Seasonal Orchard Notes

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 67, 20 March 1937, Page 9

Seasonal Orchard Notes

SEASONAL SPRAYING (By J. W. Whelan, Orchard Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Palmerston North). As the danger from black-spot infection and injury from codling-moth and leaf roller caterpillar is not yet past, all growers are advised to continue with the combination spray as outlined in previous notes for a while longer. Late keeping varieties such as stunner pip,pin, etc. should receive a dressing of this spray about fourteen days prior to picking. Whefe brown-rot fungus was troublesome a careful examination should be made and all mummified fruits removed from the trees and ground and destroyed by burning. In addition to this an application of bordeaux 54 —50 is recommended as soon as possible after the fruit has been picked, as a partial controllant of the disease. A thorough investigation should be made during the autumn months as to the results obtained during the season from the spraying compounds used and the methods employed in preparation and application. When unsatisfactory results are obtained something is wrong; usually the fault lies with the operator, or his appliances, or both, and not with the materials used. Factors which contribute to success are the thorough applications of sprays at the correct limes, use of the correct compounds, proper mixing of sprays and an elementary knowledge of the life-history of pests and diseases. Ordinary Storage of Fruit.

Although fruit cannot be kept in ordinary orchard stores for such a long period as in cool stores, the practice of storing fruit in the former is quite satisfactory in so far as fruit which otherwise would reach a glutted market can be kept for several months without undue loss. It is, of course, imperative that the same careful handling, grading and packing be observed as that for cool store or export. Overfilling the picking-bag, dropping the fruit carelessly into the bag (or any other container) and carelessly transferring it therefrom to the orchard case will, and does cause much damage to the fruit and financial loss to the grower, owing to the fact that injured fruit is of little or no commercial value and definitely will not keep beyond a few hours in store or elsewhere. Good ventilation is most important. The damage caused by rats aud mice to fruit in ordinary storage may be considerably reduced if a good cat with ready access to the store is kept. Where no store is available fruit may be kept for many months if packed in well-ventilated boxes and stacked in tiers in a cool place, preferably under trees. The fruit should be tree-ripened as far as possible and Carefully culled by tho elimination of all fruits showing disease and skin punctures. Careful handling is essential. Caro must also bo taken not to overfill the boxes, otherwise bruising will occur when building up the tiers. The bottom boxes should be raised at least IS inches above the ground, and the stack built up so as to allow adequate space between each tier for ventilation. The fruit in the topmost boxes should be sheltered from tho sun (if any) by covering over in such a manner so as not to impede ventilation, for instance sacks are very unsuitable for this purpose if placed directly on top of the boxes, thus cutting off air currents. Rain will not harm fruit thus stored provided the water drains away rcadilv.