II Nov., 191 2.] Orchard and Garden Notes. 709 



ORUllARD AND GARDEN NOTES. 



E. E. Pcscott, Principal, School of llorticultnre, Burnley. 

 The Orchard. 



Spr.vying. 



The spray pump should now be in thorough working or(hn', so tluit 

 ihe various spring sprayings may be carried out witli as litth^ interrup- 

 tion as possible. It is always wise to clean out the pump after each 

 ■spraying, so that it will be ready for the next mixture. Putting a dif- 

 ferent spray into a pump barrel that has not been washed out very 

 -often causes the formation of a sediment which blocks the nozzle and 

 interrupts the work. 



During November, it will be necessary to spray for codlin moth, 

 peach aphis, pear slug, and various leaf-eating insects. In addition, 

 black spot of the apple and pear, shothole, and other fungus diseases 

 must be kept in cheek. Various sprays are required for all of these 

 troubles, and the necessity of always having a clean pump will thus be 

 admitted. 



At the present time, the wisest spray to use for peach aphis will be 

 a strong tobacco solution, and the same spray may also be used for the 

 pear slug. Arsenate of lead is the better spray for this insect, but 

 it should not be used when the fruit is approaching the ripening stage; 

 hellebore may also be used for the slug with good effect. 



As a preventive against codlin moth, the trees should be kept well 

 sprayed with arsenate of lead. It has been definitely ascertained that 

 this is the best remedy, and all other mixtures should be discarded in 

 its favour. Its permanent cfualities. combined with an effective killing 

 strength, render this mixture invaluable ; at the same time, it is easily 

 mixed, and so very few brands leave any sediment, that the work of 

 spraying is now reduced to a minimum. 



If the spraying is careful and thorough, no bandaging need be car- 

 ried out. The time spent in bandaging will be far better employed 

 in an extra spraying. The first spraying should have been given at 

 the time of the falling of the petals; the second spraying, owing to 

 the rapid expansion of the fruit, should be given a fortnight later. 

 After that, the grower must use his own judgment as to the necessity 

 for subsequent sprayings. If the moths be at all prevalent, other 

 sprayings will be quickly necessary. 



Now that arsenate of lead is produced with such an excellent degree 

 of killing strength, it is not necessary to spray nearly so frequently as 

 it was in former years; and it may be foimd that four sprayings, and 

 perhaps only three, will be sufficient to keep this pest in check. Last 

 season, a number of Gravenstein apple trees at the Burnley Horticul- 

 tural Gardens were sprayed once only, and out of 2,804 apples, includ- 

 ing windfalls, only nineteen fruits were moth infected, which gives a 

 j)ercentage of only .67 of loss. Three Rokewood trees were sprayed 



