580 Journal of Agriculture , Victoria. [10 Sept., 1912. 



to turn over. Cultivation .should quickly follow ploughing, so that there 

 shall be no lumps or clods on the surface. Where it is intended to use 

 •stable manure, or to spread fresh soil in the orchard, this should be done 

 before ploughing, so that it may be well ploughed under. 



As soon as cover crops are in full flower, they should also be 

 ploughed in. 



If the soil be warm, Citrus trees of all descriptions may be planted, 

 the ground having been previously prepared for their reception. The 

 planting of these trees may be spread over September and October ; and in 

 ■cooler districts they may even be left until November. 



Spraying. 



Peach aphis will be makmg its appearance on peach, nectarine, and 

 Japanese plum trees, if it has not already done so. As soon as it appears, 

 frequent sprayings with a nicotine solution will be required to keep it in 

 •check. It is advisable to spray early, and to spray a second time a few 

 hours after the first spraying has been completed. After the first spraying, 

 the aphides that remain alive generally endeavour to find a more congenial 

 position. These moving ones, as well as the weakened ones, are then 

 readily dealt with by the second application. Red oil emulsion should not 

 be used, as this is only a winter spray. 



As soon a.s the flower buds of the apple and pear are opening, these 

 *rees siiouid be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture for black spot. Peach and 

 nectarine trees will need a Bordeaux spraying for leaf curl ; and plum 

 trees also, for plum or prune rust. 



In spraying peach trees for peach aphis and leaf curl, or for aphis 

 and prune rust, the tobacco solution and Bordeaux mixture may be safely 

 u.sed as a mixture without any fear of damage to the trees. 



In some cases the copper-soda spray is joreferred by orchardists, in 

 lieu of Bordeaux mixture. It is certainly good in many instances ; and, 

 where fresh lime is not procurable, or where the climate is dry, the copper- 

 soda mixture is useful as a fungicide. It is, however, not so adhesive as 

 Bordeaux, and is readily washed off by rain or heavy dews. The copper - 

 soda mixture .should not be used on stone fruits, particularly peaches, as 

 the foliage of these trees is too delicate for the use of this spra}-. The 

 recognised formulae are: — 



Bordeaux : 6 lbs. bluestone, 4 lbs. fresh lime, and 50 gallons of w^ater. 

 Copper-soda : 6 lbs. bluestone, 81bs. washing soda, and 50 gallons of 

 water. 

 If the winter spraying for the Bryobia mite has been neglected, the 



trees should be given a good spraying with a nicotine solution, or with 

 Robinson's Pine Spray, Soaperine, or some other similar preparation. 



The work of grafting should be completed early in the month. The 

 most useful method of re-working old trees is to cut the head right awav. 

 leaving only the .stump. Then grafts can be put in according to the fancy 

 of the grower. The old method of cleft grafting has been superseded b) 

 the bark or crown graft. The latter method does not cause any damage 

 to the wood, and thus, with care, no rotting can take place. The best 

 method of bark grafting is the saddle graft ; that is, the graft is inserted 

 in the bark, and a strip of bark is carried right across the trunk and 

 inserted in the bark on the opposite side. This method is much slower 

 than the ordinary bark graft, but it insures a much quicker healing over of 

 the old stump. 



