lo Nov., 1908.] The Orchard. 703 



THE ORCHARD. 



James Lf-ing, Harcoiirt. 



There have been splendid falls of rain all over the State during the past 

 month, and crops of all kinds have greatly benefited. Fruit trees have 

 bloomed most profusely, and all kinds seem to be setting well. It is 

 astonishing how rapidly the bloom opened on all kinds of apples during the 

 few hot davs experienced ; nearly all varieties opened within a few days of 

 each other. The London Pippin, Annie Elizabeth, and Reinette du 

 Canada were the last to bloom. Although the trees were in bloom only a 

 shojt time the fruit is setting for very heavy crops ; apples and pears 

 especially give promise of record crops all over the State. Should this an- 

 ticipation prove to be correct a very large proportion of the crop will have 

 to be exported to oversea markets, so that a remunerative price may be 

 obtained in local markets for the balance. 



Weeds are now growing apace, and the scarifier should be kept at work 

 to keep them down ; this also prevents the ground from becoming caked, 

 as after rain, if not stirred up it soon becomes hard and dry, and the 

 moisture soon evaporates. 



Young grafts will have to be looked over the ties, being cut and secured 

 to stakes to prevent them being blown off. Spraying for codlin moth will 

 take up a good deal of the orchardist's time during the month. In spray- 

 ing, keep up a strong pressure from the pump, and spray each tree 

 thoroughlv so that it may be effective. An American authority recommends 

 only one spraying given at a very high pressure just after the petals have 

 dropped from the flower ; he maintains that if this is properly done, no 

 other spraving is necessary. This is not in accord with the experience of 

 most of our leading orchardists who spray from six to ten times during the 

 season. If the voung grubs from the first brood all entered the apple from 

 the eye, this might be so, but the hatching of the first brood extends over a 

 lengthened period. The writer caught the first moth this season on the 

 loth October, and thev will be hatching out every day till about the first 

 week in January — a period of three months. Close observation has shown 

 that the grubs which are hatched late enter the apple from the side, there- 

 fore to rely on only one spraying would be to court failure in effectively 

 destroying the grub. Spraying, to be effective, should be done at intervals 

 of not more than fourteen days right through the growing season, and if 

 carefullv done not more than 5 per cent, of the fruit should be affected 

 with the moth. 



Finish bandaging the trees this month. Newly planted trees should 

 be looked over and all young shoots not wanted to form the tree should be 

 rubbed off. If peach trees are affected with the curl in the leaf spray with 

 Bordeaux mixture. Apple trees affected with the woollv aphis should be 

 dressed with the sulphur potash remedy previously recommended. 



