Farm and Garden.

Waipa Post, Volume VII, Issue 331, 17 July 1914, Page 8

Farm and Garden.

THE ORCHARD.

CANKER,

In some localities this disease has recently been causing considerable trouble and anxiety to orchardists, some varieties oi apples especially being subject to severe injury. Special attention should be devoted to any outbreak of canker. Every portion of the affected wood should be carefully cut away, care being taken to prune back to healthy wood that shows no trace of infection. All deseased prunings should be carefully gathered and burned, and the trees sprayed in due course with the Bordeaux mixture (winter strength). PRUNING. In order to -avoid unnecessary pressure of work later on in the season, the orchardist should avail himself of such opportunities as may occur for pruning his trees. In the case' of the commercial grower, this important operation usually receives the attention that it deserves, but the domestic grower not infrequently leaves trees untouched season after season until they become oversized for convenience, economy, and effectiveness in spraying, and overcrowded with useless limbs. Complaint is then made of the difficulty experienced in producing fruit free from pest and disease. PLUM POCKET. Of late years numbers of specimens of plums affected by this fungus disease have been received especially Japanese plums. Growers will have noticed that in many localities the buds of Japanese plums will be almost open before the end of July. It is therefore advisable that as a preventive against plum-pocket the trees should be sprayed before the’ buds are too advanced with the Bordeaux mixture (winter strength).

LEAF-SPOT OF THE GOOSEBERRY

With regard to the early opening of the buds, the remarks already made in connection with Japanese plums apply also to the gooseberry. Leaf-spot has at times‘ caused serious loss to growers, and for this reason the plants should be protected against attacks by the application of the Bordeaux mixture (winter strength).

ROOT-FUNGUS.

In some of the lighter soils throughout the Dominion apples, plums, and gooseberries more particularly are subject to attack by root-fungus, This disease, operating below the soil-surface, will frequently not be discovered until the trees are fatally injured. In soils subject to root-fungus growers are recommended to take precautionary measures by applying early in spring a soildressing of sulphate of iron. The quantity to be used will vary ac : cording to the class of fruit and the size and age of the trees or bushes to be protected. Approximately the quantities will be from J4lb in the case of gooseberries up to 3lb or 4111 in the case of grown trees. The sulphate of iron should be lightly worked into the soil.