WORK FOR THE COMING MONTH.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XVIII, Issue 3, 20 March 1919, Page 172

WORK FOR THE COMING MONTH.

THE ORCHARD.

The stone-fruit crop is about finished, and the seasonal spraying programme for the control of insect pests and diseases of apples and pears almost completed. With the exception of an isolated spray here and there, the orchardist will now be able to devote most of his -time and energies to picking, grading, and handling his main crop of apples and pears. Too much care and attention cannot be given to this important branch of the orchardist's business, as upon it the successful financial position of the year's undertaking largely depends. A large proportion of the main crop of apples and pears is cool-stored, and in order to get the best results from storage. the fruit must, be delivered to the store in the best possible condition. When picking, the trees should be gone over several times and only the best-coloured and more matured fruits selected. When severing the fruit from the tree take care to leave the stem attached to the fruit, as slow decay will often develop when the stem is pulled out. Handle the fruits carefully, and avoid every operation that tends to bruising. Sun is beneficial to fruit while it is on the tree, but harmful once the fruit is picked; therefore do not allow the fruit to stand about in the orchard on hot days, but get it away to the packing-shed as early as possible.

Again, there should be no delay in the packing-shed. The fruit should be sorted, graded, and placed in the cool store the earliest possible moment after it is picked. Delay in the orchard . after the fruit is picked, and also in the packing-shed, places the fruit at a disadvantage, and is often the cause of it not keeping perfectly in cool store. It pays better to store only the medium-sized fruits, as they not only realize better prices than the . larger fruits but also keep better and longer in store.- ' .

To sum up : Supply the cool-storage companies with the bestmatured fruit, handled carefully, packed well, and despatched expeditiously after picking. Always remember that i successful cool storage depends very largely on the state and condition in which the fruit is received and placed in store. Gordon Esam, Acting Assistant Director of the Horticulture Division.

AUCKLAND.

By the end of April the fruit season will be about ended, and orchardists will be engaged in getting their later varieties of apples and pears into the cool stores, after which time may be profitably occupied in a general clearing-up. It is usual during April for fresh colonies of woolly aphis to appear on the young growth in apple-trees. This attack almost invariably being the heaviest of the season, growers are advised to lose no time in getting on a spray of nicotine sulphate, in the proportion of i to 800. Growers of stone-fruit will do well to make a thorough inspection of all trees in the orchard, also the ground immediately under the trees, and collect all

mummified fruits, which are a source of infection from brown-rot. These fruits should be destroyed either by burning or burying.

• Citrus trees attacked by thrip or by scale insects, if not already sprayed, should be now- attended to, applying red-oil emulsion, i to 40, provided young autumn growth; has hardened. This should follow the bordeaux spray, 4-4-40. . , —J. W. Collard, Orchard Instructor, Auckland.

HAWKE’S BAY.

Codlin-moth is likely to be troublesome right through March, and even in the early part of April. ■ Not only is spraying for codlin-moth advisable, but arsenate of lead should not be omitted on the later varieties of fruits for leafcaterpillar. A final spray in the early part of the month for leaf-roller is usually sufficient. A late infection of black-spot on Dougherty, Rome Beauty, and Stone Pippin can be anticipated. These varieties should be sprayed with bordeaux, 3-4-50, on the first appearance of live fungus. A final spraying for woolly aphis is advisable. Use Blackleaf 40, 1 part to 800 parts of water, and combine it with .lime-sulphur, 1-100 to 1-120. The combined spray is more effective against' woolly aphis than when Blackleaf is . used alone. —T. Pitt, Acting Orchard Instructor, Hastings.

NELSON

Spraying: In localities where leaf-roller is troublesome a further application of arsenate of lead may still be applied to pip-fruits with advantage. Stonefruit trees that have been troublesome; during summer with fungus parasites should receive attention. Carefully gather and destroy all infected fruit, and apply a bordeaux, 3-4-40, spray. Raspberry, black-currant, and gooseberry plants should receive the same attention unless it has already been given recently. Gathering the crop: This will be the chief work for the month in most orchards. In this connection the picking of the fruit may well receive more attention. Assistants engaged to pick the crop should be carefully instructed and supervised until they. have shown themselves capable. Remind them that most varieties should be gathered without severing the stem from the fruit, and immature fruits should be allowed to remain on the tree to finish their growth.

Grading : Much of the cull grading may be done by the pickers ' but apples and pears should be graded for size before they are packed. One way of doing this in a small shed where a machine is not available is to grade off the “ out ” sizes—the very small and very —when a capable packer will, often' pack the remainder, sizing them by sight. ; Packing Size-grading is the basis of a good pack. When the grading is properly done there is no trouble about getting a firm, even pack of the right height. Such a pack travels well, keeps well, and as a result sells well. For cool storage pack only moderate-sized fruit that is clean, sound, and mature ; other sorts are not worth the extra expense. - Weeds : Orchard operations at this season are often made difficult by a strong growth of tall weeds, which are sometimes wet. Should there be any extent of such growths it will pay to run a mower through, and then leave the plants where they lie. If this' is done early, before they seed, many troublesome weeds will be checked. — William C. Hyde, Orchard Instructor, Nelson.

OTAGO.

Powdery mildew has spread very rapidly in consequence of the very wet weather during January, followed by a dry spell; but during a trip through Central Otago I have failed to find any evidence of black-spot on fruit or foliage. A final application of lime-sulphur, 1-120,. or atomic sulphur, 1-10, in bad. cases of powdery mildew is. still advisable. The former is safe in cool weather, : but if hot, dry weather continues take no risks with a good crop of fruit and use the atomic sulphur. I found one instance of lime-sulphur injury caused through combination with arsenate of lead. '

Keep an eye open for red spider, especially on Delicious, Sturm er, and London Pippin. If allowed to persist, depreciation of the crop can be expected. The previous directions regarding mildew will control this pest. Woolly aphis is reported by growers to be worse than usual. This trouble certainly is fairly prevalent in some orchards, and it will pay to spray with Blackleaf 40 at a

strength of 1-800. Summer prune the insides of the trees to allow of more effective spraying. Spray thoroughly while at the job. Codlin-moth infection will be over before this is in print. Fresh strikes are scarce now, but there are a good many grubby apples in some commercial orchards. Careful growers will clear these up and destroy them, and all should do so to save the danger of infection next season. Brown-rot has not so far been reported in any of the orchards.

H. Thorp, Orchard

Growers would find it to their interest to wipe apples before packing, as they would look more attractive and realize better prices free of dust and recent spray-stains. When picking later varieties intended for late storage grade the fruit, and market the large ones first. They do not keep so well, and each one lost represents a greater weight in comparison to the smaller grades. Paper-line the cases for storing ; it keeps fruit clean and minimizes the shrivelling. Some orchards would be the better for a green crop to turn in for manure. A mixture of oats and peas or vetches is recommended. It will not only assist growth but help to keep the soil from getting hard after rains or irrigation.

Instructor, Dunedin.