426 Agricultural Gazette of N.S. W. {May 2, 1908. 



Orcljard I\otes. 



W. J. ALLEN. 



:\Iay. 



J)Ui!iN(; tlie last week in Match the Department of Agriculture received from 

 California a shipment of fruit trees of various kinds, as well as some of the 

 best varieties of walnuts and almonds, many of which will be planted at the 

 Yanco Irrii^ation Orchard. The impor-tation consisterl of \arieties of a])ples, 

 almonds, api'icots, cherries, oi-anges, |K^aclies, plums, pears, and walnuts, the 

 greater number of which arrived in splendid condition, notwithstanding the 

 fact that it was two months since they had left the nursery in California. 

 As it is doubtful whether the apjjle-trees are worked on bliglit-proof stock, 

 we do not intend })lanting them in oui- orchards, but in an isolated sj»ot 

 .where they may be expected to do well. Buds will be taken from them and 

 inserted into older trees which are already established in the orchards, and 

 in this way we will avoid jtlanting any trees in our orchards which are not 

 on blight-])roof stocks. 



Plantiny Yomty Orcliarch. — Where young orchards are to be planted this 

 season the work of preparing the ground shf)uld l)e j)ushed on as rapidly as 

 j^ossible'; that is, the land should be cleared, Mell fenced, ploughed, and 

 .sub-soiled, and wherever irrigation is to be ))ractised, the land .should be 

 graded so as to facilitate the running of the water. 



Wherever it is necessary to enclose the orchard with wire-netting, and 1 

 am sorry to say that this is a precaution which cannot be overlooked in many 

 parts of the State, it is best to use a good wide netting with small mesh at 

 the bottom, as it is wondei'ful through what a small mesh a young rabbit 

 will get, as well as how high a fence he will scale ; tlierefore, if the orchardist 

 wishes to preserve his trees from the onslaughts of these pests, he must see 

 that the orchard is securely enclosed. 



Lay out the orchard ]>roj)erly, giving the trees plenty of room, so that 

 there will be a sufficient ai-ea from which they can draw moisture to keep 

 them in good growing coiulition during dry years. 



At time of planting cut all ap2)le and pear trees down to within a foot of 

 the ground, and other fruit trees to within 1") inches. There is nothing like 

 ii good low-headed tree which lends itself naturally to the arts of the pruner, 

 sprayer, picker, itc, nor does it suffer so severely as the higher trees from the 

 effects of liigh winds, the trunks do not sun scald, and it is in every way a 

 most desirable tree to ha\e. 



RefilliiKj Old Orchards.- -Refills in deciduous orchards should be planted 

 as early as })ossible. 



