10 March, 1917.J Apple Culture in. Victoria. 



155 



of the tree. It will be observed that the foliage of the fruit spurs 

 affords a shelter, so essential during summer months, to the bark of 

 trees growing under our warm climatic conditions in Victoria. 



When the early ])rLining of a tree has been neglected to the extent 

 of allowing it to develoip a full centre, and it is afterwards decided to 

 thin out the centre growths, this should be done gradually. The 

 presence of the inner leaders prevents to a great extent the develop- 

 ment of fruit spurs on the ui)per side of the outer ones. Conse- 

 quently, if the drastic measures of removing all the centre leaders 

 simultaneously were applied, the bark on the upper side of those 

 retained would suffer from sun scald, which could be prevented by the 

 more gradual renovation of the branch system. When a leader is 

 removed occasionally, those which it is intended to retain are afforded 



Plate 7.'). — Five Crown, twelve years old. 



an opportunity to develop covering foliage for the exposed bark which 

 becomes gradually accustomed to the sun's heat. 



Biennial Cropping. 

 Almost all the varieties of a.pple trees cultivated in the different 

 districts, with various soil and climatic conditions in Victoria, show 

 a tendency to bear biennially or produce, normal conditions obtaining 

 locally, a full crop of fruit only during alternate years. In some 

 varieties the tendency is merely percejitible, while in others it has 

 become a pronounced habt. This defect is not so noticeable in early 

 ri]>ening varieties such as Mr. Gladstone, Williams Favorite, and 

 Duchess de Oldenburg, &c., as it is in late-ripening sorts like Five 

 Crown, Rome Beauty, and Rokewcod, 4c. When trees are pruned 



