lo March, 1910.] Orchard mid Garden N otes. 161 



is now on sale in Melbourne. It was fully described in the Journal for 

 April, 1908. The benefits of subsoiling cannot be overestimated, and 

 fruit-growers cannot afford to overlook this operation. Soil aeration, drain- 

 age, increase of root room, an easy root run, and an increased feeding 

 area, &c., are among the many benefits to be derived. One fruit-grower 

 of many years' experience has stated that, as a result of subsoiling one of 

 his orchards before planting, he has never had to manure his trees, and they 

 have been in bearing for a good number of years. 



Spraying. 



The dry season has had the effect of increasing the number of codlin 

 moths, and they are now fairly prevalent. All apples and pears, especially 

 late fruiting varieties, should be well sprayed, and well covered, so that 

 the fruit shall be immune from attack. Opinions have come from 

 America that sprayed fruit keeps far better in the storeroom than un- 

 sprayed. This is a matter for growers to consider, and it is very easy to 

 test it in their own fruit houses. 



Now that the majority of the soft fruits is gathered, a good spraying 

 of red oil, a 5 per cent, emulsion, should be given wherever the San Jose 

 scale has appeared. This pest has been discovered in a number of orchards 

 in the southern districts, and although a dangerous and insidious pest, it 

 may easily be kept in check with the red oil emulsion. 



Vegetable Garden. 



During March the main crop of vegetables and salad seeds for the 

 season will be sown, the ground having been well manured and worked 

 over previously. Beet, cabbage, cauliflower, kchl rabi, parsnip, parsley, 

 turnip, lettuce, radish, carrot and spinach seeds may ,be sown. Cauliflower, 

 cabbage, celery, and lettuce plants may be set out in the beds. Later in 

 the month, onion seeds mav be planted in the seed beds for future trans- 

 planting. 



Flower Garden. 



The various plants in the flower garden will require liberal food sup- 

 plies at the present time. The soil having been so frequently watered 

 during summer, the food supplies of various plants have been consider- 

 ably reduced by the process of " washing out"; and as it is the season 

 of the year when the most popular flowers of the year will be blooming, 

 viz., dahlias, chrysanthemums, and roses, the plants will require a good 

 stimulus. Liquid manures should be used in preference , and these should 

 always be used in a weak solution at first, gradually making it stronger 

 as the plant becomes accustomed to the feeding. Once a week is sufficient 

 for liquid manures, and never should the plants be excessively fed. 



Animal manures mav be prepared for liquid manures by soaking about 

 one pound of well rotted and well preserved manure in 20 or 30 gallons 

 of water for a few days. A few handfuls of soot thrown into this makes 

 a great improvement in the food. If ordinary chemical manures, such as 

 nitrate of soda, sup>erphosphate, or sulphate of ammonia, t)e used, the 

 proportion of one ounce to four gallons will be ample, for the weekly 

 supply. Excessive manuring and over-feeding tend to gross growth and 

 coarseness of petals, and these should always be avoided in floriculture. 



The popular zonale pelargonium, more commonly known as the 

 geranium, will now be at its best. The autumn flowers of these plants 

 1915. F 



