98 The Commercial Apple Industry 



are formed with an open center to admit light, thus en- 

 couraging fruiting, particularly in the lower part of the 

 tree. Strong fruit-spurs on the main limbs are preferred, 

 but laterals are used on some varieties, notably the Jona- 

 than, in order to bring extra vigorous growers into earlier 

 bearing. Most trees are planted from sixteen to twenty 

 feet apart, and the orchards are kept more compact than 

 in the Northwest. Australian growers claim that this 

 gives greater efficiency in the orchard operations. The 

 ladder is seldom needed for picking or pruning for the 

 first ten years. The closer planting makes the yield to 

 the acre equal to that of America. No doubt when these 

 orchards obtain considerable age, the disadvantages of this 

 closer planting system will be brought out. 



The orchards are cultivated much the same as in 

 America, and commercial fertilizers are used very exten- 

 sively. It is also a common practice to sow cover-crops. 

 Thinning the fruit is not a general practice and many 

 growers try to combat over-cropping by systematic bud or 

 spur thinning. Australian growers have not found that 

 thinning has any marked effect in making annual bearers 

 of those varieties given to biennial bearing. 



Many of the same diseases and insects are prevalent as 

 in America. The black-spot or scab is the worst disease 

 with which the Australian growers have to contend. 

 Woolly aphis (Australian blight) comes next, closely fol- 

 lowed by the codlin-moth. In some of the more humid 

 districts, mildew seriously affects many varieties. Bitter- 

 pit has been especially bad on young trees. Fire-blight is 

 not yet known. 



Cooperative marketing is as yet little in evidence ex- 

 cept in the direction and management of cold-storage 



