July 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 523 



Orchard Notes* 



July. 



W. J. ALLEN and W. le GAY BRERETON. 



Frost and Dry Weather. 

 Many of our coastal districts are experiencing unusually heavy frosts. 

 While such winter frosts are beneficial to deciduous fruit trees, they are 

 liable, if continuous and accompanied by dry weather, seriously to affect 

 the hanging crop of citrus fruits. Oranges, lemons and mandarins may show 

 no external frost injury, but will be found lacking in juice. This defect 

 increases as the fruit is kept hanging, and citrus growers who are experiencing 

 frosty and dry conditions should market the fruit from the exposed part of 

 the trees as early as possible in the season. Under ordinary conditions, 

 Thompson's Improved Navel will, as a rule, turn dry early in the season, and 

 should always be marketed early on that account. 



Ploughing. 



Winter ploughing should be pushed forward this month and completed 

 not later than early in August. This work should be put through in good 

 time in order that the soil may absorb the late winter rains, and so that the 

 manure, cover crops and weeds ploughed under may have a chance to rot 

 and make available the plant food they contain for and when the trees 

 require it in the spring. 



Manuring. 



If the trees require it, manure can be applied at the winter ploughing. 

 Only a small area should be spread at a time, so that it will be ploughed in 

 the same day, for if rain falls before the manure is covered much of it may 

 be washed away. In small areas, where it is practicable, it is a good plan to 

 spread the manure along each furrow, turning the next sod on to it. Such 

 manures as nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia could be applied in the 

 spring. 



Pruning. 



Apples and pears will this month be in a good condition for pruning. The 

 two types of yearling laterals that these trees carry are not always recognised ; 

 ■one has well-developed plump eyes, and the other poorly developed, almost 

 blind eyes. In such varieties as Jonathan, where, as a rule, the first men- 

 tioned type of lateral largely predominates, the pruner has little to trouble 

 about, as by giving all the yearling laterals plenty of length and shortening 



he thin ones more than those that are stout and strong, the great majority 

 will develop spurs along their length and only in rare exceptions will lateral^ 



remain bare. 



