THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 641 



July, 1913 ^ 

 What do you Spray For ? 



We have often, for manv years, 

 urgx^d our fruitgrowers to spray, 

 but we have tried to show that 

 we must first know w"liat we de- 

 sire to aehieve l)y spraying. 



— Jaw Feeders. — 



Injury to plants bv insects falls 

 under two heads ; first, where the 

 plant itself has been eaten ; se- 

 cond, where the juice has been 

 sucked out, leaving the tissues. 

 Insects causing inpiry of the first 

 class are called l)iting or chewing 

 insects, such as grasshoppers, 

 caterpillars, cabbage and army 

 worms. Thev have well developed 

 jaws fitted for cutting and chew- 

 ing plants. They can be destroyed 

 by using poisons, such as the 

 arsenics. 



— Sucking Feeders. — 



The insects of the second type 

 have long lance-like beaks, which 

 they insert into the tissues of the 

 plants sucking out the juice, caus- 

 ing the plant to collapse, wilt, and 

 die. This class includes all the 

 scale insects, plant lice, harlequin, 

 and Rutherglen bugs, etc. 



The external application of ar- 

 senical poisons to plants would 

 have little or no effect upon this 

 group as the poision does not enter 

 the cells of the plants. Materials 

 are used to act externally on the 

 bodies of such insects, either as a 

 caustic or to smother or stifle 

 them by closing their breathing 

 organs. 



Insects do not breathe through 

 their mouths, as do higher ani- 

 mals, but through small openmgs 

 on either side of their bodies called 

 spiracles. By spraying anything of 

 a caustic or oily nature over the 

 body, these spiracles are cloised and 

 the creature is destroyed. 



These remarks apply especially to 

 insects which feed upon the ex- 

 terior of plants or pass the great- 

 er portion of their lives in an ex- 

 posed condition where they can be 

 readily reached by one of the me- 

 thods mentioned. Insects of both 

 classes at times feed upon plants 

 above the ground for a short 

 while, and pass a portion of their 

 lives: upon the roots below the 

 surface. The Phylloxera and peach 

 aphis are examples. Still other in- 

 sects live in straw, grain, seeds, 

 and manufactured products of the 

 mill where neither poisons nor 

 irritants can be used. In such 

 places the fumes of various gases 

 are employed for their destruction. 

 Gardeners should carefully consider 

 the nature of the insect 'fi'efore ap- 

 plying any remedy. 



Shape of Trees. 



]\Iuch matter is written from 

 time to time by horticultural 

 writers on the shaping of fniit 

 trees. As a matter of fact, re- 

 garding size, the grower has little 

 to do with it. The tree, unless 

 handled in a way cpiite mijiisti- 

 fiable, will, in size and shape, ad- 

 just itself to the soil and situation. 

 In a shallow, 'poori soil, it will keep 

 low ; in a deep or fertile soil, run 

 to wtiod,' and size. In an exposed 

 situated, the tree will be naturally 

 low and burly, and every effort 

 should be made to keep it so, for 

 the great enemj' to vegetation is 

 wind, and a low growth close| to 

 to the ground suffers less from 

 blovdng about than a tall erect 

 tree. Another strong consideration 

 regarding fruit trees, a low tree 

 is more easily sprayed or fumi- 

 gated, and the time and trouble of 

 gathering the crop much less. 

 The real work, of the grower is not 

 shaping the tree, but the cutting 

 out of surplus wood to encourage 

 fruiting, the general idea being to 

 leave air space round all main 

 branches, to clear out the centre, 

 and to head down feeble attempts 

 on the part of the tree to go be- 

 yond its proper height. Care, how- 

 ever, must be taken to leave suffi- 

 cient shelter for the mjain stem of 

 the tree, or from having too much 

 shade, vou jump to the other evil. 



too much sun, and your tree is 

 likely to be what is locally known 

 as " scalded." ,\s clii)j)ing, say a 

 horse, seems to make it more 

 thrifty, so it i.s with most orchard 

 trees. Pruning is a stimulant 

 that awakens the sluggish grower 

 and bearer. Naturally, from the 

 first iilanting, you will strive to 

 get your tree well balanced and 

 symmetrical. Starting with three 

 small forks and low head, you will 

 cut your main Kmbs as nearly 

 vase shaped as possible. And with 

 the shears always at hand you 

 will trim and prune to this ideal. 

 — Exchange. 



4 



The Builders of the Nation. 



" The Cit^' folk they whirl about 



In cab and tram and train, 

 They grumble at the days of 

 drought, 



They grumble at the days of 

 rain. 



To comfort wed and cosy ways. 

 They fear to soil a hand ; 



But the men who build the Nation 

 Are the men upon the land." 



Essex Evians. 



♦ 



The farmer talks in the same 

 sense that money talks — for he has 

 the attention of the whole world. 



g WHY BUY WATER? Q 



p BICKFORD'S p 



"Our Jack" " 



^ ARSENATE OF LEAD A 



A R 



Y BORDEAUX Y 



is Sold in POWDER Form. 



I Use . . I 



I.| SOLUBLE RED OIL ^, 



INI N 



G WOOLLY APHIS. ^ 

 Manufactured by A. M. BICKFORD & SONS, LTD., 



Currie Street, Adelaide. 



