56 



where trees blossom late. Let us take apricots, they blossom late r 

 and the fruit is ripe and on the market from two weeks to one 

 month ahead of ours in the Western Province. 



In peaches again, we have Early Alexander Briggs Red May, 

 and indeed all the other well-known earlies ; they all blossom 

 late. 



In pears, amongst other well-known sorts the Bon Chretien 

 blossoms late and ripens its fruit early. 



In Japanese plums, Kelseys blossom very early and ripen the 

 fruit very late. Simoni again blossom late and ripen their fruit 

 early. We only mention a few striking instances offered as a 

 caution to growers not to order late fruits to escape late frosts,, 

 but order the varieties that blossom late. This is again we 

 consider a point that the Government should get information and 

 publish it for the benefit of growers. We have not personally 

 been able to collect the data as to the season of blossoming of all 

 the varieties we stock. As a matter of fact, the majority of varieties- 

 blossom almost simultaneously, and again in the different classes 

 of fruit we would say that, speaking generally, apples, pears and 

 plums blossom later than apricots and peaches, almonds of course 

 being earliest of all. 



IMPROPER STARTING INTO SPRING GROWTH OF 

 DOMESTIC PLUMS AND OTHER FRUIT TREES. 



It is known that throughout Africa the seasons are variable,, 

 especially the springs. Nothing has a more immediate effect on 

 fruit trees than this. We are not here speaking of the fruit- 

 getting possibilities of the tree, but the growth making only. 

 This result is particularly noticeable some seasons in plums of 

 the domestic type and in prunes, and also occasionally affects 

 apricots, some sorts of peaches, mostly earlies, and a few sorts of 

 pears. 



The effect is that instead of the buds at the extremities of the 

 perpendicular and lateral growths swelling first and then throwing 

 out a young growth, the buds at the bases of the several growths 

 start out first and often the result is that the base of the head is 

 full of a growth of strong suckers and the rest of the head is 

 dormant and remains so practically throughout the growing 

 season. Now unless the question is tackled in an intelligent way 

 the trees will be permanently injured. When the grower has 

 made up his mind that some of his trees are going to play him 

 the fool in this way, he must see at once that all this growth 

 resulting from the forcing of these base buds is pulled 

 away, and he must keep this up by pulling away the growth as it 

 is thrown out. By this course of treatment the sap will be 

 forced into its proper channels, which is of course the limbs of 



