WORKING THE ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2996, 16 August 1911, Page 12

WORKING THE ORCHARD.

Mr W. A. Boucher, the Government expert, contribute® the following notes to the Journal of the Department of Agriculture:— “As a precaution against planting nursery trees that may ho infected by insect pests, or which may carry the germs of fungus disease, it is as well to prepare, for the former, a cask of emulsified red-oil, diluted to the proper strength, and for the latter, a cask of the Bordeaux mixture (10-10-40 formula), and, bundle by bundle, hold the trees root upwards, dipping the branches and sterns into the mixtures as far as the soil-marks, thus avoiding immersing any portion of thej, root-system that has been beneath the soil-level in the nursery. The dipping in the red-oil emulsion should be carried out when the trees are first received, and before heeling in, and in the Bordeaux mixture after lifting from the trench and before planting out. Usually this will allow an interval of about one month between the two dippings. Growers adopting this method will find that much time and labour has been saved, as against spraying the trees after they have been planted in the orchard. SPRAYING. “Apples, pears, and English plums infected by scale or red spider that have not yet been sprayed should as soon as possible receive a careful and thorough application of emulsified red-oil diluted to the proper strength. The formula suggested by the Biologist for emulsifying the red-oil is as follows: 1 gal cod-oil, |gal crude carbolic acid, caustic potash. Heat in an iren boiler to a temperature of 280 deg Fahr., and then pour into lOgal of denatured oil. Add 2gal of cold water. For spraying dilute with sufficient cold water to make a mixture containing 6 per cent, of oil, or about 1 part of oil to 17 parts of water. This formula can also be used for emulsifying the natural oil, but if 11b of resin be first dissolved in the oil the results will be more satisfactory. “Emulsified red-oil so that onlv the necessary quantity ol water, with which it mixes freely, has to be added can now be purchased from seed and other merchants. “ Red-oil emulsion (winter formula) prepared! with soap: Proportions—-41b soft-soap, 4gal red-oil, 58gal cold water. Preparation^—To. make the emulsion, put the ®oap into a tub and pour a small quantity of boiling water over it. Stir briskly to a good lather, and add the oil. Now make use of your spray-pump and spray a jet into the same tub until there is no free oil left. When under high-pressure the oil will he thoroughly mixed. Now add the 63gial of cold water and a perfect emulsion is formed, which is ready to be applied to the trees. “Peaches and nectarines require careful attention to prevent attack, especially bv diehack fungus (Clastorosporium carpophilum) and leaf-curl (Exoascus deformans). If the autumn spraying with the 10-10-40 formula of the Bordeaux mixture has not been carried out, extra care will , be necessary to see that it is thoroughly, applied, just at the time when the buds show signs ol swelling, to ©very part, of the tree, especially the young wood' of last season’s growth. “Bordeaux' mixture (winter formula): Proportions—lolb sulphate of copper. 101 b fresh roche lime, and 40gal water. Preparation. —Dissolve the 101 b sulphate of copper in 20gal water, slake the 101 b lime slowly, and make up to 20gal; strain this milk of lime into the solution of sulphate of copper, stirring briskly. This ]

should be used within eight hours of mixing, otherwise its value as a fungicide is largely depreciated.”