NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 67 



its appearance in New Zealand) ; mealy bug, red spider and 

 thrip; mildew shanking, rust, warty leaves, and scorching 

 of the berries. For the prevention of which, see chapter 

 on " Injurious Insects," &c., &c. 



Walnut. There are several varieties of this favourite 

 nut. They require a deep loamy and fertile soil. They 

 are propagated by seeds, grafting and budding; by seed is 

 however the most general method. Select the finest and 

 best nuts; when thoroughly ripe bury in sand till Spring. 

 Sow in rows two feet apart, covering the nuts with two 

 inches of soil. The young trees should be transplanted 

 every second year till permanently planted out. Plant seventy 

 feet apart, in an open, airy situation. The only pruning 

 they require is to remove straggly branches, so as to preserve 

 the symetry of the tree. Walnuts will commence to bear 

 in this colony when six or seven years old, increasing with 

 age. Few fruit trees will be found more profitable than the 

 walnut. As yet they seem to have resisted the attacks 

 of parasites. The only drawback we are aware of to the 

 successful culture of the walnut are the late frosts which 

 occasionally destroy the chances of a crop for the season. 

 This refers more particularly to the South Island. By 

 planting the late varieties this may to some extent be 

 avoided. For pickling, the fruit should be pulled while it 

 can be easily pierced by a needle. Walnut orchards have 

 been known to yield ^150 per acre for little more than thirty 

 trees. 



GRAFTING, IN-ARCHING AND BUDDING. 



(See Plate No. I, with references attached.") 



Grafting 1 is one of the most simple and yet most im- 

 portant operations in the orchard, as by its means a worthless 

 tree may be converted into a valuable one. The operation 

 should be performed in Spring (September and October), 

 when the sap begins to circulate freely. The art of grafting 

 is of very ancient origin : it may be described as the appli- 

 cation of a portion of the shoot or root of one tree or plant 

 to the stem, shoot, branch, or root of another, so that the 

 two shall coalesce (or join) and form but one plant. The 



