334 



Winter Washing of Fruit Trees. 



[JAN., 



It is advisable not to allow live stock in grass orchards for 

 a week or two after spraying. 



Effect of Caustic and Other Washes on the Health of the 

 Sprayed Plants. — Comparatively few exact experiments have 

 been conducted to discover how caustic washes affect the 

 health of the plants themselves. Complaint is sometimes 

 made that the plants suffer severely, and with constantly 

 repeated washings this may be true. The winter wash above 

 recommended need not be applied annually, but only at 

 intervals of some years. 



Manuring. — When fruit trees begin to bear freely it is 

 essential, if free growth is to be maintained, that they should 

 be regularly manured, to compensate for the demands made 

 upon them by the production of the crop. If left unmanured, 

 the soil is bound sooner or later to show signs of exhaustion, 

 and the further development of the trees will be checked. In 

 order that both growth and fruitfulness may continue the 

 tree must be able to draw from the soil the necessary amounts 

 of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash, and lime. A free 

 supply of each of these substances is required, nitrogen and 

 potash being particularly needed for the development of new 

 growth, while phosphoric acid and lime play an important 

 part in the production of fruit of a good quality. Lime in 

 conjunction with potash is also of the greatest service in 

 developing hardiness and enabling the trees to resist canker. 



The extent and nature of the manuring required must be 

 determined by the character of the soil and by the special 

 circumstances of each case, but our knowledge as to the best 

 forms in which to apply the various essential constituents is 

 at present far from complete. 



If growth requires to be forced, nitrogen and potash should 

 be used freely, the former especially, in a condition quickly 

 available for the trees. Probably some distinction should be 

 made in this particular between grass orchards and trees in 

 cultivated ground. In grass orchards a more or less regular 

 supply of nitrogen is provided by the stock utilising the 

 orchards for grazing purposes, whereas in the case of tilled 

 soil the only source of nitrogen, other than the atmosphere 

 or manure directly applied, is the decaying vegetable matter 

 returned to the soil by weeds and falling leaves. In cultivated 



