_ 
O Cire ee hut) 3 ous cots 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
cal 
till there is nothing much left but skin, is 
the worst. My only object in writing on 
this subject is that I think it’s a bad make- 
shift to advise young Australia. We want 
quality to beat the imported both here and 
in England, and can do that easily with 
good cultivation and our climate. 
Re Mr. Harrison’s pamphlet on “Straw- 
berries,” published at Shrewsbury, a very 
nicely written work for amateurs. There 
is a great deal to learn to grow strawberries 
to perfection; in fact, more so than, fruit- 
trees. “It all depends” on, soil and situa- 
tion, requiring quite different treatment. - 
I am, Sir, &ec., : 
NATURE. 
ORCHARD NOTES FOR OCTOBER. 
By Geo. Quinn. 
: [Journal of Agriculture. | 
In pretty well all parts of the State the 
surface of the soil which™has remained 
roughly dug or ploughed should now be 
broken down, with) the cultivator into a fine 
t'lth. The finer the particles composing 
BRANCH—NAT 
this tilth the more will the loss of moisture 
be stayed; the more crusty or cleddy it is 
allowed to remain, the more rapidly will 
the moisture pass from the subsoil into the 
air. Experimental. tests have shown that 
if this stirred layer of pulverised soil be 
made 4 or 5 in. in depth the check to evap. 
oration is increased. There ig no side of 
orchard work demands more attention, than 
this subject of conservation of soil mois- 
ture. If, by exercising the means indicated 
above, we store up all the available rainfall 
during winter and do all our knowledge 
can suggest to arrest itis escape as the warm 
days of spring and summer come around, 
we must secure the greatest benefit to our 
trees from the possibilities at hand. <A, 
supply of moisture, which is constantly re- . 
tarded as it rises to the rooting area, will 
yield a natural and regular supply to the 
tree, and permit a stead progressive move- 
ment throughout its organs. It also tends 
te keep the roots down in a layer of soil 
where more equable conditions prevail. Its 
action is continuous, and not spasmodic, 
and in this it differs from any supply of — 
meisture applied by surface irrigation dur- 
ing the season of enormous evaporation 
which marks our summer months here. It 
also possesses the advantagd of maintaining 
a much more desirable texture in the soil 
as far as its physical characteristics are con- 
cerned. The implements used in keeping 
this yhulch intact and loose should not turn 
or ridge the surface. Although it is desir- 
able to retain a flat surface exposed to the 
air, the under surface of this mulch should 
be as irregular as it is possible to make it. 
The use of a harrow or cultivator, whose 
teeth travel to an even depth through the 
soil, tends to form a flat, hard subsurface— 
a temporary “hard pan’’—which may be- 
come permanent unless the succeeding win- 
ter cultivation be deep and thorough. Flat- 
soled tines will produce this effect very 
quickly, and are now being discarded by 
many orchardists. 
As the young growths upon newly plant. 
ed trees léfgthen out, careful attention. to 
disbudding will prove useful in shaping the 
“GROWTH. 
kody. A good rank growth is desirable on 
all such trees, as every leaf indicates in- 
creased health and strength. The absolute 
suppression of shoots is scarcely desirable 
at this period, when we are anxious to re- 
establish the balance which jprevailed be- 
fore the tree was removed fiom the nur- 
sery. Unless they are very crowded to- 
gether the shoots not desired in framing 
the arms of the tree should therefore only 
have their terminal sappy points pinched 
out. This will give a temporary check to 
them, and allow those more desirable to 
get a good lead. As often as these un- 
desirable branches appear to menace the 
supremacy of those selected to form the 
tree, they should be pinched in this man- 
ner. At the succeeding winter's pruning 
these may be entirely removed or treated 
to turn them into fruiting wood. As there 
has been much severe pruning done among 
_trees of a mature age during the past win- 
ter, strong growth must follow as a matter 
of course. If time can be spared to go 
through and pinch back those best situated, 
— 
THE SAME BRANCH DISBUDDED. 
and carefully rub out the surplus shoots 
while they are yet sappy, the energies 
of the tree may be directed into useful 
limbs, and much winter pruning avoided. 
Unless these lopped trees are carefully 
thinned during the next season or two 
their future condition will be worse than 
the past. Much “pitted” fruit may be ex- 
pected upon apple trees where the varie- 
tied subject to this disease have been 
heroically pruned. 
The novice need not hesitate to trans- 
plant citrus trees, passion fruit vines, or 
guavas at present, providing general care is 
observed. In connection with the citrus 
trees the young sappy shoots should be 
pinched or cut off before the trees are lift- 
ed. The intimate connection between. these 
extremities of the top and the feeding out- 
side fringe of the roots which will be 
broken in the shifting, renders their re- 
moval imperative. To ensure success the 
top should be cut back in proportion to the 
losx of roots. This loss is not to be gauged 
by the actual quantity cut away, but the 
o 
condition of those remaining should be 
fully considered. Even though the soil be 
rich the planter will find much to be gain- 
ed by spreading some thoroughly decayed 
farmyard manure around the roots. If this 
is not available a slight sprinkling of sul- 
phate of ammonia—2 or 3 oz. mixed in 
with the finely broken soil which will be 
placed around the roots—will prove a 
fairly good substitute. The organic manure 
is preferable on account of its moisture- 
holding character. All trees should receive 
a good watering immediately on being set — 
out, and as soon as the soil is dry enough 
to be worked the watering trench should 
be forked up and the dry soil spread in 
‘again in a finely pulverised condition. 
It: is a good tame to bud over large citrus 
trees that have proved unprofitable. In Cali- 
fornia much success has followed this work 
when done on a large scale. The practice 
adopted there has been to insert the buds 
into the main arms near to their junctions 
with the stem. The buds are put in in 
spring. They are not pushed down into the 
