IRISH GARDENING 



11 



Correspondence. 



Winter Spraying 



Sir,— With reference to Sir F. W. Moore's 

 letter on this subject in your April issue, allow 

 me to say that after twelve years' annual spraying 

 I can see no bad effects, but much benefit has 

 been conferred on the trees. I used the crude 

 caustic soda washes at first, but without any 

 more evidence of their injvirious effect than a 

 feeling that they might harden the skin of a 

 tree as in our own skin. We know they burn. 

 I gave them up for a muir elaborate and linely 

 pi'dportioiu'd wash, a ]nu|iiii-tary article which 

 I use aumially. If, howevci'. hii-nnial or triennial 

 a])pli(ati()U.s can be proved efficient, much 

 cxju-nse may be saved friit growers. 



Sir Frederick has, however, jjointed out clearly 

 the difference in climate, <fcc., between England 

 and Ireland, and ])articularly striking is this 

 the case with Aldenham and Chilwell (the two 

 districts in which the two opponents of annual 

 caustic wash spraying, as recorded in the 

 dardeners' Chronicle, live). Both of these districts 

 are favoured with a small annual rainfall — 

 Aldenham 20.72 inches, f'hilwell 21.75 inches. 

 Our annual rainfall is 46.42 inches for the same 

 year, 1913 — the last available volume of 

 ''British Rainfall" I have for reference. These 

 figures bear out Sir Frederick's climatic assertion, 

 and I know the soils of both these districts are 

 lieavy, close-textured stuffs, unlike the general 

 class of soil in Ireland An interesting letter 

 favouring annual spraying with a diluted solution 

 coming from the Isle of Wight appeared in the 

 Gardeners' Chronicle of April 10th. The rainfall 

 of Isle of Wight varies in districts from 29 to 36 

 inches annually, so evidently climates with much 

 humidity and rainfall may be taken as likely to 

 benefit by annual sprayings, whereas the drier 

 ])arts of a country require less. Could accurate 

 observers be fovmd, the whole subject would pay 

 for discussion. A. F. Pearson. 



Sir. — In your April issue of Iri.sh Gardening 

 I note a very interesting letter signed F. W. 

 Moore, giving his experience of winter spraying 

 with alkali wash for fifteen years without any 

 injurious effect to either trees or croi>. Like the 

 writer I have n^et with a number of growers 

 who state caustic soda spray injures the bark 

 of apple trees, but these statements were in most 

 cases made by men who never used alkali wash 

 or very little of any other spray fluids. 

 Personally I have never found any injurious 

 effects, although I have given winter spray fluids 

 a fair trial. 



In 1905 I took charge of twenty acres of fruit 

 ))lanted on different soils and situations in the 

 south of Ireland ; the plantations were mixed, 

 including about fifteen varieties of aj)])les, some 

 l)hnus, ])ears, gooseberries, red, white and black 

 currants ; all were s])rayed for five years in 

 sucression with 1 ll-s. caustic soda, 4 lbs. crude 

 j.otash, 3 lbs. soft soap to 40 gallons water: 

 spraying commenced when the trees were only 

 three years old, and at the end of the term all 

 were in perfect health. Since then, in the north 

 of Ireland, I have tested S lbs. caustic soda. 

 3 lbs. soft soaj) to 40 gallons water for four 

 consecutive years, commencing with nine year 

 old Bramley's and I^ane's. The trees treated 

 wert' growing in the centre of an acre orchard, 

 and on bolli sides rows were left for control : the 

 s[irayed trees each year showed a maiked im- 



provement in both fruit and foUage in com- 

 Ijarison with those left for control, and no trace 

 whatsoever of hardening or injury to the bark. 



When old trees are winter-sprayed, the moss 

 and lichen soon drv up and commence to 

 crumble, also the old loose bark chii)s off. (irowers 

 have often drawn my attention to thi , which 

 is often called " burning " or '• injury." On 

 examining the bark underneath, it will' be found 

 quite sound and healthy. Any winter S])ray 

 fluid which does not remove moss', lichen, and old 

 loose bark (which is a harbour for insects and 

 their eggs) is very little value. I wish to make 

 clear to the reader that I am not stating it is 

 absolutely necessary to spray every year in all 

 cases. Common sense and judgment must Ite 

 used. Where trees are i)lanted on open situa- 

 tions, a good distance from row to row, s])raying 

 every other year may be sufficient fo keeji them 

 clean, but when jdanted closely together, or 

 surrounded by forest trees, it is advisable to spray 

 every year. J. HAf;AN. 



Sir, — I have used the caustic alkali wash 

 (8 lbs. caustic soda, 3 lbs, soft soap, 40 gallons 

 water) on young orchard trees three successive 

 seasons without noticing any ill-effects whatever. 

 The orchards were situated in various aspects 

 and were planted with the leading dessert and 

 culinary varieties. Spraying was done in calm 

 weather with the ordinary potato sprayer, which 

 gives a very fine spray. In some cases the 

 spraying was not completed till 1st March, but 

 at the time the buds had not commenced to 

 break away. I never observed any injury to 

 the buds, though one would expect, if injury 

 would result from this mixture, that the buds 

 or the base of the buds would be the first to 

 suffer. 



I had an opportunity quite recently of seeing 

 several orchards in Co. Antrim, and iii each case 

 the trees had been s])rayed successively with the 

 alkali wash with satisfactory results. One of 

 the growers informed me he used this m'xture 

 each season for five years, and, so far as he could 

 see, the trees never suffered in any way. I may 

 add that his fruit ti'ees are of mature age. 

 perfectly healthy, and studded with fruit buds. 

 I have also seen the alkali wash tried with lime 

 and sulphur and other winter-spraying mixtures, 

 and the most satisfactory results were produced 

 by the alkali mixture. 



It is, of course, possible that injury may result 

 if the mixture be made too strong, or where tlu- 

 trees are bad with lichen and too much of the 

 mixture applied during one ojierat ion. Instead of 

 si)raying l)eing harmful by continual use. I think 

 we have reason rather to deplore that nuire <if 

 this work is not being done by fruit growers 

 generallv, (•. Dooi.an. 



Belfast. 



Patrinia Palmata. 



Tiii.'S pretty little plant belongs to Ihe \al,ri.ui 

 family, and makes a ))retty dis])lay in early 

 summer, continuing in flower for a considerable 

 time. The total lieight scarcely exceeds nine 

 inches, the ))almate leaves all s]>ringing from the 

 base and surmounted by the s])reading corymbs 

 of fragrant yellow flowers. A moist ])ealy bed 

 or rece.'^s in the I'ock garden suits it admirably . 

 shade not being neci'Ssary. Seeds are ])roduced 

 fairly freely, and if sown when ri]te will germinate 

 in spring if n<d before. Alpinist. 



