The Garden.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 477, 4 June 1890, Page 4

The Garden.

(BtHORTIS.) .

- i Trees in Paris. It is computed that 100,000 trees have been planted in the streets of Paris, exclusive of those which adorn the larger squares and parks. The kinds chiefly used are the Alianthus, the Norway, and the Sycamore* Maple, Horse-chestnut, Linden, Elm, Locust, Occidental Plane, and the Paul, onia. Such care and trouble is taken to provide a sufficiency of good soil that the cost of setting out a single tree reaches 61 dollars each, and 60,000 dollars are annually expended in planting new streets. Sucßers About Fruit Trees. Suckers underneath fruit trees ' are most unsightly objects in an orchard. They are nob only unsightly, but they do a large amount of injury to the trees. In some instances where they are allowed to grow unchecked, they absorb more than half the nutriment from the tree. Suckers are produced • from the roots of the stock, and when they predominate to a great extent the tree sutlers considerably, as the roots which should be feeding'the tree are engaged in finding nutriment for those worse than useless pests. The question is how to get rid of them effectually. It i 3 a common practice to cut them off at the surface of the ground, but this 'leaves many stumps from which innumerable shoots at once spring, to the disgust of the cultivator. The best time to remove them is early in the beginning of the summer, when they will be less likely to grow again. If tho roots to which they are attached are not very deep sometimes they can easily be pulled up, but in pulling them see that they are torn oti the base of the. roots. If they are broken off a short distance above the root, the shoots will soon reappear with vigour. Where the sucker are large and strong and the roots moderately deep, a spade or fork should be used in lifting the soil till the root is got at, when they should bo cut off with a sharp knife, taking care to pare the root so that any dormant sucker bud may nob be left on the roots, as such would soon reappear. Any trees that are euckering badly, and do not give much fruit, it is better to lift and burn, clearing the ground of the suckers and planting another tree.

The Walnut.

The walnut is a fruit-tree that should be most extensively planted. Besides its value as a fruit-producer, the timber is of great commercial value. The wood is light and durable, very beautifully grained, and susceptible of a high polish. Hence it is very valuable for cabinet-making. j-he foliage and habit of the tree is very ornamental and very fragrant while growing, and it is admirably adapted for planting as an avenue tree, or as a single specimen tree in the open. The soils the walnut delights in are those of a light, rich, deep, porous nature. They will also succeed well in stiff soils resting on a r-ravelly bottom. The fruit, while young" and tender, is largely used for making pickles, and when ripe is of considerable value in the markets. In suitable soil the tree can easily be raised from seed and the nuts should be planted where the tree is to grow. Only nuts from the best varieties should be planted, as inferior varieties will produce inferior fruit. The places where the nuts are bo be Blunted should be dug to a depth of at least two feet with a diameter of about four feet, leaving a slight hill. On each hill plant two or three nuts, and when they come through thin out to one, leaving the strongest plant. For about tour years a circle around each tree should be kept clear of weeds, and the tree should then be strong enough to look after itself. As the ■fcr66S grow they will naturally form handsome heads. Very little pruning will be required, it being only necessary to allow the leading stem to grow up straight, pruning side branches as it advance.? in growth, so as to get a long straight stem before it is allowed to branch out to make a head. Whenever the height of. the stem is' attained, all after pruning will be to prevent straggling growth or branches crossing each other, and cutting out dead wood. ° When the tree attains a fruit-bear-ing stage it will give very little trouble, as when the fruit is perfectly ripe the husk containing it will open, and the fruit will fall to the ground without being injured. It can then be bagged at leisure, and sent to market. Fruit which may be wanted for consumption by the grower should be packed away in banels or boxes wmh sand, when it will keep fresh and. sweet till : the next season’s crop ccmes in. In olden times there used to be a barbarous practice of beating the trees to get the fruit off, which, in spite of the proverb, was unnecessary and hurtful, as by this system a large number of tho fruit buds were broken off or damaged, and upon them the following season’s fruit depended.

A T@UEJ (Continued).

1 [By Hoktus.J

CHRISTCHURCH SEWAGE FARM. . Thk City of Christchurch is situated on an almost level plane, and through this cause . the authorities have been put to enormous expense so as to. be able to get rid of all the liquid sewage of the city. An elaborate system of drainage has been undertaken, and the drains are all connected with a main sewer, which carries all the liquid into a tank beside the pumping station. Th?s pumping station is situated about one mile from the centre of the city. Here the sewage is lifted by a powerful pump and forced on the level to the sewage farm, ■where it ascends a-tower of about twelve feet in height, which is just sufficient to , give the sewage a fall all over the farm. After reaching the tower the sewage is filtered through, when all the sediment is separated from the liquid. The liquid portion is conveyed in large races throughout the paddocks, where at pleasure each .. paddock can be flooded. The farm consists of about 400 acres of barren sandhills, of about. 10 to 20 feet in height. During the last three years about 40 acres of these sandhills have been levelled and cut into paddocks of about two acres each. On the top of these paddocks there are large wooden races built, with flood gates opening into races on each paddock, where, at will, each paddock can,be flooded with sew- ... from the main race. The farm at pre- " - sent is simply used as a grazing farm, and .‘.-a few of the paddocks are cultivated for hay -.for winter feed for the stock. On the pad-. , docks which are retained for the growing of - hay, there are two crops oft.every } summer. The first crop of hay last season, -V ; was taken oft during the end of December -- and beginning of January, and at the time : of roy visit, the 25th of February, the last of rthe -.second crop had just been cut, ,!the ? workmen being then . employed. .'.v.Thiff second crop was ; not quite so heavy as J. -the first, but it was, still estimated to go 'over two- tons - to ; the acre, which was

considered very good.. The paddocks which had this season been under grass at the time of my visit, were covered with a rich green grass of over five'-inehes in height, and contrasted well with the surrounding country, which was nothing but a series of barren sandhills, -r These grass paddocks are from time to time flooded by the sewage, and this keeps up during the hottest part of the year a very luxuriant growth. Most of the ditches which convey the sewage matter are planted with willows, and these, every winter, are cut and sold to basketmakers, and give very handsome returns. The farm at the present is not altogether self-supporting, as there is only about 40 acres under cultivation, but, as tbe other three hundred odd gets levelled and under cultivation it is expected the whole will give handsome returns. Every winter when the sewage is more than can be fairly used on the paddocks ib is turned on to the sand hills in force, thus levelling them into the hollows at a nominal cost, and preparing the way for more extensive operations in the future. Although this district, is nothing but sandhills, and the operations have only been threß years in existence, the level portions are already beginning to assume the appearance of good soil, and from year to year this will increase, until the whole farm is under cultivation ; and in the future this farm will be the richest and most productive farm in Canterbury. The drains, pumping, and other appliances are placed on such a scale that they will be able to lift and dispose, of all sewage when Christchurch has attained double its present population.