15S 



THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 



September, 1913 



Notes for September. 



Oranges, not forg-etting the man- 

 darin, lemons, loquats, guavas, 

 feijoas, a're all plantable during 

 the next few weeks. Get the 

 ground . well prepared first, it is 

 time saved in the end. 



The planning and planting of a 

 new fri'iit garden is only the first 

 step in the successful prodviction of 

 fruil . The subsequent . care is 

 sometimes neglected even by the 

 commercial grower. 



Manv people have got in the 

 habit of thinking that when trees 



are planted our work is done and 

 that Natiire.will do the rest., So 

 she will, but all the more qnickly 

 for a helping hand. ^ 



For y«ari lh« Unly brandy used 

 in the Adelaida Hotpital. 

 Sole Agwntt — 



DOWNER A 00. 



Win* and Spirit Merchant! and 

 Aerated Water Manufacturers. 



43 WA\i\IOrTTT HT., CITY. 



Young trees are as susceptible to 

 care and cultivation as are any 

 other voung things. It is a mis- 

 take to think that a well grown, 

 profitable tree just " happens " be- 

 cau.se it doesn't. 



There, are three essential points 

 in fruit growing ; first is pruning, 

 the second, spraying, and the third 

 cultivation and fertilization, and 

 each without the others is incom- 

 plete To spray without pruning 

 would be a waste of material on 

 dead branches and superfluous 

 wood. This extra wood also hin- 

 ders the development of the fnnit 

 hv shutting out the sunlight and 

 air, which are essential ; also ren- 

 dering the trees more liable to in- 

 sect and fungus attacks, for when 

 disease gets a strong foothold 

 in an orchard it ^'^'ill get into the 

 older wood and also affect the fruit 

 spurs for the following crop and 

 this point accounts largely for 

 crop failures. 



The first spraying for codliu 

 moth is very important, and un- 

 der some circumstances, may be 

 the onlv one necessary. In most 

 cases, "however, three sprayings 

 .should be given, the first when the 

 petals have fallen is tihe one which 

 counts for most, and it is time to 

 be thinking about it now. 



All grafted and budded trees 

 should be gone over and all band- 

 ages loosened if necessary, to pre- 

 vent girdling, l^ub off all growths 

 which are below the buds or 

 grafts. Tie up the young shoots 

 as they grow, to stakes to prevent 

 their being blown off. It is often 

 wise to pinch out the end of the 

 shoots to cause thoni to strength- 

 en and to assist the development 

 of side buds and sometimes to 

 make them fotk. 



As a tcee is trained so it will 

 grow. As the growth develops go 

 over young trees and retnove or 

 nip back all shoots except those 

 required to form the tree. INIany 

 •rrowcrs say this is profitable work 

 in a large orchard ; it is certainly 

 so in the home garden. 



Not only the commercial fruit- 

 fruit for hom.c use should have 

 grower but everyone who grows 

 some knowledge of combating in- 

 sects and diseases as they are al- 



ways present in a greater or less 

 degree. 



Spraving pays, but it pays best 

 when it is done thoroughly, with 

 the proper material, and at the 

 right time for the fungus diseases 

 vou wish to subdue. Tlie. results 

 are not always immediatelv appar- 

 ent. It often means all the difference 

 between a good crop and an in- 

 ferior one or no cro]) at all. 



Progressive and intelligent or- 

 chardists are those who, when they 

 become convinced of the necessity 

 of manuring, ask themselves . the 

 preliminary questions : what sub- 

 stances arc removed from the 

 land and sold in the crop, and it 

 these substances are essential, 

 how mav I most economicallv re- 

 turn them to the land, in order 

 that its fertility may remain un- 

 dim.inisVied, and that I may con- 

 tinue to gather full crops ? The 

 answers to these cpiestions should 

 be known to and realised by every 

 orchardist who would spend money 

 to the greatest advantage in man- 

 uring his trees and the answers 

 are not difficult to arrive at. 



Bonedu.st is a very good manure 

 but it is not a complete manure. 

 ManA- people, however, appear to 

 think, writes an exchange, that as 

 long as they give their trees 

 " bonedust " thev have done all 

 that can possibly be reci,uired. They 

 rather crudely argue that as the 

 trees want manu're, and bonedust 

 is a good permanent maujure, the 

 "■ivine of a sufficient cpiantity of 

 bonedust is all that is required. 



If the crop is heavy, it is ab- 

 solutely necessary in the case of 

 apricots and peaches to thin out 

 the superfluous fruits, if an even 

 sample of good quality fruit is 

 wanted. 



Mo.st people believe in the theory 

 of fruit thinning thoivgh they some- 

 times fail in the practice. If it is 

 good to thin, it is better to thin 

 early, for by so doing the tree is 

 spared a considerable waste of 

 energy. 



Even when a tree only appears 

 to be carrying a light crop, it is 

 in every way desirable to remove 

 all defective small fruit, and espe- 

 cially one of twin fruit, for unless 

 this" is done, either both are 

 dwarfed or one at least remains 

 very inferior. 



Budding, though usually left till 

 somewhat later, mav be done as 

 soon as the sap is flowing freely. 

 Where as much growth as possible 



