Gardening Notes.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2661, 30 July 1887, Page 3

Gardening Notes.

It has been said, and how truly, " That every man's happiness -is just, in proportion to tlio pride he takes in his garden." Every man, more especially the working man, should a hobby, if only as a safeguard against the temptations of the beershop, and this hobby, could assumo no better form than in cultivating' a few flowers and vegetables for pleasure and profit. Our local-Horticul-tural Society is offering all the induceme.\tßit possibly can do; its- show catalogued principally made' up of hardy pla||) which any person could grow by Bestowing a little trouble. The committee were discussing the advisability of striking several ol these garden favorites off the catalogue, " because no ono ever exhibited them." In England the honors in this corresponding class are invariably carried off b the working peoplo; they vie witlroch other for securing the prizes for-such flowers , as the Carnations, Picotee, and Pink, the the Auricula, Polyanthus, Primula, etc. A great feature in an English flower show is the varied and magnificent show of Annuals, while here, in MasWton only, one exhibit has been made for years,-and that at our'last Autumn show, and deservedly received a special prize! A prize can be won by any person,.young or old, who will at once' take'.,half a dozen pots, fill them with nice soil, and sow in them a-few seeds of either of the following .annuals Candy tdft (Ibemia), Nemophila, ■ Asters, Alyssum, Clarkia, Godetia, Drummondi, PchtuUccai Sweet Peas, etc. The latter .should ba sown in a pot and busdd, as it makes a magnificent _ bg plant. A great many hav», .got the impression that it requires a lot of knowledge and skill, yet suoh is not the case, all that is required is to sow as- directed. Put a piece of brown paper over th<yjots until the seeds show above grc|pl,,when it must be removed. Some of the plants men-tioned-will be in bloom about two months- from time of sowing the seed, and will bo so effective and beautiful that one never regrets the little trouble but will-yearly repeat the experience and pleasure gained by their first pot of annuals. All the annuals can be abtained'at our storekeepers or seedsD)6ii t but for pot culture care should be taken-to select those that grow not more than 10 inches in height. iOfchardist—The best way to prune fpar applfe trees is (in our opinion) iret, to prms them ho that they may brm a i-ffls umbrella shaped head. Fhe operation requires a little care in binning out and regulating the outide branches sq that they may not hade the interior portion of the - tree 800 muoh; but permit the light to Bennaate through the whole, When ibis is nicely done, and a due balance B' all the branches carefully attended fiii every part of the tree will be wually products, and much finer Kid larger fruit will be proBleed, added to which the strength of gie.treo will be considerably auguRe'nted, and so run less risk of being H'oken by atorms' ,:or higli winds. Hnder any circumstances, a just regiiBpn of the branches is a thing of Hjinary importance. As a general Hie the -selll ripened or dark Bowlate-c&jjred shoots should be Stained; ami all spongy and watery-

looking shoots removed—or at least' in the case of very gross ones, thoy should be well shortened back, but not entirely removed. In shortening the shoots which you wish to retain to form the future head,' he "careful to cut to a .head that rises upwards and . outwards, as this simple' thing well " at tended to,', will sopri- give' your tree 9 that nice spreading l rounded; form so. much t&be .desired in' orchard iree's. •As the trees begin "to get large, and nicely arranged, in form, especially if* they are .well cared for and well formed at the commencement?, little..pruning be required' for mai)y years, beyond cutting out all watery wood, or any branch tnat may be growing out of its proper position, or across j the others. However, trees will get old in time, and begin to produce fruit of a more stunted description, and when this is the case, the crop should then be well thinned, so as to give the portion left, a chance of becoming hue fruit. With a little caro.of this kink, an apple tree may bear for 150 yoars or- more.