10 June, 1918.] Apple Culture in Victoria. 363 

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period of vegetation, as long as this condition through want of water 

 is allowed to continue. 



The main objectives of cultivation after watering may be enumerated 

 thus: — To destroy the surface cracks or capillary ducts, to aerate the 

 Irrigated portion, to produce a fine soil covering or mulch by means of 

 which the moisture is conserved. The result is that a moderate amount 

 of moisture is retained, and the quantity and number of waterings may 

 be reduced. The disc cultivator and spring-tooth harrow are the best 

 implements to employ when cultivating at this time. 



Plate 170 illustrates the advantage of cultivation after irrigation. 

 Fig. 1 shows a portion of cultivated land with fine soil mulch; Fig. 2 

 a portion of surface soil cracked after watering, and requiring cultivation. 



Plate 171 is a drawing depicting in cross section a portion of irri- 

 gated land. Fig. 1 shows the position of the irrigation furrows (a) 

 and (&), in relation to the tree, and the arrows represent the downward 

 percolation of the water. Fig. 2 is the same cross section showing the 

 advantages of cultivation after watering, as compared with the undesir- 

 able condition created through neglect of same. The portion of surface 

 on the left of the tree and marked (a), having been reduced to fine 

 earth, prevents the escape of the water. The arrows under this portion 

 represent the capillary ascent of the moisture, which, being conserved 

 by the earth mulch, is made available to the roots. The uncultivated 

 portion (&), on the right of the tree, shows the capillary ducts, which 

 are usually most numerous in the furrows and other surface depres- 

 sions. The arrows in this case also represent the moisture which, for 

 want of a mulch, passes through the ducts into the air. 



(To he continued.) 



BEES AND FRUIT. 



An Agricultural Society of Florence, Italy, has recently carried out a 

 thorough investigation of the alleged injury of fruit by bees, and has 

 completely c?;onerared the latter. Bees are unable to perforate the skin 

 of fruit, and it is only incidentally that they suck the juices of fruits 

 injured by other natural causes. The damage sometimes attributed to 

 these insects is due to poultry, wild birds, wind, and hail, and even more 

 frequently to hornets, wasps, vine moths, and other insects. 



Instead of being harmful to orchards and vineyards, bees perform the 

 useful service of effecting the cross-pollination of flowers and hence the 

 setting of fruit, as well as the desiccation of damaged fruits (especially 

 grapes) by sucking the juice and pulp, and thus preventing fermentation 

 and rot extending to sound individuals. The orchards and vineyards 

 frequented by bees give the most constant crops. — Scientific American. 



