The Garden. (By Hortis in "Auckland Star.")

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 396, 24 August 1889, Page 6

The Garden. (By Hortis in "Auckland Star.")

The Strawberry. The above is the best of our spring fruits and every attention should be given to the plants so that the quantity and. quality of the crop be improved. Early in the spring, before the plants begin to push forth the flower stalk, the soil between the rows should be forked over and loosened up, so that when the plants begin to grow their roots may obtain fine, well-pulverised soil to work in. At the time the forking is proceeding great care must be taken so as not to injure any of the roots of the plants, as strawberry plants are very susceptible to injury to their routs. If the ground was not well manured last autumn, it should now receive a good dose of wellrotted manure. This should be forked in, well broken up, and mixed with the soil as far as possible. Well-rotted manure is preferable to long straw or new litter, as the better it is rotted, it is in a better state to be taken up by the roots at once ; whereas if new or litter manure is used the crop will be over before the manure is rotted, sufficiently, so that the plants will for this season not be able to get move than half the strength contained jn the manure. It is for this reason that only well-rotted manure should be used for all crops in the spring, and long litter manure in the autumn. Recollect also while using manure that the greater the quantity you use the larger the crop is likely to be, and the finer the quality. Where no well-rotted or litter manure" can be obtained resort should be made to some of the artificial manures, ab the same time only using such of those as are of tirst- ■ class quality. While using v artificial manures there is another question that should be taken into consideration, and that is, whether they will dissolve and give off their plant food quickly or noc under the action of water. Some of them, for instance guano, will dissolve in a yery short per»od, and the force of the plant food will soon be expended. Again, take bones ; the action is much slower, and they will continue giving off quantities of plant food for a long period after they are pub into the soil, especially if they are kept moist. In using bones I would apply them now, while forking the ground between the rows, as this would give a considerable time for the action of the moisture in conjunction with the soil to dissolve a considerable quantity of the food contained in them before the plants begin bo fruit, thus having it ready for the roots at the proper time. It would be very little use using bones immediately before the fruiting season, as the crop would be spenb before the best of their action would takeplace. In using guano or similar quickly dissolving manures they should only be used late in the season, just before the plants begin to produce fruit, or ab the time when the annual mulch in the spring is put around the plants. This mulch it ia usual to apply just as the plants are beginning to push out strong flowers. Just before the mulch is applied is the besb time to apply such manures as will dissolve easily, as the plants will then get the full benefit. If guano was applied to the ground now it would dissolve within a few weeks, and the bulk of the plant food would be washed out of the ground long before it was required for assisting the crops. If the soil is forked over now between the rows, and all the weeds properly cleared out, all the after treatment for this season should only be a thorough good hoeing just before the plants are mulched later on in the spring. Where strawberries are planted on soil that is inclined to be stiff and retentive, care must be taken to choose a period for the forking when the soil is in a comparatively dry state, as if worked while it is in a wet state the treading with the feet will compress it into a state like putty, and in this state ib will nob suit the fine fibrous roots to penetrate easily ; so before forking the strawberry break where the soil is inclined to be stiff, it is always better to get a few fine days so as to leb superfluous water drain off first.

Utility of Sand in Striking Cuttings The great utility of sand in striking cuttings of any kind is not so generally understood as it should be by amateur gardeners. An English amateur, writing to a* journal, says : " In the garden of A. R. Baily, I was lately shown what was to me a novel mode of striking roses. Some cuttings were taken off and made about two months ago, and immediately buried in sand in a box and placed in a shed. A layer of sand was first placed in the box, then a layer of cuttings, another layer of sand, and then another layer of cuttings, till the box was filled up and all the cuttings out of sight. The sand was merely kept from getting dust-dry and that is al{. I examined several of the cuttings andfound them all callused and ready to emit roots, which I bave no doubt they would speedily do were they inserted where they could be shaded for a time. Mr Baily's gardener told me that the idea was taken from an American paper, in which the writer stated, also, that he had inserted pear buds on quince shoots before burying them in the same way, and that on uncovering them the buds had taken and the cuttings callused." To this may be added a general commendation of the plan of callusing cuttings by laying them in a heap of clean sharp sand. Scions of fruit trees for grafting should be thus laid up to their tips ; some cuttings also of approved kinds can b,e kept in fine order for planting or grafting until the proper season comes round. At this season of the year, cuttings of variegated cypresses, Biotas, pines, and any of their allies which cannot be propagated true from seed, or of, which seed is not obtainable, can be struck in the manner indicated, only that instead of keeping the sand-heap in a shed, we would place it in the southern side of a wall or garden fence. All the myrtle tribe proper and their near .relations, the Eugenias and> Acmenaa, may be thus readily raised. The gieat point is not to expose any large proportion of the cutting ; put at least three-fourths of it underground. When seed of Pinus insignis and others has chanced to be scarce, cuttings have been resorted to in this colony with perfect success.—" Australasian." >