DISEASES OF FRUIT TREES AND THEIR CUBE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 11133, 20 February 1886, Page 2

DISEASES OF FRUIT TREES AND THEIR CUBE.

Professor Kirk, the Government Con* servator of Forests, delivered a very interesting lecture on the above subjeot * to an audience of about 50 of the members of the Progress and Industrial Association, and others, on Thursday evening, in the Borough Council Chltta* - bers. Mr James Laird, vice-president - of the association, presided. The lecturer, after one or two paratory remarks, plunged into his subjeot. He said they had, in conn sidering the diseases of fruit trees, to deal with fungi, inseots, and diseases proper. > tjit: peaoh. He referred first to the peach, beoausd its failure was a matter of great un« portance, effecting, as it did, a large i reduction in the food supply of the colony. Kxcepling on the sea coast i and in plaoes where there was abundance of shelter, the tree had suffered decay and destruction in all parts of the colony alike. It was not a mattes of a single year or a portion of a district ; indeed, the failure had been for some time as continuous as it was widespread. Many ingenious and plausible reasons had been put forward to acoount for the failure. It had been attributed to a supposed deterioration of the climate; but he could not accept that conclusion, because, although they . might bave had a greater rainfall in one year than in another, the metero* logical returns spread over a score of years did not exhibit any such variation as could be held to materially affect the climate. A difference of two degrees in the summer heat, as in 1879 and 1884, would not account for it. Why, in England, where the climate was not nearly so favourable, there was no such premature decay of the peaoh as in this colony. He also, rejeoted the insect theory. In England and America the peaoh was as liable to aphis attacks as here, but it did not die out from the effects of it. The peaoh suffered greatly from the growth of fungi, bat the effeob upon the tree would not be nearly so injurious were it not that the tree was decaying from other causes; He was indebted to Mr Anderson, of Wan* ganuiV for an injenious theory whioh that gentleman had set up, but he (Professor Kirk) was not able to accept ' it. It suggested that through severe weather the peaoh had become coated with saline matter, which had contributed to its decay. He must re* jecfc this theory; because, even supposing saline matter to be injurious, it could not be held to affect peaoh trees sheltered in the dense forests?"^ the centre of th« island. With regard to the hydrocyanic theory, hydro.oyanio . acid was not found in plants, and. Ha could not adopt the suggestion even ai . a working hypothesis. \ What hehimself believed to be the real cause of the decay of the peach was the inherent weak vitality of the plant. It had been cultivated in China, its native country, for over 4000 years, and lik,e the potato in England now, and other plants subjected for long periods to artificial treatment, it was loosing. its vitality, becoming subject to various diseases, and falling into decay. The custom, which prevailed largely in some places, of growing peaches on peach fitock, was the most direct way of increasing the lack of vitality. After a description of the various diseases from whioh the peaoh" suffers, the professor said that onltiva* tors should work upon" the mussel stook (plum), whioh would give •> strength to resist the weather, and the attacks of insects and fungi. The mussel stock gave increased robust* ness, and was what was now adopted by the principal nursery men in England. Already it was beiug tried in Hew Zealand, and he was sure that in a few years nobody would think of such, ft thing as working a* peach on its own stock. The mussel stock was also the proper remedy for the almond, whioh was subject to the same decay as the^ peach. It would never do to work the peaoh upon the almond, beoause they would simply be working weakness upon weakness, as the peach was really derived from the almond. The aprioot, again, should not be worked upon the mussel, but upon the Brussels stook,

THE APPLE was liable to both iaseot and fungi pests. In addition to the ordinary scale pest, 3 he had discovered a large number s indigenous to > New Zealand. The I renaudy he would recommend was a 0 small quantity of soot^ mixed, with . castor oil, and applied with a brush, to , the trees. - He preferred this to the , American plan of usiag kerosene, whioh . was injurious to the trees. The lecturer . then went on to refer to the Codlia . moth, whioh ho said had been :' in the . Auckland and Nelson dis- , triots for 'the last 12 years, and was unknown in this district. Simple paper , bandages placed round the tree ob- , struoted the progress of the moth uporw - entering the uupo state, and enabled it; , to be destroyed. For the beetle, and the . grass grub, the ravages of whioh latter 1 were very serious in the Poverty Bay i district an application of caustic potash ) was the best remedy, or an infusion of ; the eucalyptus might be used with ads vantage. : MISCELLANEOUS. The dlseas of the pear were muoh the stme as those from which the apple suffered, and similtar treated should be ■ resulted to, The slug leech had worked i terrible destruction in the cherry and palm trees in Taranaki, the trees in one orchard appearing to be scratched ; as if by fice. Hollebore was the best ■ remedy, bat it should bo frequently applied. The red spider was very trouble* ; some in this colony, and suoh a seasrm as the present was very favourable to it. Frequent syringing was the remedy, and almost anytbiag would do to nee. An emulsion of castor oil or a w*ak i caustic solution might be used in bad ! cases. The raspberry crop in the South Island was being destroyed by a moth, and the strawberry crop here was suf>. ferinp; from an aphis, which could be easily obviated by the application of any simple solution. The orange industry in Auckland was bsing imperillel >y seed planting, and people were bftgining to tbink tbat the climate wig u^fi suitable for the industry, but it .via quite a mistake, as ho had t^atftl vary fine oranges grown in the north of Auckland. With regard to the future of the fruit industry, he thought it w.;3 very promising. It should be born >in mind that they would find markets in Eag* land and America when their frnit season was over. In the future they should give up the practice of growing tall trees, which were unsuited to our high winds and afforded facilities for the ravages of insects. He heped tbat before long the looal societies v.'ould develop into a Colonial Fruit Growers' Association, whioh might hold conferences in the different csntres of the co'ony. The Government shouM be &<k I to employ some quilifl-id person to m .it a report on tha ii>v?sfigit oic of the association, and thus thoy would get the benefit of colonial research. Aft9r thanking the meeting for tl.fi interest and attention manifested, Professor Kirk resumed his seat amidst applause. Questions wro then aske^, and re* - marks made by Messrs SLrrp^, J T, Auderson, G. F. Allen, Jba»\-B~>n. Liul* ton, Dixon, Mo William, and I'hars. In replying, Professor Xii k said th*t half an* Quuce. o£ hellebore to a. galloa Qf.

water were the proportions for the destruction of the slug leech. For strawberries, the oaustio potash should be used in the proportions of l£oz to the gallon. He had not seen the Brusselß stock in Now Zealand, but he knew an Auckland nurseryman was importing it for the aprioot. It was true that the Lisbon lemon was used for the orange stock, but it was the worst that could Che got. The bitter orange and the borgamot were the best. The professor then Answered the various references to and questions asked concerning the peach, and on ooncludißg was awarded a hearty vote of thanks, on the motion of his Worship the Mayor.