768 Agriculhiral Journal of Victoria. 



THE ORCHARD. 



By Jas. Lang. 

 Planting and Pruning. 



Planting and pruning operations will be tlie principal work for 

 July and August, and tlie former should be finislied as early as 

 possible. Tlie land is now in good condition ; after a rather dry 

 autumn sufficient rain has fallen to facilitate planting operations. A 

 list of the best kinds of the different fruits to plant was given in tlie 

 July, 1903, number of the Journal. 



Pruning should be taken in hand as early as possible this mouth 

 and pushed on until finished. In pruning old fruit trees always 

 remember that the fi'uit spurs want regulating by thinning and 

 cutting back quite as much as thinning out the young wood. In our 

 climate, especially in the dry districts, there is always a tendency on 

 the part of fruit trees to form more fruit spurs than is necessary, 

 consequently if they are not properly thinned out the tree carries 

 more fruit than it can properly mature, and it is therefore small and 

 almost unmarketable, so that a judicious thinning out becomes a 

 necessity if really good fruit is wanted. In pruning young trees 

 avoid the fault of leaving too many main branches and thus prevent 

 overcrowding. In cutting back the leading shoots it is a useful rule 

 to take off about two-thirds of the young growth, leaving about one- 

 third on the tree. As a general thing this will be pretty near the 

 mark, though weak growing trees may be shortened back a little 

 more, while strong growing trees may be left a lirtle longer. 



Towards the end of August is a good time to plant strawberry 

 beds ; the plants start to grow at once, and less labour is needed in 

 keeping them free from weeds than if planted earlier. 



The Export Season. 



The export season has been a disappointing one, prices on the 

 whole having ruled low all through the season. The London agents 

 also complain of the poor quality of the fi'uit. Mr. J. B. Thomas, 

 Covent Garden, writes : — " There is no doubt that this season's fruit 

 from your colonies is generally lacking in quality and keeping con- 

 dition." This, with the unusually large quantities of American 

 apples held over in cool storage, and the early spring experienced in 

 England and the Continent, bringing strawberries and cherries into 

 the market much earlier than usual, accounts in a great measure for 

 the low prices returned. At the same time such varieties as Munroe's 

 Favorite, Cleopatra, Jonathan, Dumelow's Seedling, and Newtown 

 Pippin have realised very remunerative prices. Account sales for 

 Newtown Pippins ex " Ortona " gave an average of 14s. per case for 

 the whole consignment. 



