Feb. 3, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 165 



Orctjarcl f{ote: 



W. J. ALLEN. 



FEBRUARY. 



Ovvix(; to the coiitinueil dry weather many of the trees in our coastal distiiets 

 are looking very bad, particularly the old citrus trees, the majority of which 

 are carrying little, if any, fruit; the younger trees, however, are in most cases 

 carrying a fair sprinkling. The dry weather has not affected tlie grape crop 

 so greatly, and it promises to be up to the average. Apples are light but 

 good, whilst apricots, plums, and peaches have been the worst crops we have 

 had for yeai's — that is, in most places it was light and the fruit undersized. 



It will be well this month to keep a close watch overall kinds of trees, and 

 wherever scale of any kind is found use e^ery effort to destroy same, either 

 bv fumigating or spraying, using any one of the many mixtures which have 

 been found by previous experience to do the best work. For the destruction 

 of San Jose scale in deciduous trees there is no better spray for this season 

 of the year than the resin and soda wash, and for citrus trees fumigation is 

 the easiest means of ridding the trees of all scales : but wherever brown scale 

 or white louse are found in the trees it is b^st to increase by one-fourth the 

 strength of the charge as given in the No. 2 fumigating table published about 

 three years back. Growers who intend to practise fumigation would do well 

 not t) treat the trees on hot days, but to do the work on cool days, at night- 

 time, or in the earlv mornings and evenings. In measuring t'le size of the 

 tree take the extreme height and width before referring to the table to 

 ascertain the quantities of chemicals to use, and be sure not to add the cyanide 

 to the mixture until after the sulpliuric acid and water have been put in the 

 l)owl or generator and the latter placed under the tent, then drop in tiie 

 cyani !e and close the tent immediately. 



Gieat care must also be exercised not to allow any of the sulphuric acid to 

 come in contact with either the hands or clothing, as it w'ill make the hands 

 very sore, and if it touches the clothes or tents it will burn holes in them. 

 Never spray with Bordeatix mixture after fumigating. 



Keep the cultivator at work this m'inth, and in this way keep down alt 

 weeds, as also the land in a fine state of tilth. 



Ccmtinue to fight the codling moth by picking up and destroying all fruit 

 found underneath the trees and seen to be inffst^-d with the moth, and give 

 regular attention to the bandages. 



Pick up and destroy all tiy-infected fruit. 



Wh^-re irrigation is practised see that the trees and Aines are given a good 

 soaking if they require it, Imt in most cases during normal seasons vines 

 should not require any further watering, as in the case of raisin grapes it 

 would retard the ripening period, which is precisely what we wish to hasten. 

 It may help dessert varieties intended for marketing late in the fall or early 



