1038 



Gardening for Amateurs 



evil-doers know what mischief can be clone, 

 and realise the value of securing healthy 

 foliage at all costs. 



Grease-proof paper of any kind is tied 

 round the tree (Figs. 1 and 2) from 2 to 4 feet 

 from the ground, after the bark has been 

 scraped smooth, so that no other road may 

 be available for the pests than across the 

 paper ; a rough tree trunk can be rendered 

 smooth by the application of any plastic 

 material like clay, putty, etc. Over the paper 

 is smeared a thick coating of grease, and this 

 has to be renewed should it become too hard, 

 or soften and blow off ; ordinary cart grease 

 is excellent, but any similar stuff will do, the 

 cheaper it is the better, for in that case there 

 need be no hesitation in applying plenty. 

 On no account should the grease be laid 

 directly on the trunk of the tree, in case it 

 soaks into the wood, so injuring the tree and 

 failing to do its work ; prepared greases, 

 like nicotine grease and cresilic grease, are 

 examples of first-class preparations which 

 would probably cripple a tree if they 

 were smeared over the bark of its main 

 stem. 



This idea of grease banding as a preventive 

 of injury from caterpillars is an old one, 

 but widely practised and fairly successful in 

 its work if the bands receive proper attention 

 every week during the winter. Don't be in 

 too big a hurry removing the bands ; get 

 them put on as soon as possible and keep 

 them on until spring is well advanced, after 

 which they can be taken off and burned ; 

 always examine the trunk below the band at 

 the same time and remove any pests which 

 may be noticed there. 



One of the most destructive pests in spring- 

 time is the caterpillar of the Winter Moth 

 (Fig. 4) ; this gourmand dines luxuriously 

 on the opening buds, with the inevitable 

 result that the trees are crippled and soon 

 become non-productive. To prevent the 

 female moth (Fig. 5) from getting up the 

 tree to lay her eggs on the twigs, get the 

 bands on in October ; the male moth is 

 shown in Fig. 6. Fig 1 shows how to 

 fix the band on the tree ; two bands are 

 necessary, as in Fig. 2, when a stake is 

 present ; don't tie on the band carelessly, 

 as depicted in Fig. 3, or it will prove 

 comparatively ineffective. Grease bands 



are not so essential when the gardener 

 intends spraying his trees during winter 

 with a caustic wash or good paraffin emul- 

 sion. 



Peach Leaf Curl or Blister. This is 

 a disease seldom found on Peaches under 

 glass, but Peaches grown on walls are sub- 

 ject to it. In some localities the trouble 

 is a most serious one, trees being almost 

 defoliated owing to the severity of the 

 attack. Something can be done to keep the 

 disease in check by hand picking and burn- 

 ing infested leaves. Spraying with sulphide 

 of potassium, ^ oz. to 2 gallons of water, 

 proves beneficial. Bordeaux Mixture, too, 

 may be used in autumn and spring. A 

 preparation called Medela is also said to 

 prevent leaf curl. For many years gar- 

 deners considered that leaf curl or blister 

 arose from the effects of cold winds. We 

 now know that, though these tend to 

 aggravate the evil, the trouble arises 

 primarily from fungoid attacks. When the 

 trees are making rapid growth the disease 

 seems to vanish ; it is when they are checked 

 by cold conditions that the blister is so much 

 in evidence. To help the trees to grow out 

 of the trouble as quickly as possible sup- 

 plies of liquid manure are to some extent 

 efficacious ; or nitrate of soda may be given 

 at the rate of 1 oz. to the square yard, and 

 in the absence of rain watered into the 

 ground about the roots. 



Silver Leaf Disease. This is a disease 

 which is more usually associated with Plums 

 than any other kind of fruit. Much has 

 been written as to the cause of this trouble, 

 many asserting that there is distinct evidence 

 of fungoid interference with the tissue of 

 trees attacked. Others, however, assure 

 us that the disease rises mainly from im- 

 poverishment of the soil, and consequently 

 anaemia, owing chiefly to the lack of chloro- 

 phyll. Experiments recently conducted seem 

 to bear out the assertion that the disease 

 can be combated successfully by means of 

 extra feeding with ordinary manures, and 

 some success has resulted from the use of 

 sulphate of iron. Where the trees are grow- 

 ing in light, poor land the disease is always 

 more prevalent than on stronger, richer 

 soil. The Victoria Plum is one of the varie- 

 ties most subject to attack, and where one 



