lo June, 1909.] Orchard Notes. 395 



liable to frost and kinds and varieties susceptible to its influence should be 

 avoided there. Some of the finest apricot trees in the State are growing 

 at Bacchus Marsh, but they are frequently barren solely on account of 

 frost, while at Batesford, near Geelong, it has been found necessary to 

 protect the trees in spring by means of hessian sheets arranged on wire 

 frames overhead. Apples and pears do not suffer under the same con- 

 ditions and it would be more profitable and would relieve the orchardists 

 of a deal of anxietv if these fruits had been planted instead. 



The outlook at present points to apples and pears being the best fruits 

 to plant, especially in the Southern districts. Inter-State markets absorb 

 a great quantity of pears and the opinion of most qualified people interested 

 in various departments of the industry is that the demand is increasing and 

 is sure to continue increasing. Prices obtained are, and have been for 

 some time, profitable and there are no indications at present that point 

 to a likelihood of a serious decrease. The prospect of an increasing trade 

 in pears with England and European countries is also good, but the sup- 

 ply to these markets is not likely to be of great value to growers in 

 Southern Victoria. The popular varieties, Winter Nelis, and Josephine de 

 Malines, are more suitable for planting in the districts north of the 

 Dividing Range and it is fairly certain that if shippers of pears^ to 

 England could obtain quantities of these varieties from Northern districts 

 they would confine themselves almost exclusively to them. 



The expoTt of apples is largely increasing and is likely to increase to- 

 considerable dimensions. There are not many varieties worthy of con- 

 sideration in respect to general suitability for the export trade. Three 

 varieties stand far aheadof all others and there is not the slightest indi- 

 cation at present that either of them is likely to be superseded. One only, 

 Jonathan, is suited to the soil and general conditions of the Southern dis- 

 tricts, the others, Cleopatra and Munroe's Favourite, to warm districts 

 north of the divide. There are many places in the Northern districts, such 

 as the valleys of the King, Kiewa, Mitta and other rivers, where the con- 

 ditions are ideal for the culture of Jonathan apples and where thousands 

 of acres of suitable country are uncultivated and practicallv unstocked. 

 Of the others mentioned, Munroe's Favourite is the safest to plant. 

 Cleopatra is a verv fine apple and commands good prices in London but 

 is very liable to "bitter pit," the only disease of the apple at present, the 

 nature of which, and the remedy for, or against, is unknown. 



In commercial orchards, the preparation of the soil for, and planting 

 of, fruit trees is as follows: — The land being cleared of trees and roots 

 to a depth of about one foot is ploughed to a depth of six or eight inches 

 as a general rule. In some ca.ses the land is subsoiled by ploughing in the 

 furrows again without a mould-board. This ploughing breaks up the soil 

 to a further depth of about six inches without bringing the subsoil to the 

 surface. The soil is harrowed and reduced to a fine tilth before planting 

 and the trees are set out in rows about twenty feet apart each way. Holes 

 are dug of a sufficient depth only to accommodate the roots of the trees 

 and the general success of the practice proves that it is correct. In places 

 where only a few trees are grown for home supply this practice should be 

 followed ks near as possible. Deep holes should never be dug for trees. 

 If the drainage is perfect it is only waste of time and energy ; if not on 

 a porous subsoil it is frequently the reason that trees fail. In addition to 

 sinking holes three feet and more in depth a liberal dressing of manure 

 is placed in the bottom to enrich the soil. In nine cases out of ten it pro- 

 duces soil acidity where the drainage is at all faulty. The best plan in 

 such places is to dig the strip of land that is to receive the trees through 



