628 Journal of Agriculture. [lo Oct., 1908, 



Little is gained as a rule by extra early planting of cucurbitaceous plants, 

 a severe frost or sudden change to a fairly low temperature being a common 

 experience and one that effectually checks the early plants. Warm sunny 

 positions should be given to water-melons to enable'them to ripen during the 

 warm weather, the season of demand for the fruit. 



Seeds of various vegetables, including French beans, peas, cabbage, 

 turnip, and various saladings may be sown, and plantings made from 

 former sowings as required. 



THE ORCHARD. 



James Lang, Harcourt. 



Splendid rains have again fallen since last month, and the outlook for 

 a good season is very much brighter than it was two months ago. The 

 weather has been very changeable during the past few weeks, and the ex- 

 treme cold experienced has retarded the bloommg of the trees ; however, a 

 few warm days will soon bring the blossom out, and, unless cold weather 

 again sets in, the season will be as early as usual. Fruit trees of all kinds 

 give promise of heavy crops, and in the absence of hot winds or frosts 

 during the blooming period, the crop will be a record one. 



Ploughing the orchard should now take precedence over all other work, 

 and be pushed on and completed as soon as possible; once the ground is 

 turned over it is an easy matter to keep it well stirred up during the 

 summer. 



Where peas w-ere sown down during the autumn they should be ploughed 

 in at once before the weather gets too dry. Roll them down with a heavy 

 roller, and plough in with a plough fitted with a circular colter to cut the 

 peas ; plough the same way as the peas have been rolled — only roll down 

 a space that can be ploughed in during the day, as, if left too long, the 

 peas commence to rise up, when it is difficult to make a good job of turning, 

 them in. 



The cold showery weather which has been experienced is very favorable 

 for the propagation of the Black Spot of the apple and pear. Growers will 

 therefore have to spray with the Bordeaux mixture at the proper time — 

 just when the flower is about to burst. To keep the disease in check, 

 another spraying should be given later on when the fruit is well set. 



Peach trees also will require attention for the aphis and curl in the leaf. 



Spray also for codlin moth as recommended in last month's notes. The 

 trees should also be bandaged to trap the grub when it leaves the apple;. 

 by doing this a check is kept on the spraying, showing whether it is effective 

 or not ; if effective, very few grubs will be found in the bandages, which 

 should be examined every ten or twelve days, and all grubs found destroyed. 



Strawberry plantations should now be cleaned up, and kept free from 

 weeds by scarifying at every available opportunity. A layer of straw 

 spread around the plants as a mulch keeps the fruit clean, and prevents the 

 evaporation of moisture. 



Citrus fruits can also be planted now, where a supply of water is avail- 

 able to water them during the dry weather. 



Grafting apples may still be done if the scions are in a backward state- 

 When the scion starts into growth, rub off all shoots below the graft. 



