Flowers.

In many parts of the Colony the month of May is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year, flowers are abundant, and the weather is so cool and pleasant that those members of the family who are prevented to a great extent during the warmer weather from working in their flower gardens, can do so now without inconvenience. There is plenty of work to do in keeping the garden clean and tidy and in making preparations for planting deciduous shrubs and plants. It may be as well to explain the meanings of the various gardening terms as they occur from time to time, for such information may be of value. The word "deciduous" means to fall, and is applied to all plants whose leaves fall completely off during the autumn, when the plants are generally supposed to be quite at rest. In consequence of plants being at rest, and not making any growth, the opportunity is taken to shift and plant them, as they are less liable to injury than when they are in full growth.

In all the warmest parts of the Colony evergreens, or those plants which retain their leaves during the winter, may be planted out. It is always as well to plant evergreens early in the autumn, so that they can be established to some extent before cold weather sets in. Of evergreen plants one of the best known is the camellia, of which there are many beautiful varieties. This shrub is an easy one to grow in very many parts of the Colony, and may frequently be seen in gardens; but the variety most commonly to be met with bears flowers of but a poor quality. Some of the best varieties to grow are-Alba Plena, a pure white; Adele Pelagi Medicis, white marbled with pale pink; Augustina Superba, clear rose; Bealii, deep crimson; Comte de Gomer, rose striped with crimson; C. H. Hovey, dark crimson; C. M. Hovey, beautiful bright crimson; Comtessa Lavinia Maggi, pure white and rosycerise; Cup of Beauty, pure white and rose; Dryade, rose; Duchess of Berry, pure white, one of the very best; Harriet Beecher Sheather, raised in the Colony, rosy salmon, one of the best; Henri Favre, salmon-rose; Isabella, pure white, an excellent variety; Lady St. Clair, pale flesh pink, a most beautiful camellia; Lowii, rich crimson; Prince Frederick William, raised in the Colony and one of the best, rich rose. One cannot go wrong in making a selection from the above. The prices will vary from Is. 6d. to

2s. 6d. each.

The camellia, named after a Moravian Jesuit, G. J. Camellus, is a fairly hardy plant, native of China and Japan, and belongs to the same natural order of plants as the tea. Throughout the coast districts the camellia thrives to perfection, and in colder parts of the Colony, when not exposed to cold winter blasts, it grows well. When selecting plants do not choose large ones. Small plants, well rooted but not pot-bound, are the best. In good soil and favourable situations camellias attain a considerable size; therefore, under such circumstances, allowance should be made and sufficient space provided.

Some of the prettiest plants it is possible to grow are varieties of the Bouvardia, and at this season of the year their flowers are to be seen in perfection. They will succeed best in warm situations in almost any kind of soil, provided it be fairly moist but well drained. In warm districts they may be planted out this month, but if they do not become well established before winter sets in, they are liable to die.

All the varieties are pretty, but the best are-President Garfield, double pink; Alfred Neuner, double, pure white; Hogarthi flore plens, double

scarlet; Sang Lorrain, double crimson; Bridal Wreath, pure white; Candidissima, pure white; Humbolti corymbiflora, sweet-scented, pure white; President Cleveland, scarlet, one of the very best; Laura, deep pink; Maiden's Blush, blush pink; Priory Beauty, satin rose; Triomphe de Nancy, double salmon; and Victor Lemoine, double red.

Hardy annuals-that is, plants which live for one season only (although in some parts of this Colony many plants which are annual in cold climates continue to live for more than a year)-and hardy perennials, or plants which live for many seasons, may be sown here and there about the garden, or else in pots or other convenient contrivances, as suggested last month. Any seedlings that came up last month, and appear to be large enough and strong enough to move, may be planted out, taking care to shade and water them until they are well established.

If anyone has an old overgrown neglected garden, and who wishes to start afresh after reading these notes, had better make a wholesale clearance of all useless ill-shaped trees and plants, trench the ground, and dig in a heavy dressing of farm-yard manure.

Bulbs planted last month and previously, will soon start into growth, so when clearing, hoeing, or raking the garden, care must be taken not to injure the young tender shoots.

Orchard Notes for May.

DURING May the first of the citrus crop will be ready for gathering-particularly the lemons, as the oranges have not yet developed sufficient sugar to make them palatable to most people. Lemons, however, should always be gathered as soon as they are ready, which is when they are large enough, colour being of little consequence. Lemons should be gathered when they are from 2 to 2 inches in diameter, as at this stage the skin is usually fairly thin and the fruit will cure down to the size of the best imported fruit, which runs from 300 to 360 to the case. At this size the fruit also contains the best quality of juice and least rag (fibre), and it cures down to a fineskinned acid fruit, which is nearly all juice and contains little waste, and, in addition, it is then a very good keeper. Lemons should always be cut, not pulled, and they should be handled as carefully as eggs, if not more so. All coarseskinned, blemished, scaley, or bruised fruit should be carefully graded out, as if the fruit has to be kept or shipped a long distance nothing but perfect fruit must be used. The inferior fruit could be disposed of as gathered, but the choice fruit should be cured and stored till required. A full description. of lemon-curing has appeared in the Gazette, and anyone wanting further particulars can refer to it for information. Our growers must cure their lemons, even if they wish to keep their own markets, as the large quantity of Italian and Sicilian fruit that has been placed on our markets during the past three years has created a demand for the cured fruit, as the buyers who retail the fruit find that the imported fruit pays them much better to handle than our local fruit, as the quality can always be depended upon and the loss from rotten fruit is practically nil; whereas with our local fruit the quality cannot be depended upon, and the fruit is so badly handled that it will not keep, and consequently the retailers have a large quantity of rotten fruit. They reckon on having so much loss, and arrange the price accordingly. In the colder districts pruning may commence towards the end of the month, as plums, apricots, and pears will then have shed their leaves, and as soon as the leaves are shed it is time to commence pruning, as the earlier in the season you prune the better, as then the whole of the energy of the tree is devoted to developing the wood and fruit-buds left, instead of being distributed all over the tree. Vines should also be pruned as soon as they lose their leaves-the earlier the better for the vigour and health of the vine. In orchards where there has been a quantity of pear mite-pear or apple scabshot-hole fungus, or rust, it is a good plan to gather and burn as many leaves as you can, as by this means countless germs of disease are destroyed. Where pear mite is bad, it is a good plan to give a spraying with resin and soda wash when the leaves are falling, as the mites are then migrating from their summer quarters, in the leaves, to their winter quarters, in or around the scales enclosing the fruit and wood buds, for next season, and are easily killed. When fungus diseases, such as apple and pear scab, shot-hole

fungus, powdery mildew, rust, peach freckle, &c., have been bad, it is advisable to give the trees a spraying with Bordeaux mixture, a spraying now being very efficacious.

Trees that are to be removed from the orchard should be now taken out, the hole from which they are taken being left open to the weather, so as to allow the ground to be well sweetened before another tree is planted in the same place. Citrus trees can be planted during the month, and in districts where the spring is usually dry they will do better if planted now than if planted in August or the beginning of September, as they will have become partly established before the dry weather takes place, and will thus be better able to stand it. Deciduous trees may be planted towards the end of the month, but, as a rule, June is quite early enough for planting. If the land to be planted is not ready, do not delay getting it in order, and see that it is well prepared, as you never get as good a chance to get the land into order after planting as you do before. When draining, either surface or sub-draining, is necessary, it should be done at this season, and when the land is sour and heavy lime should be applied in addition to the draining. Slowly-acting manures, such as bone-dust, boiling-down refuse, and compost heaps, should be applied to the orchard during the month, as they will then become acted upon by the moisture in the soil, and be available for the trees' use when the spring growth takes place. Never apply lime and manures together, or all the nitrogen contained in the manure will be thrown off by the lime in the form of ammonia, and so be lost. If there is any slack time during the month see that the outlets of all drains are clear, and that the surface and cut-off drains are in good working order. See that the fences are in good order, and the hedges or other shelters are kept in proper shape.

General Notes.

PLANTER'S FRIEND OR IMPHEE.-DEATH OF CATTLE AFTER EATING YOUNG SHOOTS.

TOWARDS the end of January and early in February last there appeared in the Sydney Daily Telegraph telegraphic reports of the alleged poisoning of a number of cattle through eating young Imphee or Planter's Friend. These reports were brought under the notice of the Department by Inspector Dunnicliff, who, in doing so, remarked that the seed had deteriorated much during later years, and possibly this fact might in some measure assist to explain the losses. The matter was referred by the Chief Inspector of Stock to Mr. Yeo, Inspector of Stock at Moss Vale, who, as the result of an interview with Mr. Kennedy, of Kangaloon, one of the owners, reported that Mr. Kennedy's dairy cows broke into his Imphee paddock; they were there not more than a quarter of an hour, but before he could get them out five died, and five more died directly after. A few others were sick for a day or two, but gradually recovered, and at the time of writing were quite healthy. Before death there was great trembling in the hind-quarters, and a green fluid running from the mouth and nose. As far as could be ascertained, the cows were perfectly healthy prior to getting into the paddock. Mr. Kennedy stated that just prior to the cattle getting into the crop there was a slight shower of rain, and he is of opinion that the effects when wet are more disastrous than when dry. A small quantity of Imphee of about the same age was sent by Mr. Yeo for examination.

Mr. Yeo's report and the Imphee sent were then submitted to the Consulting Botanist (Mr. J. H. Maiden), who in his report thereon regrets that it was not possible to have had a post-mortem examination of the animals made by a competent veterinary surgeon. He says statements as to the cause of death of herbivorous animals, when a plant is accused of the mischief, require careful verification. The young plants sent down were reported to be healthy, and showed no sign of fungus. Continuing, Mr. Maiden says:"Some little time ago a statement went the round of the papers to the effect that deaths under similar circumstances in Victoria were attributed by the Government Agricultural Chemist (Mr. Pearson) to the presence of a specific poison in sorghum. I wrote to Mr. Pearson on the subject, and he tells me that the report is but a republication of a report made by him in 1888, and that he based his statements upon the observations of others, the authority for which he could not trace at the present time. I am under the impression that I also have seen statements as to a specific poison, at certain stages of growth, contained in Andropogon and Sorghum, closely allied genera of grasses, but no proof appeared to have been adduced, and I lost sight of the matter. I have since been searching for a reference as to the poisonous properties of these grasses, and cannot find any. I therefore, in