12 
using up all their vitality, so that they are 
powerless to hold on the the tree. Where 
leaves fall early, the buds remain imper- 
fect, and crops must necessarily be light. 
Leaves should not grow in autumn, bub j ib 
is distinctly necessary for them to: feed and 
ripen well. See that the condition of the 
soil favors their doing this. Poor dry soils 
may be manured forthwith; but wherever 
there is danger of manure attracting: too 
much water, “lowering the temperature of 
the soil, and scouring it during winter, 
manuring should be ‘deferred till spring. 
According to the nature of soil, the climate, 
and constitutional vigor of trees, manure ig 
applied in a falling or rising temperature. 
Naturally, the hardy may be manured in 
autumn or winter, where the weakly and 
sensitive require to be helped in. spring or 
in early autumn ere the land is sold. 
TABLE AND Raisin GRAPES. 
At this season one is chiefly concerned 
in perfecting the wood for next season’s 
crop. To this end the leaves are left open, 
that the bases of all shoots may be fairly 
exposed te the light, heat, and air. Very 
strong vines, -and such as are trained low, 
suffer most from: the imperfect ripening of 
the wood. Acres of ground may be got 
over in a day by a single hand in perform- 
ing this work, and, allowing: that there is 
nothing else of such importance and value 
as a crop of ripe, firm wood, it is well to see 
that the autumn) and fall do not find such as 
is required for spurs and shoots green, 
coarse, and imperfect. Closely planted vine 
land cannot usually be dealt with till after 
pruning, but it is often sorely in need of 
loosening and moistening in early winter, 
whilst’ at other times furrows are needed to 
get rid of surplus water. Young vineyards 
should be kept constantly worked, and 
there is no better period than the. present 
fer giving a light ploughing and harrowing, 
so as to ensure a well aerated moist, warm 
soil, wherein roots may grow freely and pro- 
vide the means for a strong head growth 
next summer. Damp raisins, caurarts: and, 
-sultanas should be placed on wooden trays 
heated to 120 Fahr., or thereabouts, 
and placed in warm, sunny positions, that 
they maiy dry off. "The damper the fruit 
the smaller ithe parceling, or it will ferment 
and spoil. 
—Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 
By W. J. ALLEN. 
APRIL. 
In cases where the grower intends to give 
his orchard) two ploughings, the first should 
be completed at as early a date as possible. 
Outside of this, the land should have as 
complete a rest as possible until the winter 
ploughing, when all weeds which may have 
grown will be turned under while still 
green, and before they seed. It is now 
rather late to sow seed for green: crops, as 
there are very few crops which, will. make 
satisfactory growth between now and 
August, which month in most instances is 
quite late enough to do the winter plough- 
ing. 
Planting of citrus trees may be continued 
this month. When elnnee sane is prac- 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
tised care should be taken in handling such 
trees nct to expose the roots to either wind 
cr sun for any length of time. 
Codlin moth ba ndages must still be kept 
on the trees as, even Brie all the fruit is 
removed, av occasional grub finds its way 
to the bandage. All props shoulld be re- 
moved from the orchard and any grubs 
adhering to them destroyed. 
Trees badly disfigured by the ravages of 
woclly aphis, are a source of danger in the 
orchard as are also rough-barked. varicties 
of either apples or pears, as in the ruptures 
caused by the woolly aphis will be found 
numerous grubs; also underneath the 
rougn bark and itis a question whether it 
would not pay to cut all trees well back or 
down, which are in very bad condition, as 
T feel sure it will be impossible to eradicate 
the moth while the trees offer such excel- 
lent harbor for the grubs. It is very notice- 
able when removing bandages that those 
trees which are badly disfigured with 
woolly aphis are rarely found ito have many 
moths under the bandages, but in a close 
inspection of the knobs grubs may be found 
in all of them, and where this is the case 
there is but slight hope cf ridding the or- 
chards or district of this pest. 
All dermant hud ties; may be removed 
this month. 
The stones and pits of the different fruits 
required for stock raising may be planted 
this month. 
Trees required fer refills or for planting 
new orchards should be secured as early as 
possible, and all land which is to be plant- 
ed should be prepared without delay. 
In purchasing trees, deal only with nur- 
serymen who are known to have a good re- 
putation, and who are raising their own 
trees, ag it is to their interest to supply 
nothing but good stocks if they hone to do 
any future business. There is nothing 
more discouraging than to find after grow- 
ing trees for three or four years that the 
varieties are worthless. 
Growers in different localities often find: 
that they have a variety which is doing ex- 
ceptionally well in their particular district. 
In this case, if they are not sure of the 
name, and cannot get it properly named, I 
would recommend thai they should send 
their wood to a nurseryman and have him 
work as many trees for them as they re- 
quire. In this way they are sure to get 
exactly what they require, and I feel sure 
there is not a nurseryman who would not 
undertake to carry out such a contract. 
carefully. 
Two or three good varieties are much 
betitier than two dozen, and one case of good 
fruit is generally worth as much as three or 
four cases of poor fruit—therefore, it is 
well tio exercise great care to choose only 
the best if it is hoped to make fruit-growing 
pay. 
To those who are interested in the sub- 
ject’ of cider-making I would recommend 
securing a copy of the Report on the Re- 
sults of Investigations into Cider Making, 
carried out on behalf of the Bath and West 
and Southern Counties Society, in ‘thle 
years 1893-1902, by F. J. Lloyd, F.C.S., 
F.I.G. This report can be purchased from 
April 1, 1905 
Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode, East Har- 
ding-street, Fleet-street, E.C. It gives de- 
tails in connection with the handling, stor- 
ing, grinding, pressing, extracting, filter- 
ing, bottling, &c., &c. The report contains 
145 pages, and its price in. London is 8d. 
The “California Fruit-grower’ for No- 
vember, 1908, contains a description, of a 
new navel orange which is being grown in 
Florida. The bud from which the new 
orange originated was obtained in Cali- 
fornia. The fruit is named the “Surprise,” 
and it is believed that it will do as well in 
Florida as the Washington Navel is doing 
in California. It is described thus—flesh, 
fine grained, yellow in color; juice, abun- 
dant; acidity and sweetness well blended ; 
flavor, rich, vinous; quality, excellent; no 
seeds ;ripens about the same season as the 
Washington Navel. It has fruited well for 
three ‘years, and is, therefore, looked upon 
as a decided acquisition by Florida 
planters. 
The Department of Agriculture will try 
and secure some buds or tr ees of this variety 
as early as possible. 
In the same number of the afore-men- 
tioned journal is given the Teague process 
cf curing lemons. “Three things are insisted. 
upon, viz.: The lemons must never be allow- 
ed to Sweatt: they must never be in a 
draught or damp; and the yellow and green 
must be separated. Subject to this they 
are given all the air that can pass through 
a canvas covering in an open shed. Mr. 
Binnay, a fenton grower of San Diego, is 
under the impression that lemons kept in 
Messina boxes in sheds, closed by canvas 
on all sides, except these from: whichi the 
prevailing winds come, will cure equally 
well without canvas coverings for each pile 
of boxes. It would be well worth while 
some of our growers giving these metheds a 
trial. 
—Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. ~ 
DISEASES IN THE ORCHARD. 
~ By A. G. Camppect. 
Nowadays the orchardist finds around 
him a considerable number of pests and 
diseases, which take more than a fair share 
cf his profit, taxing his patience and energy 
to the utmost, when he endeavors to fight 
them. These irregularities are due to 
various causes, which may be put into two 
eroups—(1) internal predisposition, either 
from the nature of the plant or from, its 
environment, soil, temperature, &e.; (2) 
external causes, or those resulting from at- 
tack by living organisms, which are regard- 
ed as pests because they devour various por- 
tions of a plant grown for economic pur- 
poses, and miany fungi algo, minute forms 
of vegetable life, which are parasitic on the 
higher forms. It must be admitted, how- 
ever; that these attacks are Gtten en- 
couraged by the presence of the first group — 
of causes, that is, when certiain trees are so 
weakened in constitution by being placed in 
adverse conditions or under bad manage- 
‘ment, then they are subject to certain or- 
ganic diseases. To have the subjects in 
good health is the best guarantee against 
these attacks, 
