1 Mar., 1898. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 191 
‘gave anenormous crop. The fruit is slightly conical in shape, and is brilliantly 
coloured with a fine lustre. In flavour it is rich, sweet, aromatic, and also 
delicious. It is a wonderful market berry.” 
We should very much like to see this wonderful strawberry, but must 
confess to some scepticism as to its reputed bearing qualities. Still, there are 
being grown in the Blackall Range some magnificent strawberries, which 
approach, if they do not equal, this Mexican wonder—at all events, in size. 
Mr. Cumming, at Eudlo, has grown strawberries of which it took only eight to 
make 1 lb., and other growers have been equally successful. 
In order to get further information concerning this wonderful strawberry, 
we communicated with Mr. Brainard N. Rowley, proprietor and editor of the 
California Fruitgrower. He very courteously wrote at once to Mr. 8. L. 
Watkins, of Grizzly Flats, Eldorado, County California, asking him to forward 
some plants to Queensland.* Mr. Rowley also writes :—‘“ There seems to be 
some question in the minds of growers of small fruit as to the real value of 
the Mexican strawberry. Mr. Watkins stands well in the community in which 
he resides. . . . Ihave received a number of letters from various sources. 
advising me to investigate the Mexican strawberry, coral berry, and other 
fruits before further recommending them. ‘There are parties in California 
that have been growing these berries for some time, and they speak very highly 
of them, particularly the Mexican strawberry.”’ 
At the same time, our correspondent suggests the advisability of sending 
any plants received to the experiment farms for investigation before 
recommending and distributing them, there being in beth countries too many 
worthless varieties already growing. : 
CODLIN MOTH. 
AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT. 
A SIMPLE and inexpensive experiment to check, if possible, the ravages of the 
above pest, has been again most successfully tried by Mr. C. G. Zouch, of 
Balmain West, who treated about forty dozen of “ Zouch’s Pippins” with 
yaseline only, and succeeded in saving all but about two dozen. In con- 
ducting this experiment the vaseline was applied to the calyx only of the fruit 
by means of a small brush, and while the apples were on the tree, and thereby 
the future deposit of any larve within the calyx was effectually prevented, 
through the latter being securely sealed with vaseline. ‘The fruit being a 
very early variety, the process of sealing was carried out early in last 
November, and occupied altogether about four hours; and, the vaseline being 
waterproof, it remained on the fruit up to the date of picking the latter (early 
in December), when it was quite ripe. Previous to dressing the fruit, it was 
carefully selected and thinned out, and any showing signs of either decay or 
codlin moth were promptly removed from the tree and destroyed. ‘The results 
were most satisfactory, most of the apples proving to be entirely free from 
codlin moth; and although the fruit was very early, it was of excellent 
size and flavour, as can be certified to by those who tested the specimens 
submitted to them for trial. Mr. Zouch’s experiment is of considerable 
interest to orchardists generally, and may be easily tried by anybody pos- 
sessing a few trees, without any great expenditure of either time or money. 
China pears, sealed with vaseline at Mr. Zouch’s suggestion, have also given 
splendid results at Gladesville this season, the particular tree so treated having 
very few pears showing traces of codlin moth—a rather remarkable circum- 
stance with regard to those particular fruits. 
The old idea that the egg was laid in the blossom is exploded, and it 
now appears that it is deposited by the moth on the outside of the fruit, and 
finds its way a few days after hatching into the calyx, eating its way to the 
heart of the apple. Mr. Zouch seems to have found an almost infallible 
remedy by applying vaseline. If this is proved accurate, it would lead to the * 
growing on the low espalier system.—Australian Agriculturist. 
