January 23 , 1904. 
TUB GABdBNING WORLD. 
69 
Hardy Fruit. 
Spraying Fruit Trees. —From this date up to the end of 
February, on in fact up to the time the buds begin to unfold, 
spraying may with advantage: be carried on, the usual mixture 
being 1 lb. of caustic soda and 1 lb. of crude potash ten every 
10 or 12 gallons of water put into a large cask, the temperature 
of the water being at 90 deg. or 100 deg. This may either 
be put on at once or when cooled down, though it has a better 
effect while hot; but where large orchards have to be tackled 
it is almost impossible to do this. As the mixture lias a burn¬ 
ing tendency, care must be exercised when spraying to keep it 
from the skin, also the clothes; consequently, choose a calm 
day for the work. Cattle should be kept from, pasture orchards 
for a few days after spraying, and in gardens where green 
vegetables are growing this should not be used, but a mixture 
of lime, water, and quassia extract substituted, and in bad 
cases a second spraying may be made, especially on aged 
trees more or' less covered with lichen. The above is recom¬ 
mended for Apple trees, 'but if the strength be lowered one-half 
it may be used for the Morello Cherry and Plum. 
The Grape Vine. —In many establishments these are grown 
outside, principally for the supply of foliage, which is much 
stouter and more suitable for dishing up dessert, than those 
leaves grown under glass, though, given a warm summer, very 
eatable fruit are often taken from the open wall, providing the 
right varieties are planted. There are some half-dozen sorts 
amenable for outdoor culture—viz., Miller’s Burgundy, Black 
Cluster, Cambridgei Botanic. Garden (purple berries), Chasselasi 
Vibert, S>weet Water, Royal Muscadine (whites). Planting is 
best done towards the end of March, directions of which will be 
duly given. Established plants may be pruned during mild 
weather, allowing from 8 in. to 12 in. space between each main 
shoot if it is intended to take up new ones of last season’s 
growth to replace those that are old and unsightly, which 
should be done every few years, if only for neatness. Spur 
back lateral shoots to a couple of eyes, the leading shoots to 
be shortened back to a well-ripened bud. Remove 2‘in. or 
3 in. of the surface soil, and replenish with good fibrous loam 
with a little bone-meal and lime rubble, applying a good mulch 
of decayed manure later in the season. After such a wet season 
as the past the. rods ought, not. to require much in the way of 
cleansing, but if found necessary wash with warm soapy water 
before training in. 
Seasonable Reminders. —Doubtless the month of November 
and early December are the best months for fruit tree planting, 
but unforeseen circumstances often prevent such work being 
carried out, and where delay has been caused take the earliest 
opportunity of bringing it to a close. Though the spell of frost 
was of short, duration, the weather since has been very little 
better for outdoor work, rain having fallen nearly every day 
( since the new year came in; therefore postpone planting while 
the soil is in such a wet state. In the meantime push forward 
the pruning, cleansing, and training of all fruit trees and 
bushes', so that when there is a break in the weather all arrears 
in the way of planting may be brought to. a speedy conclusion. 
The Fruit Store.—It is to. be feared, owing to the poor crops 
l i’ 1 most districts last season, Apples and Pears will be getting 
scarce by this date, especially the latter, which proved a very 
precarious crop throughout the country; not so. with Apples, 
i 113 m many localities down west an average supply was har¬ 
vested. Growers, though, were, much afraid that the fruit, 
would not keep well, but. happily they were mistaken—that is, 
with those having a suitable place to store: them in, and we 
do not remember Apples keeping better. To. those: still un¬ 
decided as to varieties to plant, it may not be out of place to 
mention a few of the last-mentioned fruit, that, are! still in good 
condition with us: Blenheim Orange, Cox’s Orange, Adam’s 
Pearmain, Scarlet Nonpareil, Beauty of Kent, Duke of Devon¬ 
shire, Feam’s Pippin, and Stunner Pippin, all good dessert 
varieties; and Wellington, Lane’s Prince Albert, Bramley’s 
Seedling, Baumann’s Red Reinette, Rymer, a.nd Newton 
Wonder, all cooking apples:. The latter is certainly one of our 
very best late-keeping, varieties, and should be. included in the 
smallest collection, the fruit coming up very large on trees 
worked on the Paradise stock, James Mayne. 
Bioton, Devonshire. 
The Flower Garden. 
Where a bright display is required in early summer, few 
plants are more effective than, the old-fashioned garden Ranun¬ 
culus. These are known as French, Persian, and Turban 
Ranunculus., and are all varieties of Ranunculus aisiaticus, 
They may be planted in beds or 1 grouped in the front of mixed 
borders. The present is a suitable time to plant, and any 
good garden soil will suit, them admirably ; the claw-like roots 
should be planted about. 3- in. deep and lightly covered with 
sharp sand before replacing the: soil. 
Gaura, Lindheiimeri is an old plant now becoming popular) 
as a bedding subject; it grows 1 , from 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, and 
bears spikes of rosy-white flowers after the style of the Epilo- 
biums. Seedsi sown now in a cool house or* frame, from which 
frost is excluded, will yield plants suitable for bedding out in 
May. 
Of recent years there has been a revival in the use of Ver¬ 
benas for bedding purposes, and -a. very fine display is ob¬ 
tained by planting beds in, distinct colours, while taller-grow¬ 
ing subjects of a light, habit of growth may bei used to relieve 
the flatness consequent on the pegging down of the Verbenas. 
Seeds: should be sown, now in gentle heat and pricked oft’ when 
large enough, removing to a cool, light structure wheu estab¬ 
lished. The old variety Scarlet. Defiance is still one of the 
best. 
Fuchsias, Abutilons, and similar plants struck from cuttings 
in autumn will now require to. be potted off singly and accorded 
a light position in: a warm house 1 . As. a dot plant or for 
associating with other foliage plants the variegated form of 
Veronica Andersonii is very useful. Cuttings taken in autumn, 
root readily, and may now be potted on with a view to- having 
strong plants for bedding out. B. W. J. 
The Soil. 
1 should like to draw attention to' this, the most important 
article with which the gardener has to. deal. 
In the: first place, it is formed by the breaking up. of rooks: 
by frost and various chemical processes, and by the decay of 
animal and vegetable matter. 
There, arei many kinds of soil, good and bad, and it. is rarely 
that the gardener finds his: soil in just the proper condition for 
this crops; therefore it is left for him to usie his intellectual 
abilities in bringing it into a state of proper fertility. 
All soils' have twoi properties:—chemical and physical. The 
chemical compounds in the soil can, be broken up into: their 
elements by certain processes, and thus: you can see wliat 
elements, there are:, and in what proportion, by drying a. part 
to over 200 deg. F., and then boiling it and passing it through 
a filter paper you get the substances which are soluble: in 
water, and then if you dry again and pour ini a little hydroi- 
chloric acid the lime and ironstone are dissolved also. 
The physical properties are chiefly the absorption and re¬ 
tention of heat, water, and chemical compounds. For the 
first-named a dark soil absorbs more beat than a, light-coloured 
one, and therefore is better suited for growing, crops, a,s it 
brings them on earlier, and also ripens: them earlier. Absorp- 
tion and retention of water are also very impoitant. 
medium porous soil is best, as when it, is stony and too. poroli¬ 
the water is taken in, but, only runs: directly tinougli it, and 
then, again, in such soils the water does not rise bj capillarity 
from beneath] and so: the plants suffer in dij weatliei. A 
clay a n 'ain is not porous enough; it does not, take in the rain 
as the" particles are: so closely packed together. When it is 
once dry it is difficult to get it moist again, and when it is 
thoroughly wet, parts with it very slowly. 
