II Sept., 191 i.] Passion Fruit Culture. 603 



To obtain heavy crops from plants in bearing, intense culture, with a 

 fair amount of manure, is essential. The land between the trellises should 

 be ploughed at least twice a year and harrowed regularly, particularly 

 after rain during summer and autumn. A spring-tooth harrow is very use- 

 ful for the purpose. 



A liberal supi)ly of staljle manure, when plentiful, should be given; if 

 not, artificial manure as recommended for young plants should be used at 

 the rate of 4 lbs. i^er plant or 8 cwts. per acre and harrowed in during 

 early spring. 



Pruning. 



The \ines should not be pruned until the frosts have disappeared. 

 \"oung plants suffer badly from frost. They .should be protected for the first 

 two years by branches of evergreen trees being placed around them; old 

 hessian also .serves the purpose. When a ycung plant becomes frost-bitten, 

 the diseased parts should be removed with a sharp knife; the cut should 

 be made about \ in. into the sound wood. If any of the diseased wood be 

 allowed to remain, decay continues. 



Superfluous wood and foliage should be allowed to remain on the older 

 vines until after the frosts are over, as they help to save the vines. Thev 

 may then be removed with advantage. 



Diseases. 



Old passion vines are very subject to Collar Rot {Fusarium). This 

 disease is more easily contracted, and is more difficult to deal with, when 

 the plants are allowed to establish themselves by throwing up a number 

 of leaders from or below the surface of the ground (e). The stems should 

 be kept clean and about 3 in. long, like (/). This can only be satisfactorily 

 done by putting the plants on the wires while young, and thus rendering 

 the work in connexion with their requirements easy. This disea.se may be 

 kept in check by .scraping off the diseased bark at the collar and sjiraying 

 with Bordeaux mixture. 



Passion jilants al.so suffer from Brown Spot of the leaf and fruit 

 {Glocosporium). This di.'ease may be suppressed by thinning out the 

 diseased parts, and by the judicious use of Bordeaux mixture. 



The vines suffer but little from in.sect disea.ses. Occasionally, the stems 

 and roots are attacked by the White Ant {Termes australis). The ants 

 rarely attack young vigorous plants, but confine their attention mostly to 

 old and decaying ones or tho.se which are affected with Collar Rot. Such 

 ];lants .should receive immediate attention, as recommended, when the ants 

 will share the fate of the Collar Rot. If this were found to be ineffectual 

 .-;gainst the ants, kero.sene emulsion might be injected into the disea.sed 

 parts. Old vines which have cea.sed to produce remunerative crops through 

 <lisease or other causes should be grubbed out and burned. 



