_ THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
“March, 1910 
W. Gitt,] American Ash (25 
years old), Wirrabarra [PHoTo 
Forest (Autumn View). 
remembered that young and delicate 
plants are:more often injured in the 
apring months by too much stimulantig 
manure than by too little. Small dose 
frequently repeated should be the rule 
for early crops. This also prevents waste 
of plant-food. 
Plants growing in pots are frequently 
starved to death for the want of sufficient 
food, owing to their limited soil area, and 
to the frequent waterings rendered neces- 
sary ; hence the value of an occasional 
sprinkling on the surface of the soil of 
dried and pulverised manure. The dung 
nay also be employed in making soil 
composts for potting purposes. 
Day and Night Growth 
of Plants. 
In the ¢ Journal of the National Horti- 
cultural Society of France, for June, 
1909, Messrs. Nomblot & Bruneau record 
some very interesting observations on the 
growth of pear scions grafted on estab- 
lished trees of both pear and quince. The 
shoots were measured each morning and 
evening, and it was shown that there was 
the 
amount of growth made during the night. 
practically no difference between 
Other things being equal, the greatest 
growth takes place during cloudy 
weather. Winching back has a decided 
tendency to delay the ripening of the 
twigs. 
cement AMON Fa TA MAS ae TA 
San Jose Scale. 
In the division of Biology aad Horti- 
culture report for 1909, issued by the N.Z: 
Department of Agriculture, Mr, T. W. 
Kirk, F.L.S., Government Biologist, has 
the following to say anent the San Jose 
Scale, which will be read with interest 
by local orchardists’:— 
During the past few years no. insect has 
gained such an unenviable reputation as 
the San Jose scale, owing to the immense 
damage it has done tothe fruit industry 
of the United States. Jndying by its 
history in New Zealand it ia not likely to 
become here the dangerous menace to 
fruit-growing that it has been in other 
countries; and there is little doubt that 
winter spraying with lime and sulphur 
and summer applications of whale-oil 
soap will easily hold this destructive pest 
in complete subjection. The spraying 
will, of course, have to be thorough, and 
great care should be exercised in avoiding 
the distribution of infected plants and 
trees, and thus lessening the danger of its 
spreading to districts that are at present 
free from the pest. 
This ecale insect. is so minute that it 
usually e:capes observation until it has 
become quite abundant in the trees. 
Trees which have been badly affected for 
some time have arongh bark covered with 
If such bark 
is cut with a knife a reddish discoloration 
dark-grey scurfy patches. 
will be seen; this is very characteristic 
of the San Jose scale, and when it appears 
on the fruit red-colored blotches are 
nearly always formed. The adult scales 
are about jin. in diameter, greyish in 
colour, with a central black nipple sur- 
rounded by one or two fairly well-defined 
yellowish rings. The smaller scales are 
