954 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.JF. [Noc. 2, 11)08. 



Orchard Notes. 



W. J. ALLEX. 



NOVEMBEK. 



Ciiltivatlon. — It is most iiiiportaiit that the cultivation of the soil sliould 

 receive special attention at this season of the year, as by keeping the gi-ouiid 

 well worked to a depth of several inches it prevents evaporation. Aftei- each 

 "rain oi' irrii;atioii tlu^ whole <if the urchards and vineyards sliould receive a 

 thorough cultivation iimnediately the ground is dry enough. 1 >(> not wait 

 until a hai-d crust forms on the top of the soil, but jjut on all available help 

 and have the surface broken up immediately. Keep the trees and viiu's well 

 worked around with a fork hoe or pronged fork. The plough should never 

 be brought into requisition at this timf> of the year, except, ]»erhaps, in a 

 very wet, cool district ; but the soil sliould he kept stirred to a depth of four 

 or five inches with a good cultivator. 



Summer Priming may be started this month, and it is well to go ovei- and 

 regulate the growth of all j'oung trees, thinning and shortening back where 

 rec^uired, that is, where the tree is growing too thick, and prurung or piiudiing 

 back so as to keep the tree evenly balanced and symmetrical. This early 

 suinmer pruning is more for young trees, to aid in directing the growth to 

 that part of the tree where it is most required. 



Pruning of citrus trees may be continued wherever not completed. 



Pruning and majiui'ing of passion-fruit vines may be cai-ried out during 

 the early part of this month. 



Whenever Thorny Mandarins show signs of cropping too hea^■ily, it will 

 be well to prune them a little more severely, as well as removing some 

 of the fruit from the tree, so that the latter will not overbear and exhaust 

 itself this season. If aUowed to overbear the fruit will be small and almost 

 worthless. 



Budding of citi'us trees may still he carried on. 



Irriyation. — Where irrigation is practised, a thorough watei'ing should be 

 given to all trees towards the end of the month. This should be the second 

 watering of the season. Be most careful to keep the water confined to the 

 furrows, as wherever the land is flooded it is likely to become hard. As 

 soon as the furrows are dry enough to work, cultivate the orchard twice, and 

 loosen the soil around any young trees with a fork hoe. 



Spraying. — All citrus trees attacked by the iNIaori or other fungous diseases 

 should be sprayed with Bordeau.x mixture. In applying a spray like Bordeaux 

 mixture to citrus trees it will be found advantageous to apply it in a small 

 quantity at a time, in two successive spraying.s, rather than one heavy appli- 

 cation, which may run off the surface of the young fruit. 



