lo May, 1910.] Orchard and Garden Notes. 325, 



lesson is the value of gathering affected apples from the trees as soon as 

 they are observed, in preference to using bandages. No bandages were 

 used in the Burnley orchards, the methods of continual spraying, and of 

 gathering infested fruits being relied upon to give good results. And. 

 the satisfactory results show that, if these two operations are carried out 

 thoroughly and systematically, they are all that is needed. 



Trees should now be sprayed wherever any scale insect, bryobia mite, 

 woolly aphis, or peach aphis has occurred during the past season. The 

 best winfter spray for any or all of these pests is the red oil emulsion'. 

 Some growers prefer the emulsion of crude petroleum ; while others still 

 use the lime, sulphur and salt spray ; all of them are good, and may 

 l)e used with good effects. The spraying should be given as early as 

 possible, so that, if any failure occur, or if the pest spread again duHng 

 the winter months, a second spraying may be given early in August, so as 

 to insure clean trees for the rest of the season. Experiments carried out 

 during last winter seem to show that one of the successful methods of 

 coping with peach aphis is to spray the dormant trees with red oil during 

 the winter. A full account of the experiments will be given in a later 

 issue. Growers should make themselves familiar with an article entitled 

 " Treatment of Orchard Pests," which appeared in the September, 1909 

 number of this Journal. Copies of the article may be obtained on appli- 

 cation to the Secretary for Agriculture. 



Cultural and General Operations. 



The autumn has again turned out generally dry, and as a result plough- 

 ing has been delayed. Wherever possible, all cultural operations should 

 be pushed on, so as to leave plenty of time for spraying and pruning. 

 Leg^uminous plants should now be all sown for green manures, and all 

 preparations completed for planting new areas. Drainage and sub-soiling 

 should still be continued, particularly where young trees are to be planted. 

 Stiff' clay soils, sour soils, and .soils of a firm texture should this month 

 receive a dressing of 4 to 5 cwt. of lime per acre. Lime is a wonderful 

 unprover of .soils, and frequent light applications improve the soil to a 

 great degree. 



A dressing of stable manure is beneficial at this season, but it should 

 not be u.sed in conjunction with lime. If the.se two substances are used at 

 the same time a certain and sure loss occurs. No manurial substance, 

 whatever, should be applied to the soil until at least three or four weeks 

 after the lime dressing has been harrowed in. 



If it can be obtained, a .surface dressing of fresh new soil will renovate 

 the orchard .soils tO' a very considerable extent ; top dressings of peat 

 and leaf mould are also invaluable. Wherever wood ashes and charcoal 

 are obtainable, their use in the orchard as a manure is productive of very 

 good results, and these should never be wasted. 



Vegetable Garden. 



If no rain has fallen, the seedlings, and young vegetables planted out 

 must be kept watered so as toi keep them in a state of good growth. 



All beds in preparation should be manured ; and cabbages may be 

 planted out. Seeds of peas, broad beans, parsnips and carrots may be- 

 planted out. 



Asparagus beds may still be manured ; and wherever possible a good 

 dressing of lime should be applied to all unoccupied vegetable plots.. 



