18 
therefore, hope to cempete satisfactorily in 
the two first boats with our neighbors in 
South Australia and Victoria, owing to 
their fruit maturing at least a fortnight 
earlier than that grown in Tasmania. At 
the same time, taking the London season 
all through, our returns compare quite as 
well as those received by shippers from 
the mainland. To cite one instance. I 
know a certain grower in Tasmania whose 
shipments of never less than 2,000 cases 
in any one year have averaged nine shil- 
lings, f.o.b., Hobart, for the last four years. 
It would be well at this juncture to em- 
phasise the fact that too much care can- 
not be given to the grading and packing of 
all fruit, whether for shipment to England 
or Interstate markets. 
Apples for storage should not be. picked 
until the pips are quite black. The fruit 
has then an oily feeling, and should be 
placed in a store with an even tempera- 
ture and thorough ventilation, and should 
not be touched until required for ship- 
ment. 
MARKETING THE F Rutt. 
In the present state of the trade this is 
the most important, as well as the most 
difficult, matter in connection with fruit 
growing. Taking the English market 
first, one agent should be selected to re- 
ceive the fruit, which should be sound, 
well-colored, and graded. Each grower 
now by law must have a registered brand, 
and should ship none but first-class fruit 
under it, as in a few years the brand will 
sell the fruit. This applies with equal 
force to all markets. It is advisable to 
either sell all your fruit in Tasmania or 
ship all; if part is shipped and part sold 
neither seller nor buyer is satisfied. I 
have tried both plans, and say unhesi- 
tatingly it is bad policy to adopt half mea- 
sures. Trial shipments by growers to 
fresh markets in a small way is becoming 
desirable, owing to the ever-increasing pro- 
duction and competition from all parts of 
the world. 
Care should always be taken to have a 
clean, white case, without any stains, as 
the more attractive the package the better 
price the fruit realises. In shipping to 
England the best paper should be used, as 
cheap paper allows the moisture from one 
decaying apple to spread to another, caus- 
ing further damage. When procurable, 
wood-wool should be used on the top and 
bottom of the apples, as it acts as a pad, 
and keeps the fruit from undue pressure ; 
if not procurahble, paper shavings are a fair 
substitute. 
Spraying for Fungus 
Diseases. 
O—— 
From the “Journal of Agriculture,” 
Victoria. 
By D. McAtpine. © 
- In 1882 Millardet, at Bordeaux, in 
France, found that a compound of blue- 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
stone and lime which had been applied to 
some vines to prevent the fruit being 
eaten, had a most remarkable effect in 
checking the dreaded mildew. 
This compound, now regarded as the best 
all-round fungicide, received the name of 
Berdeaux mixture trom its place of origin. 
Since then various preparations have been 
brought forward for similar purposes, and 
of these there may be mentioned the Am- 
moniacal Copper Carbonate, the Copper- 
Soda, or Burgundy Mixture, and Copper 
Acetate. Each has special features of 
value, but none have so far proved as satis- 
factory for general work as the Bordeaux. 
For this reason discussion here will be 
restricted to the methods of manufacture 
and employment of. 
Borpgeaux Mixture. 
As has been said, the mixture is a com- 
peund of bluestone and lime. There are 
no strictly defined proportions in which 
these constituents should be mixed, 
though it is known that the lower the pro- 
portion of lime present, provided the mix- 
ture is not acid, the more satisfactory are 
the results. This is clearly shown in ex- 
periments at Pakenham last year, when 
the 6.4.50 formula gave 57 per cent. of 
absolutely clean fruit, the 6.8.50 only 18 
per cent., and the 6.12.50, barely 12 pec 
cent. The first figure in the formula repre- 
sents the quantity of bluestone in lbs., the 
second the lime in lbs., and the third the’ 
water in gallons. 
It is sometimes stated thati no injury to 
the opening leaves or flower buds will re- 
sult. from a large excess of lime. This is 
quite contrary to the results in last year’s 
experiments. At Pakenham, it was 
found that a 6.4.50 Bordeaux caused no in- 
jury to the young buds, but considerable 
harm occurred with a 6.8.50 formula, 
while the 6.12.50 was quite as severe as a 
plain solution of bluestone. When it is 
desired to keep down the proportion of 
lime to the lowest possible point consis- 
tent with safety, then the use of the Ferro- 
cyanide test will enable this to be done. 
Dissolve 4 oz. of ferrocyanide of potassium 
in one pint of water, and add a few drops 
of this to a small quantity of the mixture 
to be tested, placed in a glass vessel for 
preference. Should any brownish dis- 
coloration occur, then the mixture does 
not contain enough lime; hence, lime milk 
must be added till, on testing, no dis- 
coloration is apparent. 
The 6.4.50 formula is recommended as 
the best and cheapest for general use, 
though in wet districts the quantity of 
water may be reduced to 40 gallons. At 
the same time it is well to state that more 
profitable results and higher percentages 
of absolutely clean fruit are expected not 
from more concentrated mixtures, but 
from the addition of small amounts of cer- 
tair, substances likely to increase the ad- 
hesiveness and spreading power as well as 
poisonous action of the more dilute 
formulas. The substances which have 
given good results so far are Sal-Am- 
moniac, Saltpetre and Salt, any of which 
SEPTEMBER I, 1902, 
may be added to the lime milk at the rate 
of 1 lb. to every 50 gallons of Bordeaux 
Other substances worthy of trial on a 
small scale are Nitrate of Soda, Silicate of 
£oda, Sulphate of Ammonia, Sulphate of 
Lime (Gypsum), Sulphate of Potash, and 
Sulphide of Soda. When either Sulphate 
of Ammonia or Sal-Ammoniac is added to 
lime, ammonia is given off slowly, so these 
additions should only be made just before 
using the spray. _ Attempts will be made 
to ascertain whether these or any other of 
the substances named ‘would prove more 
useful if added, in solution, to the finished 
Bordeaux. A 
How to Prepare BorpEAvx. 
For the proper preparation of this mix- 
ture three or more barrels are essential, 
and two of these should have a distinct 
mark on the inside to indicate when they 
contain 25 gallons, as: much valuable time 
will then be saved and strict accuracy in- 
sured. Though bluestone is easily soluble 
in cold water if suspended just below the 
surface, the process is much more rapid if 
the water be first heated. Take 6 lb. of 
bluestone and place 1t in a small sack, such 
as these in which sugar is generally sold. 
A kerosene tin of hot water should then be 
poured into one of the marked barrels, and 
the bag of bluestone either suspended just 
below the surface of the water, or it may 
be held by the top and agitated until com- 
plete solution is secured: When this has 
occurred, make up to 25 gallons with cold 
water. Then take 4 Jb. of good fresh 
quicklime in hard’ lumps and slake it in 
the other marked barrel, adding only a 
very little water at first, about a pint is 
sufficient. When this has been absorbed 
add a little more, and so on from time to 
time, till all the lime has crumbled down, 
care being taken not to let it get too dry. 
In this way a good lime will furnish a 
smooth thick paste practically free from 
lumps. Make up to 25 gallons by adding 
cold water, and stir thoroughly. When 
bath milk of lime and bluestone solution 
are quite cool, they should be poured 
evenly together into the third barrel, 
capable of holding 50 gallons. To secure 
even mixing, which is of considerable im- 
portance, the barrels for the bluestone and 
the lime should be mounted on a raised 
platform and furnished with wooden taps, 
and the liquids may then be run in V- 
shaped troughs, into the third barrel ar- 
ranged underneath. On the top of the 
latter should be placed a large wire 
strainer on a movable frame to prevent 
the entrance of grit, and, lastly, a 
thorough stirring should be given to the 
mixture for a couple of minutes. 
When large areas have to be sprayed it 
will be found most convenient to erect the 
platform at the edge of a dam, or in any 
situation where water can be obtained 
from a pump or tap, and a small force 
pump fitted to the mixing barrel will 
prove very useful for lifting the Bordeaux 
into the spraying machine. 
A Sprecran WaRNING. a 
Poor or air-slaked lime should neyer he 
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