GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 November 1928, Page 10

GARDENING NOTES.

(By “Wanatah.’’) THE COD LIN MOTH. , The caterpillars of the coclliii moth cause .enormous damage every- year to the Jfruit of apple and pear trees. During the winter the insects- remain in the larva or grun snag© and are enveloped in a web under some protection such ais the bark of the trees. In the spring a proportion of those grubs change to the pupa and moth .stage, and this change usually takes; place about the time that the petals of the. fruit blossoms are fating. A few days after hatching out-, the moths mat© and lay eggs (each female about fifty), which in turn develop into- caterpillars about ten days later. The caterpillar immediately starts out in search of the young fruit, and having made an entrance, spends its caterpillar existence within the fruit, becoming full grown in about three weeks. It then eats -its way out, descends from the tree and passes into the chrysalis and later into the moth stage. Bands of sacking securely bound round the tree .stem near the ground’ (after all loose bark hats been scraped off) are very useful as traps;, as they cause ascending and descending caterpillars to hide and collect in thiem. Tae traps should be frequently examined and the caterpillars destroyed. To destroy any caterpillars which are hatched from eggs deposited on the fruit or leaves of the trees it is necessary to ispray the trees with a. solution of arsenate of 'ead, using two teaspoonsful to each gallon of water, or one pound to twenty-five gallons ol water. The first spraying ,a,s tsoou as the petals have dropped, is the most important, because it< is essential that, a small particle of lead ishionld become lodged in the calyx before it closes, m order that that portion of the fruit may remain protected throughout the season While the importance of the first, spraying must be _ emphasised, one spray in c<- its* not sufficient to keep the. fruit from attack. Later broods of the caterpillars appear as the season advances especially during the months of January and February, and to secure adequate protection the trees should lie spraved every fifteen days from the time the blossoms fall until the end of February. , , Whim apply in or the first spray a good pressure is 'absolutely necessary, so that the spray nil': be forced into the edvx and this must be before the calyx closes. The following applications should Be applied in the form of mist-like spray, so that the whoje of the foliage and fruit is covered, lhe- spray must"he thoroughly mixed before s-pray-iii°- commences, and must be kept agitated during the actual spraying operations. The arsenate of load does not form a true isolation; it forms u mixture. and, being heavy, it tends to sink to the bottom. When not sufficiently agitated; there is unequal dustnhntibn of particles of lead and the first trees l-eceive too great a share and; tne remaining trees too little. . A matter of great importance m the early is the hand-picking or mtested fruit, which should be destroyed a-s soon as possible after the caterpillar s have entered. Destruction °r.. e fruit is no use -as a preventative it delayed until the grub has left and found shelter where it awaits the next stage in its development. In new of.the large increase of the numbers of niottis duniiv the past few seasons, -it is necessary to take every precaution to minimise the damage done. BRONZE BEETLE This is a small brown beetle that eats the skin of the young apples around the stem, and to a lesser extent on the sides. It starts feeding soon after the fruits are set and formed, and causes a number of fruits to drop, as well as leaving a blemish on the fruits that do not fall. Arsenate of lead will kill this insect, but the spray must be deposited on their favourite feeding ground round the stem, so that when applying it at the time known as the calyx spray, when the calyxes usually point upwards, the spray must he directed upwards to cover the portion round the stems of the fruits. The same strength of arsenate of lead mixture advised above for the control of codlin moth is suffi ciently strong to destroy the bronze beetle. The following varieties are usually most susceptible to attack: Lord Suffield, Cox’s Orange, Munroe’s Favourite, Jonathan, and Stunner. LEAF HOPPER. This insect is becoming an increasing pest. It is an insect resembling a smalt fiy ancl bright yellow in colour, it makes its first appearance in the late spring and early summer, and is usually found on the under sides of the leaves. At this stage they have no wings, and are readily killed by an application of “Black leaf 40“ solution. Keep a careful watch on the trees and spray before the insects do velop wings. Once on the wing they are difficult to kill. The presence of leaf hopper excreta, has been responsible for the rejection of a quantity of fruit for export, and it is also reported that fruit with leaf hopper excreta deposited on it does not keep well in cold storage. The insect has also a very detrimental effect on the foliage, which it damages by sucking the juices. Trees infested with leaf hopper soon lose vitality in oonsequenqe, the effects being similar to an infestation of red mites. ONIONS. There is still time to sow onions for winter use. Though they will not be so large as those sown earlier, they will be large enough for ordinary kitchen purposes, and medium-sized onions keep longer, and come in after those sown in autumn or spring. The soil must be made firm before sowing. If the soil be loose the onions will run up like a leek and will not form good bulbs. Thin out the seedlings of onions sown in early spring to a distance of four to minis; inches apart, accordling to the size, of bulb required. When the thinning is finished, an application of nitrate of soda at the rate of one ounce per square yard should be given and well watered in. This will greatly increase the size of the. bulbs. Another

application should be given four weeks afterwards. ROUTINE WORK. Examine roses frequently for greenfly and caterpillar and spray with “Black-leaf 40’-' solution if necessary. Thin out overcrowded 'shoots and those pointing, inwards, six -to eight good shoots are quite sufficient, if good quality blooms are desired. Apply a weak solution of liquid manure once a week. Plant runners of violets in well-man-ured soil in a situation shaded from ) hot sun in summer. Plant one foot apart in rows eighteen inches apart. Make the soil firm and give copious supplies of water during dry weather. Divide polyanthus- and primrose plants after , they have finished flowering. They require the same cultural treatment advised above for violets. •"Plant out tuberous begonias. Remove flowers from azalea and rhadodendron bushes to prevent fornia!tion of seed-pods, which are a serious drain on the vitality of the plants. j Plant gladioli bulbs for a. succession of bloom, six inches deep in rich soil •and a sunny position. Plant out chrysanthemums, and dust with fin© sulphur as a precaution against “rust.” Sow sweet peas for 1 ale flowering. Stake lilies and tall flowering plants. Plant out dahlia roots and rooted cuttings of dahlias. Sow the long-rooted variety of beetroot for winter use and a small quantity of the turnip-rooted variety at intervals for succession and use while young and tender. Sw broad beans and peas for succession. Sow a.ll classes of dwarf and runner beans. Sow sweet corn. Sow leeks for succession. Sow broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and Savoy cabbage- for use in winter. Sow the -seeds thinly and thin out 'to two- inches apart as soon as the seedlings pan be handled. Sow salsify. . Sow cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and squashes. Sow radishes in rich, firm sou and keep well watered. Sow broadcast and thin out to two inches apart. Sow turnips for succession. Sow lettuce and spinach in partly shaded positions from now on, as these vegetables’ do not <lq well when exposed to hot sunshine. Sow sugar (edible podded) peas. Sow mustard and cress for use in salads. Sow turnips for succession. Sow garden swede. Sow celery in prepared trenches nine j inches deep, one foot wide for single rows, eighteen inches wide for double rows. Plant nine inches apart and shade till established. Give plenty of water in dry weather. Sow celeriae (turnip-rooted celery. Pinch out ithe tops of broad beans in flower to accelerate the production of pods. Plant tomato plants m a sunny, sheltered position in soil free from fresh animal manure. Plant eighteen inches apart and Keep to a single stem by pinching out all side shoots, which appear at the junction of leaves and stem. Place a stake to each plant and keep the plant tied up as it advances in growth; , , , . Spray tomato and potato plants once a fortnight with Bordeaux solution (lib Bordeaux powder to 1.0 _ gallons of wrnter) to prevent fungoid diseases. Draw some earth up round the stems of cabbage and cauliflower, and_ each plant a pint of nitrate of soda solution (one level tablespoon of nitrate to 10 gallons water) once a week. Place* some straw round strawberry plants to keep the soil cool and moist and to prevent rain splashing dirt on the berries. , . , Spray peach and nectarine trees affected with leaf-curl with Bordeaux solution (one pound Bordeaux powder to 10 gallons water). Keep solution stirred occasionally while spraying.