THE ORCHARD.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3, 21 March 1927, Page 200

THE ORCHARD.

SPRAYING. Trees infested with woolly aphis, red-mite, or apple leaf-hopper will require to be sprayed again in order to reduce the infection as much as possible before winter. The application of oil (i in 60) as soon as. the fruit has been harvested from affected varieties has given good- results. .In localities where the leaf-roller caterpillar is troublesome late varieties of apples should be resprayed with arsenate of lead. It is recommended, in order to prevent a late affection of black-spot on the later-maturing varieties of apples and pears subject to this disease, that the trees should- be resprayed as soon as it makes its appearance. Where brown - rot has been in evidence, gather and destroy all mummified fruits and all dead twigs about the trees. For gummosis cut out the gum-pockets and paint the wounds. The present spraying season is practically at a close, and the time has arrived for fruitgrowers to consider the results obtained in the control of pests and diseases in their respective orchards. A thorough investigation should be made into the results obtained from the various spraying compounds used, together with the methods employed in their, application, with the object of determining the factors contributing to success or to unsatisfactory results, as the case may be. The grower comparing the analysis of the present season with the results of former years will be in a position to intelligently amend his programme and eliminate any weakness found in it. Many orchardists do not keep a record of the sprays applied to the trees, or even a note of the actual results obtained. It is in every grower’s own interest that such a record should be kept. HARVESTING AND STORAGE OF FRUIT. During the coming weeks this work will be engaging most of the orchardist’s attention. Every endeavour should be made to pick the fruit as soon as it is ready. It is again necessary to emphasize the necessity for careful handling, as the percentage of damaged fruits arriving on the markets is much higher than it should be. The result of careless handling is frequently not felt so severely during the earlier part of the season, when the fruit is sold immediately after it is picked, as it is with the later varieties which are usually held for a time. Fruit intended for storage should be most carefully handled and graded, and all bruised fruits, and fruits with a broken skin or with other blemishes detrimental to quality and appearance, should be rejected for cold storage. The graded fruit should be placed in the cold store as soon, as possible after picking.

A little trouble in the way of placing the various sizes and grades of fruit in the store so that they may be readily got at will save much inconvenience and additional handling when the time arrives for marketing the fruit. It is the practice of some growers to wrap the fruit when it is being packed for storage for the local market, but this is not generally recommended. It frequently happens that after a period of storage the fruit requires to be sorted before being placed on the market, and this can be done much more quickly with unwrapped fruit. It is better practice to wrap the fruit when it is taken from storage. PLANTING. Very careful consideration should be given to the selection of varieties for planting. The field of choice is a large one. The pioneers of the industry, by careful observation and by trying new varieties, often at considerable loss to themselves, have reduced the number of varieties that need be considered as being suitable to our requirements to under a hundred. It must ever be borne in mind that different varieties of fruit thrive better in some soils and climates than they do in others, and in making a selection the adaptability of a variety to the locality in regard to hardiness, productiveness, and the development and quality to which the fruit will attain have to be considered. The requirements of the markets for which it is intended to cater, and the carrying-qualities of the fruit, also require consideration. The fact that some varieties are inclined to be shy bearers when not closely associated with a certain other variety should not be overlooked. The planter should aim at planting a sufficient number of trees of each variety, so as to ensure a reasonable quantity of , fruit of each variety being available for market purposes. The mistake of planting too many varieties should be avoided. The trees should, be ordered early.

—W. K. Dallas,

Orchard Instructor, Dunedin.

Citrus-culture. The period of autumn rainfall is the most desirable season for sowing green crops in the citrus grove, to be ploughed in later. Peas, vetches, lupins, and horse-beans are all desirable crops to grow, according as to how they succeed in the locality. The most essential feature to ensure a good stand is prompt sowing coinciding with the early rains while the land is still warm. Later, when the land becomes saturated, the soil is much colder, with both germination and growth slower. Prior to sowing, the land should be so worked as to provide a ready get-away for surplus winter rains. Unless the land is properly graded with this object, hollows may be left which, while hardly noticeable now, collect water during winter, often unnoticed among the green growth but causing much root-damage. A dressing of | ton of super per acre may with advantage be worked in with the seed, but highly nitrogenous manures should be avoided at this season, as it is undesirable to force . growth so late in the year, which would still be quite soft and easily damaged during even light frosts in winter. Now is the time to cut away from the trees all lower branches or twigs to at least 18 in. clear of the ground. Clean away all refuse

from under trees, and dress the soil-surface directly under the spread of the tree with pulverized sulphate of iron, J lb. to the square yard. These preliminary precautions against an attack of citrus brown-rot are very necessary if full control is to be secured later,- while the application of iron also does much to prevent chlorosis and maintain a healthy deep-green tone of foliage.

—W. H. Rice,

Orchard, Instructor, Auckland