374 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [May 3, 1920. 



main branches. It lias also been found that in very vigorous trees that have 

 their shape ^^ell established, it is -well only to thin the leaders out and not to 

 top them back for a season. This non-topping also encourages the furnishing 

 of laterals below. 



The apricot crops both on the previous year's laterals and on older spurs, 

 but on most varieties the tendency is for these spurs to die out after two or 

 three seasons, starting from the base of the lateral ; consequently the laterals 

 soon only produce fruit towards their tips. This may be avoided by 

 following a system of renewal very similar to that described for the peach. 



Plums, on the other hand, mostly develop permanent fruiting spurs. 

 These can generally be obtained by leaving the laterals long in the trees, 

 and shortening them back in later years when the spurs are established and 

 the trees are making less growth. In older trees where spurs have multi- 

 plied too numerously they should be thinned out in order to pre^■ent over- 

 setting and consequent small fruit ; exhausted spurs should also be removed 

 to encourage the growth of new spurs or laterals which will subsequently 

 fo}*m fresh spurs. 



Wraps on buds, either in nursery stock or old trees, may now be removed. 



The Control of Pests. 



Woolly aphis generally gets ahead of the orchard ist during the busy part of 

 the fruit season, when it is almost impossible to attend to it. In these cases 

 the trees should be sprayed as soon as the crop is gathered. A high pressure 

 spray should be used and the nozzle held very close to the affected parts of 

 the tree. When spraying in this manner a large quantity of spray is used, 

 and on big trees quite a pool of mixture will accumulate at the base of the 

 tree by the time the spraying is completed. For this reasovi it is safer at 

 this time of the year to use a tobacco wash, rather than an oil spray, to deal 

 with this pest. 



Although the apple and pear crop may be harvested, the codlin moth 

 bandages should be kept on the trees. Many grubs will be found sheltering 

 in the bandages, having been driven out of other hiding places by the cold 

 weather and winter rains. 



In citrus orchards situated in localities where fruit fly has been bad 

 during the summer, kerosene traps should be hung on the sunny sides 

 of the trees. Two-pound jam tins cut down to a depth of '2\ inches, and 

 fitted with wire handles, make good traps, and do not spill as readily as flat 

 tins like sardine tins. All fallen fruit should be regularly picked up and 

 destroyed by either burning or boiling. 



Harvesting. 



In the tableland districts there will still be late varieties of apples, such as 

 Yates and Granny Smith, to harvest. 



The winter crop of passion fruit will be coming in this month. The fruit 

 should be regularly picked as it reaches a uniform black colour. 



