IRISH GARDENING. 



75 



one foot apart and cover with the remaining 

 soil. If stakes are used they should be eight 

 or nine feet high, or strings of the same height 

 can be aiTanged as suggested for Climbing 

 French Beans. In the absence of stakes the 

 market gardener's plan of pinching the points 

 of the shoots at two feet high is quite a suit- 

 able practice, and plenty of pods will be avail- 

 able for use in the autumn. All the beans 

 mentioned above are at once susceptible to 

 frost, and consequently should not be sown 

 before the 1st May, unless in districts where 

 frosts are rare after the middle of April. Like- 

 wise the first shai*p frost in late autumn will 

 put an end to the crop. The stems, leaves 

 and roots of all these beans should not be re- 

 moved and wasted, but should be dug into 

 the soil as thev form pxeellent manure. 



Preserving Fruit without Sugar. 



The article on the above subject by Mr. Pow, 

 w'hich appeared in the April number of Irish 

 Gardening, is full of valuable information, 

 especially so now when sugar is only supplied 

 to those who grow the fruit, and not to those 

 who would buy fruit for preseiwing if sugar 

 could be obtained. As regards the covering of 

 the bottles, it may interest those who contem- 

 plate trying this method, to know that caps, 

 rubber rings, &c., mentioned by Mr. Pow 

 are not essential. Excellent results have been 

 obtained by covering with paraffin wax. This 

 wax can be bought fx'om any druggist at 1/6 

 to 1/9 per lb. It should be boiled dowm. to 

 a liquid, and when boiling poured on to the 

 water in the bottles immediately on I'emoval 

 from the fire or stove, or whatever the heating 

 apparatus may be. Only a thin layer is neces- 

 sary, certainly not more than ^ an inch, and a 

 ^ inch is quite sufficient. This cools quickly, 

 and forms a complete seal, excluding all air 

 from the bottles. No further covering is neces- 

 sary, but for appearance sake an ordinary jam 

 pot paper cover may be put on to prevent dust 

 adhering to the wax if the bottles are to be 

 stored for any length of time. In pre-war days 

 lard answered the purpose of covering, used 

 in the same way, and giving the same good 

 results, but all housekeepers know the 

 value of that article now, and would hesitate 

 to use it for fruit covering. 



Half-a-pound of paraffin wax would cover 

 12 to 18 bottles, according to size. As regards 

 bottles, any glass bottle, from which it would 

 be easy to extract the fruit will do — the bottles 

 in W'hich preserved fruits are bought from a 

 shop, bottles bought specially for bottling fruit, 

 or even glass jam jars. E. M. Pollock. 



Spring and Summer Spraying of 

 Fruit Trees. 



Cater pillars. — There is every likelihood of a bad 

 attack of caterpillars on fruit trees this year, and, 

 since there will be a great demand for fruit, it is 

 especially important that growers should keep a 

 sharp look-out for them just as the buds are open- 

 ing. If the caterpillars are discovered and de- 

 stroyed then, little real damage will be done to the 

 trees, but if nothing is done a bad attack may 

 develop, resulting in the stripping of the leaves and 

 a severe or total loss of crop. 



A nicotine and soap wash is the most satisfactory 

 means of killing the caterpillars before the flowers 

 have opened, as it destroys Apple Sucker and Aphis 

 at the same time. The application should be made 

 by means of a spraying machine or garden syringe, 

 applied in a coarse spray with plenty of force so 

 that the wash penetrates right into the buds and 

 fruit trusses and .so poisons the caterpillars' food. 

 To make sufficient solution for 10 medium-sized 

 trees dissolve J lb. of soap, preferably soft, in a 

 little hot water, dilute with cold water to make 

 10 gal.; add | oz. of nicotine (95 per cent, purity) 

 and stir well. It is best to use soft water, if 

 possible, but when only hard water is available 

 increase the amount of soap to 1 lb. 



There are many satisfactory "proprietary" in- 

 secticides containing nicotine on the market which 

 may be used instead of this wash. 



If the attack is not discovered until after the 

 flowers are open a solution of lead arsenate must 

 be substituted, as nicotine will not kill well-grown 

 caterpillars. 



The arsenate of lead shovdd be bought in the 

 form of a paste. Half a pound of paste dissolved 

 in 10 gal. of water i.s, sufficient for 10 medium-sized 

 trees. The wash must, be applied in a very fine 

 spray so that the entire surface of the leaves is 

 covered with the poison. Spraying should cease 

 when the leaves begin to drip. The amount of 

 arsenate of lead eaten by the caterpillar as it feeds 

 on the leaves is sufficient to cause its death. 



Aphis (Blight). — There are many species of 

 Aphides (commonly known as blight or greenfly) 

 which attack fruit trees. In most cases they cause 

 leaf curling and severe injury to the young shoots. 



These insects have no biting mouths, but obtain, 

 their nourishment by sucking the juices from the 

 internal tissue of the host-plant through a long 

 tongue or proboscis. Consequently poisoning their 

 food is useless, and a spray which will kill tbem 

 by actual contact must be used. 



It is essential to spray as soon as the first signs 

 of attack are noticed — the female aphides reproduce 

 young with enormous rapidity if circumstances are 

 favourable ; but an attack can be reduced very con- 

 siderably, if not entirely prevented, by killing them 

 before they have commenced breeding. 



Moreover, once the leaves are curled it is im- 

 possible to kill the aphides by spraying, as the 

 deformed leaves afford them perfect protection. 



The best wash to use is nicotine and soap as 

 already described, but 20 gal. will be required for 

 10 trees. 



Apply the wash with plenty of force in a coarse 

 spray, using a spraying machine or garden syringe. 

 Make quite sure that all the leaves and shoots are 

 thoroughly wetted. 



General Notes. — Thoroughly wash out and clean 

 the spraying machine with cold water after use tq 

 prevent clogging. 



