A LECTURE ON FRUIT CULTURE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8084, 24 September 1894, Page 4

A LECTURE ON FRUIT CULTURE.

Mr Blaokmoro, Government Poraobglut, dollvorod a leoture in tho Athensoum Hall on Friday evonlog. Tboro was a largo attendance, and His Worehip tho Mayor, Mr Waddoll, proelded, and briefly Introduced the lecturer. In opening ' up his Bubjeot, lie spoke of tho position of tho grounds requisite for tho planting of oroharda, Ho pointed oat that tho land Bboald be properly drained and subeoiled. It ehonld bo ploughed and thoroughly fitlrrod in tho fall and loft daring the winter, when manure should be applied, In the spring this should be ploughed In a?ain, and stirred and harrowed in the outnmo 1 ". A little oaro in prepare Ing tho ground and in laying out an orchard would save much work afterwards. Thoro wore three considerations to bo observed (1) symmetry of appoaranoo ; (2) ooonoray of space ; facility for future oaro. Ho next spoke of the different systems of planting trees nil of whioh bad their advantages. In planting trees eomo bralno wore wantod, ao all grounds were not alike, find orohardiBtj had to exercise their judgment ue to the methods to be Adopted, having consideration to tho kind of noil in the loottlity. It was not wlao to plant in tho autumn, nor in wet days, aor when the soil is wet ; planting wets beet done io tho spring, when the soil wan friable Apploa would groir on most soils, but the beat jHoit wan a doop, rich, ealoareous loam. Its roots wore oubjeot to the apbiu o woolly blight, but grafted on such fltooke m the Northern Spy it was blight proof> He opoko of the varions soilo xequirod for tho pear, plum, cherry, etc, showing the advantages of adapting the (stocks to the quality of the P0H8, The smaller fruits and their culture were also dealt with. Ho advieod them not to purchase their trees at auction, for ia buying fruit treea, they ehould take care that they are not buying all kinda of vermin, The dotail* of planting the individual fcreoe and tbelr culture during tho first, second and third years of their growth woro referred to. He opoke of the acquisition of the Japneso plum would bo to the orohacdo ol New Zealand. He advised the cutting in of half of the young wood, eepooially in poaoh trees, lost in Bovon or oight years the treos should become exbaustod, Olouo, careful cultivation paid, for each culture would produce the largest Qrope, Mr Blackmore, with intereatiog details, narrated how pruning nhould be done, and noted thut the prunor should h»ve regard to tho natural habit m well as to the formation and eymmetry of tho tree. In growing fruit for profit two or three klnda were best in the caao of email growers, having regard for the early klndu and the late feooporp. Mr lilaokmore roforred to @un drying and drying by evaporation in the preserving ol fruit, and gave intorosting details an to tbo drying proceed. This industry had grown enormously in California, and had bocomo a source of great wealth. Thousands of hands were employed &nd 25 establishments thoro tarned out in 1890, 35,952,000 2ilb tins of fruit, beeidoa 39,300,000 Iba of dried fruit, and what could be doDO in California could bo dono in Now Zealand, for itn climate and coil wore particularly favorablo to ftuit growing. Sun dry1 lag woo oxplaioed, and tbo looturer coryiderod the intorior of Otasjo with its rainloHH Bumraora was euitablo fot thio indufltry. Huving opoken of the prune culture, he deolared that the industry to be profitable, the old rneujing way of growing fruit would have to bo abaudoned, and orchards planted on the commercial principle : cultivation would have to bo thorough, and tho output bo reokoned by tone inetoad of Ibe. The orohard hae to be carofuiiy attended if tine marketable fruit waa to be producod. The fruit should be oarofnlly packed in olean boxop, and in such a manner an when opened up it would turn out exaotly ae It was represented. Uq regretted tn find tbat the codlin moth had been introduced into the North ' Otago dlfltclot) through tho agonoy of the fruit boxo?. It wm necosoary in combatting any infoofe pent to otudy the life 0' the insect and attack it at its weak point. Ho doalc particularly with fche oydtor-sholl ooalo or scaly bligbt. Thlottcale could be destroyed by a Bait and Huipbur mixture^ and applied during tho wintor, and followed by a rosin waah or spray in tho summer. iCerooono craulBion aod sulphide of Hodt* wash when appliod as the inaeot; Was hatchini; j and, as all tho egga were not hatched in ono day, tho efli cacy of thio waah was minimiaed. Tho roam waih formed a coating and efioO' tually (icfftroyed tho oyster ebell. Tho oluga that attacked fchopoaraarjdipluma could bo effectually dealt with by a jjpray of oldorborry leaves. Anotbor yenudy was a Bpray of hellebore solution, lie also dealt' with tho codlin jnot.'i, Australian light-brown moth, iaad romarkod upon the various other ineecb pests and went on to deal with the p raaitical fungi, which obtainod their food from living plants, and observed how this peat could beat be combattod. Spraying firat with snip, hate of copper and afterwarda with ■ ammoniac al carbonato of copper woro the moat effoctual romediea. Next ho doalt, with apple ocab, tho eeed of wbtoh'gotiipon tho fikinof tlie fruit and within lived upon the tissues of the .fruit, cutting off the supplyof sugar, -which caused tho blot6hea and cracldag of tho fruit, bo noticeable. Paris green, modified with lime as a spray, was a good remedy for this fungus, destroying tho spores in their incipient utages. ' Mr i 'iilackraoro dealt with the paraatioal fungus that atbacked the strawberry jplants, The life histdry and nature of Jbhis fungus was explained and, in ad. dition to the carbonate and sulphate of copper mixtures a wbak solution jof sulphide of potassium was a successful remedy; but he miggesbod mowing tho leaves , down aftor the fruit was gathered and destroyed, and applying a quick fertiliser to bring 0 a tho plants for next season'^ crop. He fcelievod in dealing with all fungi by flaking preventive tnoasuros. But (/fee adybicd wo? ft ggod gar^OQt mi

destroyed the apple aphia, so they should, while destroying thoir enemies, carefully guard their friendo. Tho Department were going to ieauo leaflets bearing upon tho posts affecting the industry so that thero would be no lack of information. A voto of thanks to the leoburer and to tho chairman concluded tho procoedings.