JO Oct., 1910.] Orchard and Garden Xofts. 673 



ORCHARD AND GARDEN NOTES. 



E. E. Pescott, Priiicipal, School of Horticulture , Burnley. 



The Orchard. 



Cultivation. 



A plentiful rainfall in September ha.s rendered orchard ploughing an 

 •easy matter, and the work will be comparatively light. The cultivation 

 .should be fini.shed as early as possible, it being remembered that the earlier 

 the ploughing, the larger quantity of soil water is retained for the benefit 

 of the trees. The reason or the object for various operations is very often 

 overlooked. Ploughing is often done because it is the right time, or the 

 customary season for ploughing ; the real objects of ploughing — the sweet- 

 ening of the soil, and the making of an earth mulch for water retention — 

 are forgotten. 



Spring ploughing should be very thorough, and all herbage should be 

 completely buried. If this be not done, the weeds will simply grow again, 

 thus gi\'ing more work later on, besides becoming reducers and robbers of 

 the soil moisture. The more completely the weed crops, or the cover crops 

 for green manure, are ploughed in, the quicker they will be resolved into 

 ■f)rganic matter, and the better it will be for the soil. After ploughing. 

 th'j surface must be cultivated and the general texture reduced to as fine 

 a condition as possible. 



Even should the surface not cake in the spring and early summer, 

 frequent harrowings kill anv weed seeds that mav have germinated. 



Spraying. 



All spray work for fungus diseases should now be over e.xcept for late 

 varieties and late districts. Unless Bordeaux pastes are used, the regula- 

 tion formula of 6 — 4 — 40 (6 lbs. bluestone, 4 lbs. lime, and 40 gallons of 

 water) should be the fungicide. 



Spraying for codlin moth will also now receive attention. Previous 

 to this, the trees should be subjected to the usual " spring-cleaning "' opera- 

 tions. All crevices, wounds, holes, and loo.se bark should be cleaned and 

 .searched out for the larvse or the chrysalides, and every rough part 

 .smoothed over. Any possible hiding places for future broods should be 

 t-radicated. 



Additions to the list of brands of arsenate of lead are still being made, 

 and growers now have a wide selection for spraying purposes. On the 

 other hand the feeling is growing that the original formula for this article 

 gives just as good results as the proprietary articles, and many growers 

 have expressed their intention to revert to this. Great care should be 

 exercised both in manufacturing and in spraying with this mixture, and 

 indeed, spraying with any arsenates of lead. The trees should not carry 

 any rain or dew moisture on the foliage while the spray is being applied. 



The usual time for the first spray is immediately after the petals have 

 fallen. This is considered by many people to be far too early ; and if the 

 trees are sprayed at that time, it is asserted that the spraying is wasted. 

 According to the few records so far published, the first moths generally 

 make their appearance towards the middle of October. This cannot be 

 taken as a fixed time standard, as if the sea.son is early, the moths will 

 emerge early from the chrysalis. The time of the moths is generally 

 coincident with the blossoming of the fruit trees, and .so it will be perhaps 



