312 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Ocr., 1897. 
Fruit Culture in Queensland. 
By ALBERT H. BENSON, 
Government Fruit Expert. 
Havre laid off the orchard, the next thing is to plant the trees; but before 
dealing with this it may be as well to say a few words as to the kind of trees 
- that should be obtained for planting. In the first place, if the trees are 
worked ones, then care should be taken to sec that they are worked on suitable 
and healthy stocks—a matter that will be dealt with fully later on; that they 
are well worked—that is to say, that the scion, be it bud or graft, has made a 
perfect union with the stock, and that there is no dead wood or an unsightly 
blemish at the point of union, and also that the scion has been trained in 
such a manner that the tree is straight, clean, and well grown. Such a tree, if — 
carefully lifted in the nursery, is the best that can be obtained, as, when 
planted out in the orchard, it will grow right away, and it can be pruned to 
any shape that may be considered best for any particular variety or district. 
Always sce that the trees have good roots—not long straggling roots without 
any fine fibre, but good fibrous roots that are not broken or bruised to any 
extent. Yearling trees—that is to say, trees that are of one year’s growth 
from the graft or bud—are always to be preferred, as they soon get over the 
shock of moving. ‘Too large trees are not desirable, a medium-sized tree being 
preferable; but all old, stunted, badly worked, or badly grown trees should be 
avoided, as they seldom pay for the labour of planting, and even though they 
may occasionally make good trees eventually, for years they are smaller than 
well grown and carefully selected trees. Don’t run away with the idea 
that because such trees are often to be purchased for a small price, 
that therefore they are cheap, as this is far from being the case; the 
time lost and the disappointment arising from planting them, often making 
them dear trees, even if they were obtained for nothing. If you want to make 
frnitgrowing pay, plant good trees and plant them well; don’t plant staggy or 
badly grown rubbish. Examine all trees carefully for scale insects of all 
kinds, or for other insect or fungus pests, especially if they are being taken 
into a clean district, as a little care now may mean the saving of much hard 
and expensive work in the future. It will pay those who may be starting 
fruitgrowing in new districts, where there are few indigenous fruit pests, to 
dip all deciduous fruit trees for two minutes into a mixture of soft soap and 
water—I lb. of soap to every gallon of water, the mixture to be kept ata 
temperature of 120 degrees I", ~ or to fumigate all citrus and other evergreen trees 
with hydrocyanic acid gas for an hour. ‘!'o fumigate the trees, place them in 
an airtight box of sufficient size to hold them, say a box 5 feet high by 4 feet 
deep by 2 feet wide—that is of 40 cubic feet capacity ; put 2 common earthen- 
ware basin in the bottom of the box; place ?-oz. of sulphuric acid and 14 oz. 
of water in it, taking care to add the acid slowly to the water, and finally 
add 212 grains of 98 per cent. cyanide of potassium. Place a bit of sacking 
over the basin, and shut the box tight, being careful not to breathe any of the 
fumes of the gas, as it is of a very deadly nature. All trees could be treated 
by fumigation, but where there are no evergreen trees the soap solution would 
be sufficient. 
PLANTING THE TREES. 
Examine the roots carefully; cut away all bruised roots, taking care that 
the cut is made from the under side of the root, so that when planted young 
rootlets will start from the cut surface at once. Do not cut away any fibrous 
roots, but if there are any long straggling roots they should be shortened, 
; 
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