In the Orchard and Vineyard

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 63, Issue 3, 15 September 1941, Page 242

In the Orchard and Vineyard

Orchard Notes

Spraying, Drainage, Grafting and Cultivation

SEPTEMBER is generally recognised as the month , when serious spraying operations in the orchard begin. Proper equipment must be used, for if the capacity of the spray pump is not enough to give the necessary volume of spray under the required pressure, spraying operations are made laborious and costly, and are of little value. The need for complete spray coverage cannot be stressed too strongly. ‘ The question of obtaining correct dilutions should not be left to chance, and weights and measurements of materials used should be closely checked. Much experimental work has been done in order to obtain accurate data on which to base spray, schedules, and those issued by the Department have been very carefully compiled. Some growers are in the habit of adding a little extra material to the spray tank or reducing the quantity of water recommended for the dilution of mixtures. This is not necessary, and, moreover, any excess may lead to serious injury both to fruit and foliage.. Control of Diseases Factors other than spraying which have an influence on the control of disease are drainage, general hygiene, and the general health of the tree caused by unsuitable soil conditions, lack of cultivation, manuring, and overcropping. Healthy fruit trees possess powers of resistance to disease, and it should be the aim of every fruitgrower to prune, cultivate, and manure his orchard so that the trees will be kept in as healthy a condition as possible. Debilitated trees are more susceptible to spray injury, which is an added reason why health and vigour should be maintained. Control of some insect pests by means of natural parasites has in some instances been effective, and investigational work is still proceeding in the hope that further parasites will be found to combat a number of pests, but in the meantime spraying cannot be neglected if success is to be obtained. Spray Schedule < Because of climatic variations it is not possible to fix definite spraying dates for the whole of the Dominion.

Therefore, the following spray programme is given as a recommendation applicable to all parts of the Dominion, with modification according to districts, and fruitgrowers following the schedule should experience little difficulty in reducing the pests and diseases to a minimum. Periods are given when applications should be made, but the success or failure of spraying depends largely on the equipment and materials used, time and thoroughness of application, and the strength at which the spray is applied. ' APPLES. Period of Application. Treatment. Green-tip Period .. Bordeaux mixture 3/4/50 or lime sulphur 1/30. Open Cluster to Pink Period .. .. Lime sulphur 1/75 or lime sulphur 1/150 +colloidal sulphur 2/100 of the mixture. The latter spray is preferable at ' this stage, especially on varieties susceptible to russet or where powdery mildew infection is severe. Petal-fall Period .. Lime sulphur 1/150 + n colloidal sulphur 2/100 lead arsenate 11/100 -f- hydrated lime 3/100. Ten to 12 days later Same as No. 3. 15 to 18-day intervals to mid-December Same as No. 3. 15 to 20-day intervals to end of Jan. and later as required Same as No. 3 with lime sulphur reduced to 1/200. End of January and early February ... Summer oil 1/100. Should leaf hopper become prevalent in the early part of the season, the addition of nicotine sulphate at a strength of 1 in 800 at the petalfall period when the insects are in the nymph stage is recommended. It may be • necessary to make two applications of summer oil at 10-day intervals, strength 1 to 100, for the control of red mite during January or February, but care must be taken not to apply the oil within ten days of the sulphur spray. + ■ When leaf-roller caterpillar is prevalent, applications of lead arsenate for its control may, have to be extended into February. In districts where powdery mildew is prevalent an additional spray of lime sulphur plus colloidal sulphur is recommended after the tight cluster period. :

I PEARS. Period of Application. Treatment. Green-tip Period .. Bordeaux mixture 5/4/50. Pink Period .. Bordeaux mixture 3/4/50 ' ' or lime sulphur 1/75. Petal-fall' Period .. Bordeaux mixture 11/3/50 + lead arsenate 11/100. Subsequent sprays same, as No. 3. For Winter Cole, Josephine, and other tender-skinned varieties which will not tolerate Bordeaux mixture, substitute lime sulphur after the green-tip period and spray as for apples. Period of Application. Treatment. Bud Movement Period Bordeaux mixture 5/4/50. Pre-blossom Period Bordeaux mixture 3/4/50. Petal-fall and at 3weekly intervals Lime sulphur 1/180 + colloidal sulphur 2/100. Apply summer oil at strength 1/100 or nicotine sulphate at strength 1/800 for control of black and green aphis on first appearance of pest, and repeat within ten days. The leaf-roller caterpillar and pear slug of cherries and plums can be controlled by an application of lead arsenate IJ/100 4- hydrated lime 3/100. A thorough application of Bordeaux mixture at strength 5:4:50 in late autumn when leaves are falling will greatly assist in the control of leaf-curl for the following season. The use of sulphur on apricots for the prevention of brown rot is not recommended because of the danger of foliage and bud injury. , ' Drainage Drainage plays an important part in orchard hygiene. Stagnant water at the roots of fruit trees is not only one of the main causes of sour sap, but has a direct influence on root action, without which no tree can thrive. If necessary, artificial drainage must be provided, either by means of tile drains, scrub, or rubble or open drains. Cultivation ; If not already done, ploughing should be attended to as a first step in, reducing the soil to that fine tilth so necessary for the conservation of moisture during the warmest period of the year. With subsequent discings and harrowings capillary attraction between the soil particles will be increased, the land will be warmed to enable the beneficial bacteria in , the

soil to function, weeds /will be destroyed, and conditions created which will give the best results. Grafting ; At the z present time, too, many varieties of apples which are of little or no commercial value are grown. Although some growers are reluctant to dispose of these varieties, serious consideration should be given to the overworking of these trees. Varieties known to be unsuitable for a particular district should be replaced by other varieties of proved value, while trees known to be uneconomical from the working and marketing point of view should be grafted over to better commercial varieties. The

reduction in number of varieties in an' orchard will prove more profitable in the long-run. The ’ aim should be to have a succession of good varieties throughout the season, avoiding as many small lines as possible. Grafting can be carried on throughout September and October. The two methods now adopted are either the form of grafting in which the trees are de-headed and scions are inserted in the main branches, or the refurnishing method, by which trees are more or less skeletonised and scions are inserted along the length of the > main limbs and larger laterals. The' former method is the quicker, but the time which elapses before the variety grafted on comes into bearing is longer.

The refurnishing method, although entailing much extra initial work, has the advantage of the trees . coming back into production within two .seasons.' Whichever method is adopted/ it is imperative that the scions should be healthy, well-ripened, one-year-old wood which has been kept in good fresh condition by placing in '' cool, moist soil until required. Care in the cutting of both stock and scion, the clean insertion of scions (making sure that the cambium layers of both stock and scion are in contact), and the secure binding of the grafts to exclude all air should result in a high percentage of successful taking. ' —G. STRATFORD, District , Supervisor, Dunedin.

Citrus Notes

Classification of Oranges

r T' , HE recognition of the varieties of THE recognition of the varieties of 1 sweet orange is an even more complex problem than with lemons, because of the very large number of 1 varieties which have been planted. The classification system for oranges adopted by i H. Harold Hume in . his publication “The Cultivation of Citrus Fruits” will be followed as closely as possible. The chief classifications are Spanish ' oranges, Mediterranean oranges, Blood oranges, and Navel oranges. An additional classification is the Island orange. " The Spanish oranges are large trees of vigorous growth, well foliaged, the leaves are oval, pointed, and with petioles frequently strongly winged. The fruit is rather coarse grained, and has numerous seeds. . Example: Parson Brown, rounded, colour yelloworange to yellow, 16 sections, should be picked early to obtain best flavour. The Mediterranean oranges are smaller trees with abundant foliage, the/fruit being fine-grained and generally round in shape. In this category are many locally-grown varieties, and they should be grouped into subdivisions as follows: Shamooti, Jaffa, Joppa, St. Michael. Hamlin, Pineapple’ Valencia Late, Lue Gim Gong. The Palestine oranges are Shamooti, Jaffa, and Joppa. All three are .vigorous, thornless trees, and bear finetextured fruit. The Shamooti is the original Palestine orangeoval in shape and not often seen in New Zealand. Jaffa and Joppa are round fruit, and originated as seedlings from Shamooti. ...... ... Jaffa.— Jaffa generally ripens about September. The fruit is rounded, of

.dIIIININIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIINIIIIiIIIIIIINIIiyiIIIIN medium size, juicy, of good flavour, and fine texture. There are 11 well-defined sections, and the flesh is orange-yellow. Joppa..— is generally not as good as Jaffa, for although in flavour the fruit is practically identical it is generally smaller. It will, however, hang longer' on the'tree. The rind is somewhat rough, and there are 10 sections. St. Michael. — tree is a vigorous, prolific bearer, the fruit ripening in October-November. The fruit hangs well, and holds its juice; it is oblong in shape, of medium size, and seedy. The rind is slightly thick, somewhat rough, and yellow in colour, with a slightly-pitted appearance through countersunk oil cells. There are 9to 13 sections. Paper rind St. Michael is probably a seedling of St. Michael, and generally has smaller fruit. Hamlin. — Hamlin is probably better known than St.' Michael, and ripens in August. It is a medium-sized fruit, changing in' colour from deep golden yellow to orange-red at maturity. The rind is very smooth and bright; there are 11 to 12 uneven sections, and the juice is of good flavour. There are few seeds. . . .... . ■

Pineapple.— tree is character; ised by large foliage. The fruit ripens in September-October. It is round in shape, medium to large in size, and a deep' orange colour when mature, • with sometimes a reddish tinge. There are 11 sections, a large solid pith, and generally 15 to 30 large seeds. 1 Valencia. Late. — This variety : has medium-sized pointed leaves. The fruit ripens in November, and is characterised by the ■ fact that locally it seldom develops full colour and if left on the tree has a habit of turning green again. This habit is more noticeable with young trees, with more fertile . soil, and when heavy manuring is practised. The fruit is usually slightly oval or elongated in shape and medium to small in size. The rind is often ribbed, pebbled, and tough. A blue appearance is often noted inside the inner lining of the rind (albedo). There are nine or more sections and up to six large and plump seeds. The flav- . our is often insipid. / •• Lue Gim Gong.— Gim Gong is reported to be a cross between Valencia Late and Mediterranean Sweet. It has the same general characteristics as Valencia, but the fruit is reported to hang'on the tree'longer. ‘ < The Blood oranges are characterised by the pulp of mature fruit having a distinct red streak. . The fruit is generally small or medium sized, and the rind also assumes a reddish blush at maturity. The trees are of a dwarfish distinct growth habit. The foliage is abundant, and leaves are small and oval,' petioles being generally without wings. : Varieties are Ruby Blood and Maltese Blood.

Ruby Blood. — This variety crops well. The fruit ripens about OctoberNovember, and is a typical blood orange. It is somewhat flatfish in shape, and of a fine colour. Juice is plentiful and of a splendid flavour. There are 12 sections, a small, compact pith, and generally about ten seeds.

Maltese Blood. — Blood is similar to Ruby Blood, -but somewhat larger and more elongated in shape. (To be continued.) —A. M. W. GREIG, Citriculturist, Auckland.

factory operation. Less head may be used where small quantities are to be filtered, but will necessitate more frequent cleaning of the collector. Tests with cider gave the following rates of filtration:

Net Head (ft). Gallons per Minute.’ 4 .65 6 1.05 8 1.43 10 1.80 12 2.50 14 3.34

Hickok and Marshall recommend mixing lib. of filter aid with each 30 gallons of cider to be filtered. In conclusion, good cider is not difficult to produce, provided that good, sound, ripe apples are used, that the utmost cleanliness is exercised in the process, and that cider is protected from all unnecessary ' contact 7 with the air. W. LINDEMAN, Vine and Wine Instructor, Auckland.

Viticulture

Points in Making Cider

THE construction and use of this, home-made filter has been described by Hickok and Marshall as .' follows:• , .. The set-up for performing the filtering operation consists of - three prin- . cipal parts:— 1. A mixing and supply tank. i 2. Elevation of the supply tank to provided pressure head on filter unit. 3. The collecting or filtering unit. The collecting unit is the novel and most essential part of the outfit. It is a long, slender, cloth tube, closed at one end, with the other end connected to a rubber hose extending from the supply tank. This tube is laid in a horizontal position in a trough. When the mixture of cider and filter aid is fed into the closed tube the pressure swells the tube to its full dimensions. The cider is forced out rather uniformly over the entire surface of the tube, and the filter aid forms a cake of -uniform thickness’ on the inside. The trough is given a slight slope so that the clear juice runs out of one end into a receptacle. The cloth tube is made of unbleached muslin, sewed to give a diameter of approximately three inches. - A tube of a larger diameter will not support the filter cake satisfactorily, and subsequent cracking and breaking of the cake, may cause cloudiness in the filtered cider. A tube one yard long is most convenient. It cleans easily, coats evenly in a short time, and is the Usual cloth width sold. It is recommended that both ends of the tube be left open to facilitate cleaning. In a use, the dead end should be folded back and carefully gathered and tied, preferably, with a single miller’s knot. The tube should be supported in the trough by a stainless steel screen. This allows free flow from the trough, and makes the entire area of the tube effective in filtering. The stainless steel screen is essential, because it is not affected by fruit acids.

It is necessary to have a small pressure head on the filter, and this can be satisfactorily secured by elevating the supply tank. The greater the elevation, the more rapid the flow will be from the filter. The net head'should not exceed 15 feet (with muslin tube) and eight feet results in very satis-

Cool Storage Notes

Inspection of Fruit in Storage

CAREFUL inspection of all lines of fruit still held in cool storage should be continued at weekly intervals until they are placed on the market. Deterioration in stored fruit can generally be detected by its external appearance, as many forms of breakdown develop on the surface. A forward state of the maturity is an important factor to be considered during inspection, as this class of fruit is subject to rot development. The distinctive flavour and quality of the variety deteriorates if held too long in cool storage. Delicious apples should not be held too long if the state of their maturity has been allowed to advance before or during storage; the external appearance of this fruit does not always indicate its condition, and when the fruit is cut and sampled it may prove to be soft, mealy, and lacking in quality. All lines of Delicious apples still held should be tested for condition, for if soft, flavourless Delicious apples * are placed on the market they will have a detrimental effect on the sale of the variety. . Large-sized : Sturmers may develop flesh collapse or internal browning. The only reliable method of detecting this in the early stages is by cutting samples of the fruit from each line. The smaller

sizes should also be tested similarly from time to time until they are placed on the market. . ' . Bitter-pit, discolouration, and rots may develop on 'Granny Smith apples from now on during the season. The large sizes should receive attention, as they are subject to deterioration, particularly if the fruit was picked from grafts or from a light crop. Granny Smith are subject to the development of discolouration if the fruit was picked too early and immediately placed in cool storage. The variety should give a good out-turn after . a long period of storage if they were, picked about April 15, wrapped in oil wraps, placed in cool storage about April 25, and held at a flesh temperature of 33 deg. F. If Granny Smith apples are allowed to become too fully matured before storage and are held at unsuitable temperatures (above 33 deg. F.) they are subject to the early development of rots and' discolouration from over-maturity. This variety, when wrapped in plain wraps, is more subject to the development of discolouration and lenticel rots. . When carrying out an inspection of apples at the cool store, the cases to be opened up for examination should be removed to the packing shed, as the

hoe “set” the plant—do not “drop” it —to the depth of the first two leaves: Hold the plant down firmly while releasing the hoe, then gather the soil round it and press compactly round the root and stem, levelling off with the fingers. Set in this manner, the young plants will not be affected to the same extent by high winds as those planted shallow. Staking Growing single-stem plants is recommended as most suitable for the home gardener. If this method is adopted, place the stakes in position immediately planting is completed. These should be 4 ft. 6 in. long, and at least 1 inch by 1 inch thick. Drive them into the soil to a depth of 15 inches and as close to the plant as possible . without damaging the root. Stakes set when the plants are partly grown damage the root system and create opportunities for parasitical attacks on the plants. A reasonable distance between the plants is 12 to 14 inches. ■ ' Tying Use light binder twine or raffia — preferably the latter—for fastening the plants to the-stakes. Flax, if properly prepared, is also suitable. The first tic should be about 8 to 10 inches from soil level. In tying, turn the binding

' " ■ • material twice round the stake and fasten tightly with a double knot. Then circle the plant and tie somewhat loosely. The next,tie will bring the plant close to the stake, but the method of fastening just described should be followed until the plant is full-grown. Cultivation of tomatoes should be shallow, and only for the purpose of weed destruction and the conservation of moisture. / . ’ Make another small sowing of seed, the plants from which should be ready for setting out about the middle of December. Tomatoes from this planting should, if properly grown, supply the household to the end of the season. In addition to pruning, tying will be further dealt with in the October issue of the “Journal.”

D. K. PRITCHARD,

Instructorin

Vegetable Culture, Wellington.

''HllllllWHllllllllllllllllhllOlhllllllhllUhlllllhlllhllW Reminders for the Month. Get the orchard soil in good tilth. Hoe lightly around the trees. Complete spring manuring. , ' Apply the first 3-4-50 Bordeaux spray. Begin systematic pruning as the main harvesting is completed.

* These were for short runs of about five gallons, and rate would be lower for longer runs with thicker filter cakes.