lo Jan., 1911-] Orchard and Garden Notes. 63 



this, the harrows and scarifier will need to be in constant use. The 

 surface should also be well cultivated as soon as possible after each irriga- 

 tion. By these means a good supply of soil water is retained and the trees 

 do not suffer during any stress of hot or windy weather. The orchard 

 should be kept free of weeds and useless growths ; all suckers should be 

 hoed out, and nothing left that would rob the trees of any moisture what- 

 ever. 



Where the orchard is irrigated, a good watering should be given to the 

 trees after each picking, so as to improve the quality of any fruit remain- 

 ing on the tree. Unless the soil is well drained, a heavy flooding should 

 not be resorted to. 



Spraying. 



The Codlin Moth is prevalent this season, and spraying for this insect 

 will require to be very thorough. A spraying should be given during the 

 second week in January, and another in a month's time. All infected fruit 

 should be picked from the tree or gathered from the ground and destroyed 

 by boiling. It is a common practice among orchardists to place the infected 

 fruit in heaps, and attempt to destroy the larvae by building a fire on top 

 of the fruit. This method cannot be too strongly condemned, as it is 

 almost inevitable that a nurnber of larvae will escape. The only way to 

 properly deal with such fruit by burning is to have it burned in a furnace ; 

 failing this, boiling is the surest method of extermination when the larvae 

 are in the fruit. The caterpillars and chrysalids should be searched out of 

 their hiding-places, under the bark, in the crevices of the tree, &c. All 

 bandages should be well cleaned, and no chance whatever given to the 

 insects to develop into the second brood. 



Further analyses of various brands of Arsenate of Lead were published 

 in last month's Journal, and the grower is always advised to study these 

 figures before purchasing his spraying material. In South Australia, an 

 Act has been passed to regulate the sale of insecticides and fungicides. 

 The provisions of the Act are on the same lines as the Artificial Manures 

 Act now in force in Victoria. That there is a necessity for this, not only 

 in South Australia, is shown by the fact that, during the pre.sent season, 

 as well as previously, complaints have been received of injuries done to 

 trees as a result of spraying with various mixtures now on the market. 

 The Act provides that a standard may be fixed, both minimum and maxi- 

 mum, for all insecticides or fungicides ; for the issue of an invoice showing 

 the percentage of any ingredient, and for the publication of analyses. By 

 these means it is anticipated that a much better quality of spraying mixtures 

 will be placed on the market. 



Owing to the cool weather experienced during this season. Woolly 

 A])his is becoming abundant, particularly in sheltered situations. It is 

 advisable to free the trees as much as possible of this pest now ; as, if left 

 till the winter, it will destroy a large number of buds on the tree. A 

 strong tolincro solution, any lime spray, resin wash, or kerosene emulsion, 

 will easily kill the insect. 



Fumigation. 



Citrus and other evergreen trees that are attacked by scale insects should 

 be freed from the .scale at this time. Although spraving with >u(ii mixtures 

 as resin compound, crude pctroltuin rnnilsion. sulphur, lime, and salt 



