ABSTRACTS. 



933 



Fruit Trees, Self-sterility in. By J. J. Willis {Gard. Mag. 2,oll, 

 p. 824 ; 14/12/1901). — This subject, so important to fruit-growers, is 

 discussed in a lucid way, the deductions from which appear to be that 

 certain varieties of fruit need the pollen of other varieties in order to 

 make them fruitful, cross-fertilisation in fact, w^hich the writer asserts is 

 no longer a theory but an established practice in orchard culture. Wind 

 and insect agency are the means by which this cross-fertilisation takes 

 place in orchards, in the same way as manual pollination is effected in 

 fruits under glass. The fruitfulness of the orchard therefore depends 

 upon having a number of varieties in it that flower in succession. 



W. G. 



Fruit Trees, The Pruning- of Newly Planted. By the Rev. 

 G. H. Engleheart {Gard. p. 348; 23/11/1901).— A dissertation on the 

 comparative advantages of Pruning at the time of Planting " rcrsz^s 

 "Not Pruning."— T. G. 



Fruit Trees, Unprofitable. By G. Wythes((za?T/. Chron. No. 773, 

 p. 288 ; October 19, 1901). — The reason of the condition of such trees, and 

 the remedies, are given. Root pruning and judicious top pruning 

 seem to be chief factors in the proper cultivation of such trees. 



G. S. S. 



Fruit Trees, Winter Washing of. Anon. {Jour. Bd. Agr. 

 vol. viii. No. 2, September 1901, pp. 145-146). — This paper gives some 

 useful practical hints and is here quoted in extenso. " A neglected orchard 

 not only harbours all manner of insect enemies during the winter, 

 which come out in the spring and commence their ravages in that par- 

 ticular orchard, but it forms a nursery or breeding ground from which 

 other orchards are supplied with noxious insects. 



" It is essential, therefore, that all such orchards should be treated in 

 some way to stop the damage that is caused by the various insect pests 

 they encourage. 



" For this purpose a caustic or burning wash known as caustic alkali 

 wash is most successful. This mixture serves a double function. It 

 removes, by means of its caustic properties, all vegetal encumbrances, 

 moss and lichen ; and at the same time it causes all rough and decaying 

 bark to fall off. A tree so treated soon assumes a more healthy appear- 

 ance. By the removal of the moss and lichen from the trees, the 

 favourite quarters of many hibernating insects are destroyed. Beneath the 

 vegetal growths and rough bark found on fruit trees we find during the 

 winter the woolly aphis, the apple-blossom weevil, the earwig, the codlin 

 maggot, thrips, and numerous other small insects. 



" The destruction of their winter quarters places these often serious 

 pests in unfavourable circumstances, and they cease to increase in 

 abnormal numbers. Scale insects, of which two at least are more or 

 less harmful in this country, namely, the apple-bark louse or mussel 

 scale, and the brown currant scale, may also be destroyed by caustic 

 alkali wash.* 



* For particulars of experiments with this wash on brown scale see Joiir. R. Hoit. 

 Soc, vol. xxiii. page 241 et seq. 



