GARDEN NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 3, 1 April 1920, Page 14

GARDEN NOTES.

THE ORCHARD. PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. It is now high time that intending planters of fruit and other trees at the comiag season, set about preparing the land, and making all necessai'y preparaior,, so that there will be as little delay as possible when the season Ior tra-ns-planting arrives. One of the most important matters to ensure success in transplanting is to have the soil well prepared before hand, so that the soil, when broken up, will have time to thoroughly pulverise and sweeten. In far too many insta-nces, little or no preparation is macteruntil the time of lifting or until the trees are received, when holes are hurriedly dug (often in soil that has not previously been brolcen up), and the trees planted. This is not only unfair to the trees, but often an experts! ve experiment for the planter. Jt would be far better to defer planting for a season, than to plant trees in soil that no other crop would succeed in. The best method of preparing the soil, is to have it thoroughly broken up and allowed to lie aird sweeten during the summer. It could, with advantage, be manured, and sown down in suitable green crop, which should be ploughed in when preparing the soil for planting. The amount of preparation requixed will naturally depeard, in a great measure, upon the nature of the soil. This varies so widely in different localities that no hard and fast rule can be laid down. One very important matter, whatever the nature of the soil, is that there must be free drainage. In soils of a stiff clayey nature, though, drainage is most essential, as it is almost impossible for trees to thrive, no matter how favourable the sitration, if there is not free drainage, when stagnant water ls allowed to accumulate at ihe roots. — Drainage. — The want of good drainage, is, without doubt, the cause of many failures and disappointments ; deep holes are often dug, much below where the ground has been previously brolcen up, and the trees carefully planted. Such holes, however, become so many reservoirs in which water accumulates. In stiff clay land it is always advisable to double plough, so that not only the surface, but the sub-soil is broken up to a fair depth, so that the trees can be planted without forming wells for water. In land of a deep friable nature, the soil cannot be broken up too deep, so. long as the hest of the soil is retained for coveririg the roots. In the matter of manures, the nature of the soil must decide. If the land has been wellworked, and previously corpped, very little maaure may be necessary. In poor soil, however, rnanure is essential to assist in starting the trees into strong, vigorous growth. In applying the manure, it should not be placed in immediate contact with the roots, but should be well incorporated with the soil, and should be so placed, that the fresh young roots can derive the greatest benefit from its^fee, as soon as they start into growth. The situa^ tion best suited for fruit trees is that having a north or north-easterly aspect. But whatever the lay of the ground, it is in most instances necessary to provide some shelter from the cold south-west winds, that so often prevail, when the trees are in blossom. Too dense a shelter, however, is by no means an advantage, as a certain amount of exposure, particularly during the autumn and winter — assists to thoroughly ripen, and mature the wood. The different varieties of fruit trees vary in hardness, and will stand more exposure than others. For instance, the quince, apple, pear, and plum, are more hardy and will stand more exposure than the peach, nectarine, and kindred fruits ; so that in planning out the orchard, this must be considered, and the trees arranged accordingly. Nature of the soil must be taken into consideration, for while most of the pip fruits succeed well in soil of a fairly stiff nature, most of the stone fruits do best in comparatively free open soil. In most sites seleeted for an orchard, the soils vary sufficiently to admit of most varieties of fruits being successfully grcwn, providing a little judgment is exercised at the time of planting.