February, 1910; ws 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
W. Git, | 
Plantation of Sugar Gums (Eucalyptus corynocalyx) Trees, 8 years old, 
Redhill Forest Reserve. 
Mulching. 
This is an operation that is not given 
the attention that it deserves, for though 
no doubt the mulch forms a harbor for 
various noxious insects, there is: probably 
no better treatment for keeping the trees 
healthy and vigorous. 
Mulching tends to keep down weeds 
to keep the roots cool, and to retain 
moisture in the soil for the tree’s use, a8 
the absorbent properties of the soil for 
water are increased by the addition of 
organic matter. On poor white sandy 
soils mulching is of especial value, as the 
heat is radiated from such soils to such 
an extent as to often scald the trunk and 
main branches of the tree; mulching 
prevents this radiation. Very heavy 
soils are also greatly benefited by mulch- 
ing, because in dry: weather they are apt to 
cake and.become exceedingly hard ; this 
is prevented by mulching. 
Mulching is good for citrus trees of all 
kinds; in fact, there is no better treat 
ment for this class of fruit-trees, The 
operation ruay be done hy means of bush 
rakings, consisting of more or less 
decomposed leaves and branches, fine top 
soil, compost of any kind, stable manure, 
rotten straw, rotten weeds, or corn- 
stalks. If there is a difficulty in obtain- 
ing suitable material for mulching, then 
it will pay to grow a crop of peas, cow- 
peas, or other strong-growing leguminous 
plants, which should be cut when coming 
into pod, and placed round the trees, 
Leguminous plants, besides ac ing as a 
mulch, are a valuable manure on account 
of the quantity of nitrogen they contain. 
E. BLACKEBY, 
BOOT & SHOK MANUFACTURER, 
226 Rundle Street, Adelaide. 
Cut Soles a Speciality. 
[PHOTO 
The Apple Crop. 
The Horticultural Instructor. (Mr. G. 
Quinn) writes :—‘ The crop of apples for 
“this season promises to be of fair average 
quantity and «f good quality. The 
growers in general are using arsenate of 
lead as a spray against codlin moth, and 
very large quantities indeed of this com- 
pound, comprising quite a number of 
different makes, are being used through- 
out the State. Wherever the spraying 
began with the setting of the fruits the 
orchard inspectors report that very little 
evidence of the insect is noticeable. To 
those who have not intended to do so, I 
would suggest that they spray their 
apples and pears again in the early part 
of the new year, and such late sorts as. 
Rome Beauty, Stone Pippin, Rokewood, 
Yates, and so forth should receive even 
another treatment after the ordinary 
export varieties have been given the 
‘o 
