil. The plants will absorb and assimilate as food the ammonia and potash thus evolved ; and if no fresh vegetable matter is placed in the soil tor the sohrenb properties of the lime to work upon, the supply of ammonia and potBsh must naturally become exhausted, and the plants starved; and poor, crops will be the resulb. Bone material, in bho shape of bonedust or superphosphates, must be presenb inthesoil to produce phosphoric acid ; bub wibhoub the addition of bhe ammonia and bhe potash the plants will still partly starve. The ammonia and , potash can be mqst readily obtained by vegetable matter, or, a manure partly representing vegetable matter, such as stable manure, leaves and scrapings oufcof fchebush, etc. Of course, guano is, good. Thus it will be seen that there must be a combination of fertilising elements and agents in the soil to produce a perfect result ; and this can only be obtained by drawing upon all the resources of nature. Lime is only one of these resources; although an important one producing , important results, if placed in combination with organic bodies necessary for the , production of plant food. Lime is, therefore, an important factor in warming tho soil, making it trcer and more easily pulverised, and is an important agent in causing the decay of bodies.' Bub the farmer" must be sure that the substance's are there ; otherwise the lime cannot exert its beneficial energies ; and a disappointed farmer and a highly mineralised soil will be the result.

As'Aucklandershave occasionally interested themselves in" trawling experiments, ' the result of a trawling cruise made by the steamer' Lady Loch recently should prove of interest. ' The objfeob'of her cruise was to ascerbain'the'possibilibies of establishing a i remunerative' 'fishery ' off the ■ coastJof-Vic-toria. ' Several casts -were made off ttie Ninety Mile Beach, extending over a Considerable mileage, and every dip of the nets resulted in the ensnaring 1 of large numbers, of good sized, edible fish. ;t; t A good haul of oysters was also made ; oii "one occasion, as well as a large quantity of oyster spati r It is probable that, before long the Lady Looh will go on another' voyage of discovery.