24 
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THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
‘Veseels of wood-or earthenware should be 
used, 
Soda Bordeaux is prepared in the same 
way as lime Bordeaux, with the exception 
that 13lb of washing-soda is substituted 
for each 1]b of lime. 
— Test for Bluestone. — 
It is essential that the bluestone used 
for spraying should be pure. The follow- 
ing is a simple method of testing for 
purity: Take a very small piece of 
bluestone, crush it to powder, place in a 
cup, and dissolve in a little boiling water; 
then pour into a glass, and add small 
‘quantities of strong ammonia, drop by 
drop. This will cause the formation of 
light-colored blue clouds in the liqnid. 
Continue adding ammonia, when, the 
clouds will disappear, and the liquid 
become thin, and change to rich blue. If, 
on standing, 2 brown sediment shows, it 
is proof of the presence of iron. If, on 
the ammonia being added, the liquid, 
instead of showing blue clouds, becomes 
brown-black and repulsive looking, it 
shows the presence of large quantities of 
iron, and should not be used. 
— Test to determine whether sufficient 
Milk of Lime has been added to the 
Bordeaux Mixture. — 
Procure from a chemist a _ small 
quantity of saturated solution of ferro- 
cyanide of potash. To test, place a 
small quantity of the Bordeaux mixture, 
after thoroughly stirring, in a saucer, and 
add a few drops of the ferro-cyanide. If 
sufficient lime has been added no dis- 
coloration will appear, but if insufficient 
a deep dark-brown color will be 
produced. : 
— Carbonate of Copper Solution, — 
Procure a tub or barrel, and in this 
dissolve.6lb of copper-sulphate or blue- 
stone, in 4 or 5 gallons of water. In 
another vessel dissolve 7lb of washing or 
sal-soda, using hot water for the purpose. 
When the solution is cool pour it slowly 
into the vessel containing the copper- 
sulphate liquid, stir the ~mixture 
thoroughly, then allow it to stand 24 
hours. Now siphon off the clear liquid, 
and allow the sediment, which is 
- carbonate of copper, to stand for a dayor 
two, until it becomes pasty. For every 
January 1, 1910 
7 oz. of this paste add 3 pints of strong 
ammonia- water (which may be bought of 
any chemist), or enough to dissolve the 
sediment. The liquid thus obtained is 
concentrated ammoniacal solution. To 
prepare it for spraying it is only neces- 
sary to dilute each three: pints with 45 
gallons of water. 
In order to avoid staining the fruit, 
&c., do not use more strong ammonia 
than is absolutely necessary to dissolve 
the carbonate of copper. 
The powder of carbonate of copper can 
now be purchased from the drug com- 
panies, or the ammoniacal carbonate-of- 
copper solution put up in bottles with 
instructions ready for diluting to standard 
strength. 
To prepare the powder of carbonate of 
copper for use, first make 5 oz. into a 
thin paste, adding a pint and a half of 
water, then add slowly 3 pints of strong 
aqua -ammonia, and thoroughly stir 
until a clear, deep solution is obtained» 
when dilute with water to 45 gallons 
Summer Pruning. 
Disbudding and pinching back shoots, 
so as to further strengthen and shape the 
trees and vines, should now be completed, 
and the work of summer pruning com- 
menced, ‘Summer’ or ‘ Green’ pruning 
is an operation which is-not much 
practised in this State. Generally, the 
existing opinions on this subject are so 
vague that, even where it is performed, a 
small ‘amount of an element of uncer- 
tainty is always existent in the mind of 
the operator. The principal of summer 
pruning is that the wood growth is 
reduced, so as to induce increased fruit 
preduction for the next season. The 
unnecessary wood is removed, and the 
‘sap is directed into other channels, 
strengthening and building up weak or 
immature fruit buds. 
Summer pruning is exceptionally 
advantageous to young or to strong 
_ growing trees. Whenever a tree has 
been heavily pruned during the dormant 
season, a very fair growth of wood will 
ensue, and this wood is generally strong. 
To ‘stop’ or summer prune this wood 
will have a very beneficial effect on the 
productiveness of the tree. Of course, if 
the growth be excessive and rank, a 
judicious selection will need to be 
retained. and the balance disbudded. 
The result of summer pruning will be 
that, wherever the growing shoot or 
lateral has been severed, the buds below 
the cut will receive the full benefit of the 
sap which previously went to nourish the 
wood which has been removed. If this 
operation were performed too early, the 
bud at the point of severance will merely 
push its way out, and continue the 
growth. ‘his result is undesirable, as 
the very object we wish to attain is 
defeated, the sap being utilized in the- 
production of new wood, and not in the- 
- strengthening and enlarging of the fruit 
buds. © Sometimes even this end is 
desirable, but it is only when the lateral 
has been of an excessively strong nature, 
and an extension is desired, though only 
as a weak growth. Two points to be 
’ noted are :—First, the terminal ends of 
main, secondary and extension limbs 
should never be cut at summer pruning ; 
secondly, the cut must always be made at 
a point where a leaf is existent, so that 
the sap may be furnished and perfected 
- for the whole of the lateral. lf the cut 
be not made at a leaf, the probability is 
that the tip of the lateral will lose its 
vitality, and nltimately die, owing to the 
fact that no foliage exists to draw and 
perfect sap for its nourishment. 
A number of problems in frnit pro- 
duction and tree culture are still awaiting 
solution, and among these is the question 
as to the value of summer pruning on 
those trees which are supposed to be 
biennial croppers, such as the Rymer 
apple; or on such trees whose unpro- 
ductiveness has been charged to the 
debit account of the stock they are 
worked upon. It is an accepted fact that 
unsuitability of stock will result in 
unproductiveness, but we might pause 
before we would say that non-production 
caa always be attributed to unsuitable 
stock. Coe’s Golden Drop plum, for 
example, is a tree that will not bear on 
an unsuitable stock ; but sometimes trees 
of this variety have only been a partial 
success as fruit producers, even when oi 
