2i6 Journal of Agriculture. [ii April, 1910. 



Cultivation. 



The heavy rains of February and March have made cultivation very 

 easy this season, and growers are enabled to get in early crops for green 

 manuring. As soon as the fruit is off the trees, the land should be well 

 ploughed and left in a rough condition until the spring ploughing. If 

 at all practicable, a crop should be planted for green manure. No better 

 method of feeding the trees and of inipro\'ing the soil has yet been devised. 



Land mav still be prepared for the reception of young trees, suggestions 

 lor this work being given in last month's Journal. It is advisable to get 

 all ploughing done as early as possible. In addition to having the soil 

 loose and open for the reception of autumn and winter rains, it gives the 

 grower a chance to thoroughly cleanse his orchard from all pests during 

 the winter time. 



Pests and Diseases. 



All codlin moth bandages should be removed after the ploughing, and 

 burned. It is not advisable to remove them before ploughing, as some 

 larvae certainly shelter under clods, and in the soil ; the cultivation disturbs 

 them and cau.ses them to find a fresh hiding place. 



All second-hand and old cases should be thoroughly overhauled. It 

 is preferable to do this work now, instead of leaving it till spring, when 

 the rush of other duties will certainly prevent it being carried out. The 

 cases, if not bad enough to be destroyed by fire, should be dipped for 

 some time in boiling water. And this is not only for the killing of the 

 codlin larvae, but also to destroy larvae or eggs of any scale or aphis ; and 

 also any spores of fungus diseases that may have found lodgement therein. 



As soon as the trees have shed their foliage, they may be sprayed with 

 red oil emulsion for woolly aphis, peach aphis and the bryobia (red spider) 

 mite. And this should be done before pruning, so that in handling and 

 carrying the prunings, the pests will not be carried about the orchard to 

 infect the clean portions. 



Pruning. 

 Mr. Geo. Quinn, of the South Australian Department of Agriculture, 

 has re-issued his work on Fruit Tree Pruning, and has brought it 

 thoroughly up to date by means of fresh experience and illustrations. In 

 anticipation of the coming pruning season, growers should thoroughly 

 master this work, as the instruction given is invaluable. No modern 

 orchardist can afford to be without it. 



The Wonderberry. 

 A number of correspondents have written in regard to this fruit, and 

 some have been good enough to forward specimens of the plant and its 

 berries. The plants at the Burnley School of Horticulture have now 

 ripened their fruit. Judging from this, and from the specimens receive'^, 

 we find no reason whatever to alter the opinions expressed in the February 

 number of this Journal. Botanically, the plant is identical in every part 

 with that useless weed, the Black Nightshade, Solanum nigrum, and the 

 flavour of the fruits of both ]>lants is exactly similar. 



Vegetable Garden. 



This is about the best month for the removal, transplanting and sub- 

 division of such kitchen garden plants as rhubarb, mint, horse radish, 

 thyme, &c. Before planting out, the ground should be deeply stirred. 



