-II Dec, 1911-] Orchard and Garden Notes. 821 



ORCHARD AND GARDEN NOTES. 



E. E. Fescott, Principal, Horticultural School, Burnley. 



The Orchard. 

 Care of Young Trees. 



The care of the young tree at this .season of the year is one of the 

 •.most important of orchard operations. A very considerable number of 

 young trees has been planted out during the past planting season, and it 

 is thought advisable to draw attention to this. Whatever care and attention 

 are given to young trees will be amply repaid to the grower in after years, 

 •owing to the vigour, sturdiness, and other qualities thus imparted to them. 

 It is a mistake to plant a young orchard, and, after cutting back the trees, 

 "to leave them practically to their own devices, other than following the 

 usual methods of soil cultivation. 



The trees, after the early summer cultivation and cleaning of the .soil, 

 should be mulched with straw, grass, or leafage of some description. This 

 mulching should not be crowded around the stem, its object being mainly . 

 to create moist and cool soil conditions, and to encourage a free root 

 •establishment. The mulch material should be occasionally stirred, and no 

 weed or grass growth should be allowed to accumulate amongst it. Where 

 mulching material is not available, a very frequent earth mulch should be 

 .given, bv constantly stirring the soil within a few feet of the young trees. 



In addition to mulching, it will be beneficial to spray the young trees 

 with water wherever possible, particularly on hot or windy days. At such 

 limes, the transpiration of moisture from the foliage is very excessive and 

 continuous, and a water spray is thus very helpful to the young trees. 



Further, all unnecessary buds should be rubbed off. particularly on the 

 -main trunk ; and all growths in the centre should Ije pinched back, so as 

 to force as much sap as possible into the growths which will ultimately 

 form the framework of the tree. Similar attention should also be given 

 to grafted trees ; although they may not need mulching to the extent that 

 young trees do, yet the water sprayings and disbudding work will l)e of 

 great benefit to them. 



Ordinary orchard work will now include cultivation. Frequent soil 

 Avorkings will be necessary so as to keep a surface mulch and to keep 

 •down weeds. 



SpR.^VI^G. 



Spraving witli arsenate of lead for various i)ests will now be rccfiving 

 attention. 'J'ht-se include the ctKliin moth, cherry slug, root borer, looper 

 ■c.at«T|)illar, and various leaf-eating insects. 



Thf question of the number of sprays necessary to keep the codlin 

 moth in check is receiving attention in various parts of the world ; ami the 

 " one spray method " in the control of this in.sect is Ix'ing considtTal)|y 

 advanced. Last season, extensive exixTimcnls wen- carrie<l out in thrti- 

 States in .America to test this thi-ory. The one spray method Iws for it.s 

 basis the indisiK'nsable re(|ui.site that the inner calyx cup of the very 

 young apple shall I>e filled with the p<^ison — the young larxne seeking 

 entrance therein will l»e killed by endeavouring to eat their way through. 

 -Trior to these experiments. Professor Melander reported, in 1909, that a 



