NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



259 



enjoys a bite from a tender leaf before ovi- 

 position, and if you can destroy the mother, 

 you destroy her offspring. So we advise 

 spraying- for plum curculio much earlier 

 than is usual. 



"Well," said Mr. Pettit, "I believe you are 

 right, for I waited for the fall of the blossom 

 of my Washington plums, as advised on very 

 good authority, that of a horticultural expert, 

 an entomologist indeed, and by that time I 

 found there was scarce one of those plums 

 that was not stung." Now science and 

 practice should agree ; but unless the stu- 

 dent is a practical observer, his theories 

 often fail, and the theorist should work out 

 his plans in an orchard and not always in a 

 laboratory. 



THE BORER 



THE borer should be guarded against 

 this month, if indeed he has not already 

 done much injury. The flatheaded borer often 

 completely girdles a tree, although worst on 

 weak growing apple trees. To promote a 

 vigorous wood growth is therefore a most 

 effectual method of treatment. Indeed it is 

 the neglected orchard in which we find these 

 pests thriving, just as lice thrive on neglect- 

 ed chickens, and fleas on poorly kept dogs. 

 But when once the borer is in the orchard he 

 must be routed even if stern measures are 

 necessary ; and the knife must cut out and 

 destroy the flatheaded larvae. Some plum 

 trees (Domestica) at Maplehurst, are badly 

 aff"ected, and must first be cut to remove the 

 larva and then washed with whale oil soap 

 and washing soda (dissolved) as a protection 

 from its further attacks. 



THE EXPORT OF TENDER FRUITS 



SOME Winona fruit growers are anxious 

 to join in the export of early apples, 

 pears and peaches, to Great Britain, in 

 cold storage. Mr. Pettit says he has al- 

 ready had some correspondence with Mr. 

 Alex. McNeill, Department of Agriculture, 



Ottawa, into whose hands the superinten- 

 dence of this work will fall during the 

 present season, and who says it is his inten- 

 tion to encourage this trade. 



BEST TOOLS FOR THE ORCHARD 



THE best tools for orchard cultivation 

 are no doubt the cheapest, and it is 

 always a waste of money to work with 

 a poor one. In our vineyards and or- 

 chards the hoe and the spade well sharp- 

 ened were at one time indispensable ; but, 

 since the introduction of the grape hoe, 

 the horses can do nearly all the work, 

 and leave very little hand work. This 

 enables the orchardist to cover a large 

 area with comparatively little outlay for 

 hired help, a most important item when 

 waiting for an orchard to reach bearing 



Fig. 2334. Grape Hok. 



age. The grape hoe is drawn by one horse 

 and easily guided so as to clear the ground 

 closely about the rows of trees and vines. 

 Another most useful implement introduced 

 only of last years is the disc harrow, by 

 means of which land, having once been 

 plowed or which is not too hard, may be 

 quickly worked up for any purpose. Those 

 provided with an extension head, as shown 

 in the illustration, will be still more useful 

 than the discs made for ordinary agricul- 

 tural work. " The disc harrow,' says Van 

 Deman, in Green's Fruit Grower, "is used 

 more generally and with better effects in 

 orchards than any other implement. Plows 

 dig too deep, disturbing the roots, and are 

 not used in orchards as formerly, except to 



