WORK IN THE ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 12

WORK IN THE ORCHARD.

The orchardist should now undertake winter spraying if not already done. Oil emulsions are reliable means of putting down mussel scale, and sulphur, lime, and salt for red spider, mussel scale, and black spot. Spraying involves expense, but it is absolutely necessary if the fruit-grower hopes to make a success of his undertaking. The most important thing in dealing with insects is to begin early. Two often when a pest makes its appearance the orchardist waits for a more convenient season to commence fighting them. Meantime, the insect has had time to lay its eggs, or perhaps to produce another generation, thus increasing greatly the number that must now be fought. As regards black spot, it has been found that the best time to spray is just as the apple buds are swelling and just commencing to show pink. This is also the case with peach curl For the latter the Bordeaux mixture or the sulphur, lime, and salt mixture should be used just .-as the buds are swelling to burst. Experience in Tasmania has shown that the best (and cheapest spray

m the long run) in coping with codlin moth, cherry leech. borer, green beetle, and pear slug is Swift’s arsenate of lead. The best time to cope with the woolly aphis is just after the frees have been pruned, and all prunod-off wood burnt.

Mr James Lang, the Victorian fruit expert, writing on the treatment of woolly aphis (American blight), says:—‘‘The best remedy is as follows: Take 21b of potash, and dissolve in half a gallon of water, then, mix in 21b sulphur; when these two are thoroughly mixed add sufficient raw linseed oil to dilute’it to the consistency of paint. If the' mixture should get thick after standing some time, add more linseed oil to thin it down. The mixture is applied by using a small paint brush, and rubbing well in on the parts affected. This may seem a- very slow process, but it is effectual. About a month after the first dressing go over the trees again, and if any blight is showing treat the spots affected. If this course is carefully carried out, the Wooly aphis will not give much, trouble for some years.” Woolly aphis at the roots of the trees must be treated with tobacco waste, as has been repeatedly pointed out in these columns. The .potash mentioned above is what is known in the trade as American potash; it is in lumps, like pieces of bluestone, and requires to be pounded up finely to dissolve readily in water. Caustic soda (Greenback's 80 per cent.) has been used where the American potash has not heen obtainable. T’he trees should be dressed with the mixture as soon as the pruning has been completed, and just before the buds hurst they should be gone over- again, and any spots of the aphis showing touched with the brush. If this is followed up two or three times during the summer the aphis will give very little trouble afterwards.

Good cultivation, as is being demonstrated by all our more successful orchardists, not only makes the fruit trees yield itbe best returns, but strong, healthy trees are not nearly as apt to be attacked by insect pests as . those that are already weakened, or, if attacked, are able to stand much mor'e injury without the effect being shown in the crop. The first and, best way of fighting insect nests would seem to be, then, to keep the trees in the very best condition possible by good cultivation, judicious pruning, and suitable fertilisation, according to the nature of the soil, always remembering that lime and potash form the main constituents of the apple and apple tree, and one cannot get away from the belief that the lack of these constituents is the- main cause of such fungoid troubles as black spot. - Another most important noint is to keep tlje orchard free from rubbish. Many of our most injurious insects pass the winter months under rubbish of various kinds that lies scattered over the archard.