18 
covered over with sand and allowed to 
remain there until planting time. When 
once the stock is above ground it is easily 
managed; it roots very freely, throws 
plenty of fibres, and a tap root which is 
easily managed, and does not requireto be 
removed from the seed bed till the young 
tree is ready for transplanting to its per- 
manent position. Ifthe stones are planted 
in too rich soil, then a strong tap root is 
formed at the expense of fibrous roots; in 
such cases the tree should be removed 
when young. If possible, always bud the 
stocks the same season as they come up 
There are localities where the almond 
stock is preferred to the peach—not only 
preferred, but. becomes necessary, as the 
peach refuses to grow and succeed on its 
Own roots. 
Plum, —Several kinds of stocks are used 
for plum trees, viz., the ‘Julien’ seedling 
plum stock, cherry plum ‘La France’ (a 
variety of ‘Myrabolan’) and the - Mussel’ 
plum stock. During a long experience 1 
have found no better stock than the last 
named, if judiciously selected. The ‘La 
France’ stock is now used by nurserymen. 
It will not stand excessive moisture, or 
thrive in badly drained grounds, and often 
in orchards when the trees are fully 
developed and in bearing, trees will 
suddenly die completely out in one 
Season, especially such as the ‘ Yellow 
Magnum Bonum’ and that type of 
plum. 
Sometimes seedlings are recommended, 
chiefly, it is maintained, because such do 
not sucker, This is quitea mistake. [ 
tried the experiment several years ago, 
and found that those trees worked upon 
seedlings threw up many more suckers 
than those worked upon the ordinary 
sucker stock. Ithas been found that in 
many localities the ‘Cherry’ plum has 
proved a ood. stock, causing robust 
growth and being in all respects desirable. 
Allkinds, however, will not succeed upon 
it. The ‘Diamond’ plum, and others of 
similar type, the ‘ Orlean’ and some others 
succeed well upon it. Experience must 
decide as to which kinds are best adapted 
for the ‘ La France’ and ‘ Cherry plum in 
the particular districts in which they are 
grown. The two varieties mentioned are 
the only stocks which do not throw 
suckers, and for this reason are desirable 
to use when suitable soil and locality to 
be grown in. 
Cherry.—Experience has shown that 
the stock in general use for the cherry in 
the Old Country is not adapted for these 
States. There the seedling ‘ Mazard’ or 
wild black cherry, is used asa stock for 
orchard planting and the ‘Cerasus 
Mahaleb’ or perfumed cherry, where 
dwarfing is required. Neither of these 
stocks is of any use here. Some few years 
ago there was a great demand for the 
seedling cherry stock, which, as a stock, is 
almost identical with the ‘Mazard,’ especi- 
ally when raised from black cherries. At 
the period referred to, it was claimed 
for this stock that it had a hardy consti- 
tution, would attain a large size, and not 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
throw up suckers like che stock generally 
in use. But, as predicted at the time, its 
popularity was short-lived. It was found 
that the varieties worked up this seedling 
stock grew splendidly for a few years, and 
had the appearance of making large well- 
developed trees; but the vigor soon ceased, 
and the trees began to die off, and those 
in more favored spots that did not die 
bore but scanty crops of fruit of small size 
and inferior quality. 
The <«Mahaleb’ cherry of English 
shrubberies is much used in Britain and 
on the Continent as a dwarfing stock. 
Why cultivators should have selected this 
stock is a matter of surprise, as with us 
its dwarfing capabilities are not manifest. 
It rather induces a vigorous growth for 
awhile, and then the trees die out; this 
happ ens when the ‘ Duke’ and ‘ Kentish’ 
classes of cherries are worked upon it and 
theyare the classes specially recommended 
for this stock. The old cherry stock in 
use from the foundation of Victoria and 
now in general use, is the best stock 
known here. It is, as all growers know, a 
small red cherry, ripe just before Christ- 
mas; it isa good cooking variety, and 
pleas ant to eat. It is, however not fault- 
less ; it throws up abundance of suckers, 
and ‘or this veason is somewhat trouble- 
some ; still I believe it is the best stock 
for cherries. It is not generally known 
or recognised that the fact of this stock 
not keeping pace with the kinds worked 
upon it is its great virtue. It acts upon 
the scion as the quince upon the pear and 
the ‘ Paradise’ upon the apple. It is be- 
cause the scion overgrows the stock that 
the tree becomes so fertile and its fruits 
so fine ; it fact, it is a dwarfing stock. 
This stock, as far as my experience goes, 
is adapted for every variety of the 
cherry. 
Pear.—As with the peach. so with the 
pear, the stock most generally adapted for 
the pear is the seedling pear steck, raised 
from the hardiest known kinds, which, as 
a rule, seed very freely and produce good 
stock. Asis usually the case with most 
fruits, the kinds do not produce much 
seed, and stocks raised from such are not 
generally robust. But where one seed is 
sayed from pears of delicate constitution, 
hundreds are saved from hardy kinds, so 
that, generally speaking, hardy stocks are 
used. 
I would advise that pear suckers neyer 
be used ; if they are they will prove a 
great disapointment. In the early days, 
when séedlings were scaree, resort was 
had to suckers, and, as a matter of course, 
it was only from trees that suckered 
abundantly that any quantity was ob- 
tained. Trees from these were planted 
out, and the results were disastrous. Not 
only were thousands of useless suckers 
thrown up, but the trees refused to bear, 
though the same kinds on the seedling 
pear bore regularly and heavily. The 
trees on suckers had to be rooted up as 
entirely worthless. As a rule, and in 
most localities; the seedling pear stock is 
the most desirable for pears. 
January 1, 1909 
There is also a variety of quince, a kind 
of small‘ Angers’ which is used most 
successfully, and upon which some kinds do. 
well, even when worked directly upon it. 
As there are but very few sorts of pears 
that do well when worked upon this 
quince, it is usually necesSary to double 
work on the stock. First of all, work 
such sorts as ‘ Beurré d’A manalis,’ ‘Louise 
Bonne of Jersey,’ or ‘Beurré Diel,’ upon 
the quince allow them to produce yearling 
shoots, and then work upon these the 
desired sort, when perfect health and 
vigor will be attained. This mode of 
culture is most interesting and profitable: 
especially in the cooler district, of the 
State. where the pear-o-the-pear takes so 
long to come into bearing. On this 
yuince stock fertility is attained very 
quickly; the trees grow comparatively 
slow, but fine fruit and smart returns are 
the results. This mode of culture wants 
to be better known, whenit will largely be 
adopted in the climates referred to. 
There are other stocks used for pears, 
such as the ‘ Hawthorn’ and ‘Mountain 
Ash,’ but these are not necessary or 
desirable where the proper kind of quince 
is obtainable. It has been affirmed that 
the pear-on-the-quiuce is but short-lived 
this is not the case, In France there are 
trees of great age, where this system of 
culture is largely practised with most 
satisfactory results; likewise in various 
parts of Victoria, where they have been 
planted for many years, they will be 
found bearing heavy crops of good fruit 
each season. 
A Codlin Moth Parasite. 
A worm has been discovered which in- 
fests the grub or caterpillar of the codlin 
moth, and which may prove of some 
service in the battle against that great 
pest of our apple and pear-trees. Mr. a. 
F. Furniss, of Mount Lofty, when 
removing the bandage from an apple-tree 
in his orchard, found that some of the 
grubs had died before the cocoon was 
completed. Mr. Quinn, the Horticultural 
Expert, placed the dry remains of the 
grub in distilled water, and found inside 
it two threadlike worms, which returned 
to life in the liquid, and one of which 
measured over 6in, in length when 
unwound. Specimens of the worm were 
sent to Mr. W. W. Froggart, the Govern- 
ment Entomologist of New South Wales, 
for indentificat ion, and Mr. Quinn, who 
is attending the Australasian Fruitgrowers 
Conference in Melbourne, has taken 
further specimens to show to the ento- 
mologists at that gathering. There seems 
no doubt that a parasitic worm is 
destroying some of the hibernating cater- 
pillars of the codlin moth, but its life 
history and the amount of aid which it 
can give towards combating the pest are 
matters for investigation. 
The first lot of oranges grow in New 
South Wales was produced 72 years ago, 
