i i INTRODUCTORY. | | 



To 



THE HON. THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE. 



In offering this work on pruning to tlie growers of Western Australia, I am 

 giving them the benefit of ray own practical experience extending over 20 years, 

 and the principles laid down liave laeen gained by close observation of the differ- 

 ent varieties. That the system adopted has proved most successful in making 

 trees bear heavy crops of fruit can be substantiated by those who have known me 

 both in New South Wales and Victoria. During the past ten years I have not only 

 carefully watched the results and improved on them, but have taken photos, 

 showing the trees at different stages, and my plates now number some hundreds. 



Having gained my experience in different districts and parts of both New South 

 Wales and Victoria it has taught me how necessary it is for the orchardist to always 

 study local conditions, and in many ways I have had to change my system or 

 modify it on moving into a new district where the climatic and soil conditions 

 were totally different. 



In this work, I have as far as possible taken into consideration any such local 

 conditions as my short residence in the Western State has permitted me to become 

 acquainted with, and later on, when I know more about these local conditions, 

 I may have to revise this work, but the general principles laid down hold good 

 all the world over, and the practical grower can use them while adopting any 

 particular method he has proved suitable to his locality. 



I have freely illustrated this work, because being a practical man myself I 

 know how quickly others can grasp idea=5 when put before them in an illustrated 

 way, also beginners can more quickly follow the reading niatter. 



I wish growers to fully recognise that to get the highest financial results from 

 the methods of pruning I advocate, they must carefully avoid repeating the same 

 mistakes that have been made in the Eastern States, for niost failures in fruit 

 growing can be laid to mistakes, neglect, carelessness, or ignorance on the growers' 

 part. They must also be prepared to practise intense culture, for trees cannot 

 carry the heavy crops of the quality here illustrated, unless well manured and 

 irrigated, when necessary. In practically all the most suitable parts of Western 

 Australia for fruit growing, provision can be made for irrigating by storage dams 

 as is done in several of the Victorian fruit districts. I would urge the following 

 on the grower : — 



" i." Select the site and soil of the future plantation carefully. 



" ii." Clear the land well, getting out all roots and stumps (a source very 

 often of serious trouble later), plough deeply or subsoil. 



