1040 Agricultural Gazette of N.S. TV. [Dec. 2, 1908. 



Orcljard I\otes. 



W. J. ALLEN. 



December. 



Exporting Apples. — Tt is time to make ari-angements tm- s|iac(' in boats if 

 fruit is to be sent to Eurojje this cominj^ fall. It woiild Ih' well for those 

 who have a good crop to arrange to send a ti'ial shipment, l)e it ever so 

 small, either in conjunction with some ])erson or (•()in])any wlio are e\])orting, 

 or better still, through the medium of tlie Fi-uit (Jrowci-s' T"^jiioii. 



IrrKjation. — Where irrigation is practised it will he found necessary in 

 most cases to give the soil a good soaking this month. Where young trees or 

 vines are being watered, see that the soil is \<A\ soaked around their i-oots, 

 and as soon as the ground is dry enough aftei' the watering, cultivate the land 

 thoroughly and work niound the ti'ees and \ines witli a fork hoe. 



Fruit Curing. — Apricots will be. the principal fruits for curing this niontli. 

 >See that the fruit is jierfectly ripe before picking ; then cut them evenly, 

 fumigate, and put them out in the sun with as little delay as possible. Do 

 not cure them too much, but take them in when yet quite pliable, after most 

 of the moisture has left them. Pamphlets on curing fruit may be had on 

 application to the Department of Agriculture, which will give all details in 

 connection with this important work. (Fruit drying, Miscellaneous Publica- 

 tion No. 919 ; Canning and P,ottling, No. 999.)"^ 



Cult ivnf ion. — All orchard land siiould be kept free from weeds, and to this 

 end the horses and cultivators should have but little rest this month, as an 

 orchard neglected for a few days will soon be covered with a coating of summer 

 grass which will take many a hard day's woi'k to eradicate ; aiul couch grass 

 spreads rapidly when left undisturbed. Where there are l)ad patches of 

 couch grass, they should be ploughed up and harrowed on a vei'v hot day, as 

 the roots soon die wlien e,\]iosed to the suji. 



Passion lunes wliich have been properly pruned and manured during 

 November will now l)e putting on good growth and blooming freely. This 

 fruit will be ready to meet the demand at Easter, when it usually finds a 

 ready sale at good prices. 



Pests. — Keep a strict lookout for pests, and if trees have not been fumigated 

 or sprayed, as the case may be, the grower should lose no time before beginning 

 to fight them. 



For scales on citrus trees December, January, and February are good 

 months for either spraying or fumigating, but for fungus diseases it is gener- 

 ally best to spi-ay once before the tree blooms and again as soon as the fruit 

 has set, ra+^her than leaving it until now. In many cases, however, later 



