APRIL I, 1903a 
Orchard. 
= Ootes= 
OPERATIONS FOR APRIL, 
Those who intend planting fruit trees 
next month should now be making a tho- 
reugh preparation of the soil. It is im- 
portant to get this done before the heavy 
autumn rains render the soil heavy and un- 
workable. Thoroughly trench the soil and 
break up the subsoil, and enrich with 
heavy dressings of manure and lime. The 
latter is a most valuable property in win- 
ter, keeping the soil clean, sweet, and 
warm. It is especially necessary to stone 
fruits. In the absence of lime, powdered 
mortar and wood ashes should be supplied. 
Where an old tree has been grubbed out 
and its place is to be taken by a young 
tree the hole should remain open for a time 
to allow it to become sweetened by expo- 
sure to the weather. The debris at the 
bottom of the hole should be destroyed by 
fire, which will also help to purity the 
spot, and the ashes that remain will ‘be 
very beneficial. The hole can be filled up 
with new and well-prepared soil at plant- 
ing. 
Root pruning is not a common necessity 
in this country, but it is occasionally advis- 
able in the case of coarse, overgrown trees 
in a deep rich soil where they are con- 
tinually growing and wood forming at the 
expense of fruit failures. Pear, plum, and 
lemon trees are the subjects that require 
it most. It can be done by digging a 
trench 3 or 4 fb. from the trunk and to a 
depth of about 2 ft. This should expose 
the main roots, which can be shortened 
back. The tap root must then be searched 
and removed. Fill up the trench with fresh 
soil. The first growth of a tree is the 
strongest, so that where the roots are 
pruned in this way the resulting growth 
will be of a much lighter character. In 
the case of young trees, lifting and replant- 
ing will often impose the necessary check. 
Bush fruits can be pruned when the 
leaves have fallen. 
The gooseberry bears its fruit on last 
season's shoots and young healthy spurs. 
The pruning consists in shortening shoots, 
thinning out spurs, and removing suckers 
and dead wood. The branches should be 
well spaced, and not allowed to crowd. 
The red and white currant bear on light 
wood of any age. The pruning consists 
in keeping the bushes clean and healthy 
and getting rid of all crowded wood and 
weak stuff. : 
The black currant bears on wood of last 
season’s growth. We have to leave the 
wood of longer growth than with the other 
varieties. Peaches may still have some of 
their light superfluous wood removed to 
enable the successional shoots to become 
thoroughly ripened. Old bearing growths, 
weakly, crowded, and ill-placed shoots can 
also be removed. 
Red spider has been very active and des- 
tructive this season. A moist atmosphere 
and spraying with water will hold it in 
check. There are many advantages in 
spraying fruit trees at this season. <A 
stronger spray can be used now than in the 
spring, when the leaves are tender, and 
there is also more time for the work. Shot- 
hole, rust, black spot, scale, and black 
aphis and. woolly aphis are all more or less 
calling for treatment now according to the 
nature of the season. 
The principal work in connection with 
vines at present is to remove damaged and 
useless bunches of grapes, and to keep the 
soil about them clean by removing decay- 
ing fruit, leaves, and other litter that 
would soon choke and sour it and spread 
disease. 
The Codlin Moth 
MOUNT LOFTY GARDENERS’ ASSO- 
CIATION. 
INSPECTION OF MR. SANDOW’S 
ORCHARD AT GRUNTHAL. 
COMPLIMENTARY BANQUET TO 
DR. HENDERSON. 
Since the appearance of the codlin moth 
into Australia and New Zealand orchardists 
have treated the codlin moth as a serious 
menace to the production of fruit, particu- 
larly apples and pears. The pest has in- 
creased marvellously in spite of all serious 
attention of practical gardeners, who have 
had a lifetime of battling against enemies 
that prey upon their labor. The moth 
has defied algo the investigations and ag- 
gressiveness of scientists, and the concoc- 
tions of theorists. Even Acts of Parlia- 
ment, that are supposed to be the last and 
final resource of grievances, have been set 
at naught by the winged beauties. Indeed, 
there has probably been more discussion 
and heart-burning controversy over the 
codlin moth than any other pest that has 
been introduced to Australia, and many a 
gardener, whose income largely depended 
upon his apple crop, has rooted out his 
trees in disgust and discouragement because 
of the wholesale destruction of his 
crops. The moth seemed to have 
conquered the position, but, thanks to the 
persistency, determination, and necessity 
of many gardeners, the battling has yielded 
good results. In South Australia it 
would seem from the history of the battle 
against codlin moth that it has been car- 
ried on in a very half-hearted fashion. 
This may be due to prejudice or careless- 
ness, or to the fact that the gardeners have 
go many resources of income that they 
were independent of the enemy. As far 
back as the year 1886 we find that an offi- 
cial report—under the Vine, Fruit, and 
Vegetable Act—warned the gardeners of 
the great danger existing if the moth were 
allowed to go unchecked. From this re- 
port we note the following advice 1s given: 
“Remember that no Government proclama- 
tion or regulations will banish the codlin 
moth unless owners of orchards unite to 
carry out the same strenuously and intel- 
ligibly.’ Almost necdless'to say that the 
counsel holds good now, and it is really the 
neglect of this advice that has allowed the 
pest to reduce the orchards to their present 
state. 
Tho gravity of the situation has long 
been felt, and much discouragement has 
arisen through lack of an easy, cheap, and 
effective remedy. Many experiments have 
been advocated, but Mr. George Quinn, 
the South Australian Horticultural In- 
structor and Inspector, fixed upon an. ar- 
senical spray as the best remedy. The 
composition consists of 1 lb. white arsenic 
and 2 lb. soda crystals boiled to one gallon 
of water. One pint of this mixture is 
added to 40 gallons of water in which is 
slaked 8 Ib. of lime. Made one day, it can 
bs used the next. 
Mr. Sandow, an orchardist, of Grunthal, 
made a complete test of spraying his fruit 
this scason with the mixture; others in 
the district did the same, and pronounced 
1s a complete success. Amongst them 
were members of the Mount Lofty Gar- 
deners’ Association, and during the month 
the Association were invited by their Pre- 
sident, Dr. W. H. Henderson, to visit Mr. 
Sandow’s orchard, and see the effect for 
themselves. 
Our picture shows the group of garden- 
ers on the occasion of the visit. Mr. San- 
dow is standing in his shirt sleeves in the 
‘verandah of the house, while Dr. Hender- 
son, dressed in white, can be seen seated 
in the centre of the group. Certainly 
only a small proportion of the member- 
ship, but representative and practical. 
Mr. Sandow has held quite a levee of visi- 
tors to his orchard this season, and never 
tires of seeking to inspire his visitors with 
some of the enthusiasm that he himself 
possesses regarding the efficacy of arsenical 
spraying. On the occasion referred to in- 
spiration was not necessary. The practical 
eye could take in the ocular demonstra- 
tion of beautiful clean fruit and healthy 
trees at a glance. The trees now in full 
and plenteous bearing were last year de- 
cimated with codlin moth. © What more 
need be said. Here, for instance, was a 
pear tree of giant proportions carrying as 
much fruit as leaves, while the previous 
year it lost every fruit bored by the larve 
of the codlin moth. Cartloads of the 
fallen fruit fed to the pigs. | Now there 
was not a dozen fruit on the ground. The 
secret of spraying is to keep the fruit 
covered with the compound from the first 
fall of the flower petals. As soon as the 
eggs are hatched the young grub is poison- 
ed by the arsenic in its first attempt to 
find its way into the fruit. To complete 
the success the trees have to be pruned 
so that there is no difficulty in getting at 
tho young fruit. This can be done by 
thinning out the tree as soon as the fruit is 
gathered in March, and then letting in the 
