SPRAYING FRUIT TREES.

Lake County Press, Issue 2738, 13 June 1918, Page 7

SPRAYING FRUIT TREES.

For some time past it has been practically useless on account of the heavy and almost incessant rains to attempt to spray the various orchard trees, while even the work of pruning has been greatly delayed. As soon as this is completed, however, and more favourable weather conditions exist no time must be lost in thoroughly dressing the trees with either Bordeaux mixture, lime, sulphur solution. liarbas, red oil, or other effective fungicides and insecticides. In the material applied the grower must lie guided by the object for which it is used. If for destroying fungoid diseases Bordeaux mixture, vermorite, or lime-sulphur solution is a safe and effective remedy when properly applied. If on the other hand, the trees are infested with mussel or other scales, red mite, aphis, or other insect pests, harbas or red oil is the most effective remedy. The dressing of all orchard trees is an important and very necessary opera-! tion. and should in no case be neglected. The number of pests that noarly every fruit-grower has now to contend with, not only with insect pests but fungoids and other insect diseases, • can only bo overcome or even kept iti j check by thorough and persistent dress- j ing. No person growing fruit trees ; should neglect to use the means at hand to protect the trees and fruit from the various pests. The. material, with full directions, bow. and at what strength io apply, is procurable at any of the j seedsmen. . I The advantage of winter spraying is ; ilia!, material can be applied while the trees are dominant at greater strength than would be sate when the trees were | in leaf. Peaches end nectarines, even ! though sprayed during the winter, should be again well sprayed when the buds are swelling and just before burst- ] ing into growth. This assists to chock j the foliage being injured by leave curl, ! though it is by no means a sure cure, j as adverse weather conditions in early nring has much to do with the spread of this disease. THE HEAVY-WEIGHT CHAMPIONS OF THE POULTRY YARD—THE LIGHT BRAHMA. Without exception the Light Brahma is the heaviest breed of fowl, and on that account is chiefly noted as a meat hire!. The standard weights are twelve pounds for cocks, nine and a halt pounds for hens. Cockerels and pullets weigh respectively two and one and a hall pounds lighter. When tho birds are properly managed the full-grown fowls are pre-eminent. They are much appreciated as layers, and produce best when eggs are high in price, and the eggs, being brown in colour, are greatly in demand, as the flavour is excellent. As mothers they are docile and attentive, and for limited range are favourites, because they scarcely fly at all. The Light Brahma, being tho largest fowl raised in a general way, holds a similar relation to the poultry industry as the Shorthorn bears to cattle. it i stands what may be called "stall leedi ing" well, and will produce mo.' i pounds of meat for the amount of foo.l consumed than anv other variety ,i ' fowl. > When bred-with a view to egg pro--1 duction the hens have made records as 1 high as two hundred and twenty-five eggs in a year, and there are somr...trains which are almost now sitters. 3 Because of their profuse feathering. tliev will stand more cold weather thar anv other breed, and thus when pro perlv cared for. rank well among pro duce.rs of winter eggs. That is a ven ! 'e.11,. point in their favour, becausi -I winter eggs are high priced. Anothe r .j advantage is that only about a four { .mu fence is necessary to keep them in ! because they ilo not fly much. Alums e | no other fowl excels them in ability ti d I thrive well in small enclosures. fhe. j are market birds, and will fatten we! when mature, and command the highes d market prices. When one year old '■ cocks weigh ten to fifteen pounds, cock 1 erels nine to eleven pounds, bens nin io twelve pounds, and pullets eight- t ,! ten. At ten weeks of age, clucks ar ''■ ready for broiling at about half a pour, in about ten weeks. On reaching thes

weights they are fairly quick. Another r ,ood point about the liens is that they -eldoni steal their nests.