Ill 



cost of labour the introduction of extension 

 implements to this country is an absolute 

 necessity. 



Pruning. 



This subject does not seem to claim as 

 much attention in England as it receives in 

 our country, and I am sure a better knowledge 

 of our methods would be an advantage to the 

 English growers, particularly to those cultiva- 

 ting apples. 



Our trees are planted 15 months after 

 budding, or 12 months after grafting, in the 

 nursery, the trees being headed at from 9 to 

 15 inches from the ground, the particular 

 height depending on local conditions. Daring 

 the first three or four years the aim of the 

 pruner is to establish a strong framework for 

 the future tree, so that it may bear heavy 

 crops, and not lose its shape. Consequently, 

 hard pruning is the rule, little or no attention 

 being paid to fruit-bearing. The trees are 

 framed with an open centre to allow sunlight 

 and air equal access to all parts of the tree. 

 From 12 to 16 permanent leaders are allowed 

 in the tree. After the fourth year, the 

 grower prunes for fruit, but the framework is 

 continued from year to year. This method of 

 framing fruit trees is well worthy of attention 

 by English growers. 



In this country ih^ pruning of the yearling 

 lateral (that is, a lateral formed during the 

 past season) of appks aad pears is very 

 different to our method. With the exception 

 of a few varieties of apples, we grow the bulk 

 of our fruit on laterals. In England the crop 

 is mostly grown on spurs on the main leaders. 

 With some varieties this method answers 

 well, but in others it is far from successful. 



The terminal bud on this shoot is often a 

 fruit bud, and by not cutting the lateral it 

 may fruit during the ensuing season. At the 

 same time fruit spurs will be formed nearer 

 the base of the growth. Even if the terminal 

 bud is a leaf bud, the fruit spurs will de-velip 

 in the same way, provided the shoot is not 

 cut. The lateral may then be reduced in 

 length, cutting to any one of these fruit .'^purs. 

 This is necessary, as otherwise the extending 

 of this growth wil -weaken the spurs towards 

 the base, and they will eventually die. Our 

 treatment of this yearling growth is to either 

 cut it out entirely, or leave it severely alone. 

 In selecting which laterals shall be left in, and 

 which removed, we cut out the strongest and 

 those growing upright, leaving the weaker 

 and more horizontal ones. 



The usual English method of treating this 

 shoot is to cut it back to 2 or 3 buds at the 

 base. With a few varieties, spurs will form 

 during the next season, but with many kinds 

 one, two or three more laterals will emanate 

 from the cut growth. These in turn are cut 

 back near the base with the same result, no 

 fruit being obtained. Even if spurs are 

 formed by this system, it is very doubtful if 

 the grower is as well off as if he had treated 

 the lateral by our method. Where he has, by 

 the English style, two or three fruit spurs at 

 the end of the second year, we have a lateral 

 bearing four, six or more spurs. The English 

 growers would be well advised to, at least, 

 give this system a trial. 



Pests and Diseases. 



Whilst in Australia we have most favour - 

 able climatic conditions for fruitgrowing, we 

 have also congenial conditions for the rapid 

 multiplication and development of insect 

 pests and fungoid diseises. Consequently a 

 good deal of our time is occupied in coping 

 with these troubles. The apple orchards are 

 usually sprayed five times each year. At the 

 same time, some of your worst pests are, as 

 yet, unknown in our land, and it behoves us 

 to make a very strict examination of all trees 

 imported, as we have no desire to add to our 

 already long list of orchard troubles. 



The Apple Blossom Weevil has prevented a 

 tremendous number of fiowera from setting 

 fruit this season. In some orchards visited, 

 quite 50 per cent, of the blossoms were so 

 affected. Should this pest ever get to Aus- 

 tralia, I am afraid the apple growing industry 

 would be in jeopardy. English orchards 

 appear to suffer from leaf and bud-eating 

 caterpillars far worse than those on our aide 

 of the world, and "Silver Leaf" in apples 

 and plums (naainly the latter) is very pre- 

 valent in this country. 



Our main pests are Codlin Moth, Woolly 

 Aphis or American Blight, Peach Aphis and 

 the various scale insects ; while the fungoid 

 diseases include Black Spot, Leaf Curl and 

 Shot -hole. Bitter Pit is causing considerable 

 damage, particularly in certain varieties of 

 apples. No prevention or cure is known, but 

 we are able to lessen its ravages by certain 

 systems of pruning, manuring and cultivation. 

 In the case of a very susceptible variety, the 

 best plan is to cut the trees down and re- 

 graft with an apple more or less free from 

 this trouble. 



