10 Aug., 1916.] A jijiVe f'nifure i/t Vtctonu. 475 



When the Commonwealth Industrial Research Bureau is being estab- 

 lished it might include a few original scientific investigators, thoroughly 

 equipped, to further explore the regions of horticultural research. 



The Government of Victoria has taken steps to instruct returned 

 soldiers who wish to take up fruit growing as their future occupation at 

 the Dookie College, and the Department of Agriculture is desirous that 

 the Orchard Supervision Branch should work in harmony and co-opera- 

 tion with the officers of the college in this regard. 



It is realized that the soldiers will have to fight an uphill battle until 

 their orchards come into bearing. 



These articles are intended to be of some service, so that the nucleus 

 of our new horticultural army may be equipped with practical and rein- 

 forced with scientific knowledge to enable it to successfully attack an^ 

 Anzac barriers that may arise between itself and successful fruit growing. 



It is proposed to include all the details relative to apple culture in 

 this series of articles, with illustrations, to be published in the Journal of 

 Agriculture monthly until they are completed. 



Selection of Locality. 



Owing to the conditions which have for some time prevailed in this 

 State, it is desirable that the prospective apple-grower should keep in 

 view the fact that the future of the industry depends largely upon the 

 production of varieties suitable for export oversea. He should also 

 become acquainted with the conditions prevailing in the localities in 

 which these varieties thrive best. 



The locality chosen should be as near as possible to the city, so as to 

 minimize the cost of production, haulage, and railway freights. 



Any person, without previous knowledge of orchard work, going into 

 the business should select his land, if possible, in an established fruit 

 district, where he may be able to obtain skilled labour when required on 

 his orchard. He would then, through intelligent application to his work, 

 be in a position to master all the details of orcharding by the time his 

 trees came into bearing. 



Site for Orchard. 



When it is decided that the locality for the orchard is to be in undu- 

 lating country, the site should be selected with a gradual slope to tlie 

 east or north-east, and, if not naturally protected by higli lands or 

 forest growth from northerly or westerly winds, breakwind hedges should 

 be provided. Planting on steep abrupt slopes should be avoided, as 

 heavy i-ains wash away the cultivated soil from the trees and increases 

 the ccst of cultivation. 



The slopes lend themselves to drainage, and the blossoms of trees 

 growing on them are less liable to be injured by late frosts tlian those 

 growing on low-lying flat lands. Slightly elevated tablelands are pre- 

 ferable to low valleys for this reason, as the colder air, being heavier, 

 descends and flows down the slopes, leaving the warm and lighter air 

 enconijiassing the orchard site. In the past two seasons many fruit- 

 growers wliosp orchards occupy low-lying valleys have suffered very con- 

 siderably from late frosts, and. unless pi*epared to meet heavy expenses 

 in taking remedial measures atrajnst them, such silos should be avoided. 



