49 



laterals the space to grow, and to allow them air and light, to 

 ripen their buds, and mature their fruit. Shortening-in all the 

 perpendicular growth, and cutting away none, is a most fatal 

 course to pursue, infinitely rather do nothing at all, as every 

 year a cutting is done brings the following season a duplex and 

 triplex growth, resulting in a thickset growth of unripened, 

 sappy wood, which could never carry fruit, except perhaps a 

 little on the outside. It is absolutely necessary that the laterals 

 :get sun and light. Should this course of cutting-back and 

 thinning-out be followed for four or five years, when the tree is 

 in bearing, little or no pruning will be required, as the weight 

 of the crop will always tend to spread the tree, giving the limbs 

 more room. No ! The plum requires little pruning when once 

 in bearing, a shortening-in, or thinning-out of laterals, which 

 imay intersect, only. 



1900. We have no comment to make on our recommendation of 

 1896 as to the pruning of the plum, we still think that if our 

 directions are carried out a good tree will result. However there 

 is one feature in plum growing in this country which needs some 

 notice. We have given this a separate article, which you will find 

 on pape 56. This is the article refering to the uneven starting 

 out of domestic plums. 



SPRAYING. 



The spraying of fruit trees is necessary if growers are to make 

 -a success of their orchards. It is a remedy for both insect pests 

 and fungoid diseases, but the ingredients and manner of applying 

 vary considerably. 



We shall only give here particulars of the several washes which 

 w r e have found efficacious and also some particulars of how to 

 make them and apply them. We, in getting satisfactory results, 

 have generally followed the instructions and formulae issued 

 from time to time by the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, and we think we cannot do better than draw on the same 

 well-informed source, for the particulars we are here supplying to 

 growers, making a few alterations and eliminating details that we 

 do not think are needed by growers in Africa. 



FUNGICIDES AND FUNGOID DISEASES. 



Bordeaux Mixture we have found to be away ahead of all 

 washes as a fungicide in the West. 



Mainly because it is applied in the Spring without any danger 

 to foliage and at a time when the rainy season is practically over, 

 this latter being a very important consideration. We believe 

 thoroughly in the winter washes, but we find them impracticable, 

 owing to continuous rains, resulting in our inability to move an 



D 



