262 



AUSTRALIAN AGKICULTD1.E. 



Cultivation and Manuring in Fruit Growing. The 

 requirements for quality of soil, draining to make sure of 

 depth, and manuring are dealt with in preceding chapters. 

 Cultivation, that is the maintenance of a loose, clejin 

 surface, is as necessary here as in the field or vegetable 

 garden. The selection and application of manure requires 

 very close attention in order to supply what the different 

 fruits require in the form of vegetable matter, ammonia, 

 potash, phosphates, lime, and the other ingredients. 



Pruning Reminders. Taking oranges and lemons first 

 they may be thinned out at any time and the points of 

 too vigorous growth pinched, but the stems and lower 



branches must not be exposed 

 to the sun. When one branch 

 commences to run away or 

 grow faster than the others, it 

 has acquired rank or sucker 

 habits, and should be pinched 

 or cut to check such growths. 

 If any branch or shoot starts to 

 crowd to grow under another, 

 rub it out. Apple and pear 

 trees require shortening and 

 bending of the branches to de- 



The out in Fig. 1 is too far from the velope fruit SpUl'S, but when 

 bud. No. 2 is too close to the bud. No. 3 11 -i T_ 



is the right distance from the bud they begin to bear require 



very little priming. Cherries 



much the same. One-third to one-half of the latest growth 

 should be pruned off peach and nectarine trees, and they 

 are the better for it. When the growth is thin and weakly, 

 cut back the top growth of plums, but do not prune off short 

 spurs on plums or apricots. It is on them we get the 

 fruit. Raspberries, blackberries, currants, and gooseberries 

 need a great deal of prunning out and thinning. The canes 

 of raspberries which bore last season should be cut out and 

 fresh canes bent over for bearing. Grape vines should be 

 pruned according to age and variety ; but generally three 

 buds may be left on the young bearing wood or spurs of 

 old trellised vines. Weak shoots and those on the lower 

 sides of bearing wood should be rubbed out. The number of 



