‘800d when stewed. 
December 1, 1909 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
21 
7 
a 
i oo oS Se 
1 ren 
The Oxchauta. 
Notes for the Month. 
— Cherries, Apricots, and Peaches, — 
The above fruit should be plentiful 
this month, and most of the cherries will 
find ready sale for dessert purposes ; some 
will be converted into jam. arly 
Peaches are valueless for jam-making 
but are excellent for dessert, and are 
Apricots, though 
Suitable for dessert, and used largely for 
that purpose, find ready sale at the jam 
factories, where they are canned, pulped, 
Or made into jam. In our drier and 
Warmer districts the fruit is generally 
dried, and put upon the market in this 
Shape—1 lb. of the dried product being 
€qual to from 43 to 7 lbs. of fresh fruit, 
“According to the variety dried. 
When used for this latter purpose the 
fruit should be allowed to ripen well 
before picking, but it must be handled 
before it is so ripe that it will mash up 
When handling. The best dried fruit is 
that made from the ripe fruit. In drying 
the operator must seo that the fruit is 
kept clear of dust, as any dust falling on 
this or any newly-cut fruit will adhere to 
‘it and spoil it, therefore, whenever 
Possible, use a lucerne paddock for 
“drying, or, in any case, keep as far away 
48 possible from dust and sand, 
As soon as the fruit is quite tough, and 
has lost most of its moisture, it should be 
taken from the trays aud put in calico 
‘bags, and securely tied in order to keep 
the moths out. When packing them for 
the market, see that they are graded and 
Packed in neat boxes which have been 
lined with paper. 
— Attention to Strawberries. — 
Strawberry runners that appear on the 
fruiting plants should be removed, unless 
wanted for future planting, as soon as 
they appear. Barren strawberry plants 
are frequently found in our gardens, and 
as these are generally robust, producing 
plenty of runners, they are often perpetu- 
ated. 
not 
between plants béaring staminate or 
perfect blossoms, which contain both 
The male or 
Even professional gardeners do 
always recognise the distinction 
male and female organs 
staminate blossoms can be told from the 
female or pistillate by the long stamens 
with yellow pollen standing in a row 
around the young berry, while yet in 
bloom ; pistillate blooms do not contain 
this. 1 is always better to plant several 
kinds of strawberries, which flower about 
the same time, near each other, so that 
there may be better fertilisation of the 
flowers, If only those varieties which 
are imperfect, i.e., in which the blossoms 
contain no stamens in addition to the 
pistils, be planted the result is usually a 
failure. 
— Irrigation. — 
In districts where irrigation is practised 
it will be found necessary to. water all 
trees, vines, lucerne, or any other crops 
this month, and be sure to work up the 
ground as soon at it is dry enough to 
allow the horses and cultivator on the 
land. 
— Keep the Weeds Down. — 
Horses and cultivators should have 
but little rest this month, as an orchard 
neglected for a few days will soon be 
covered with a coating of summer grass 
which will take many a hard day’s. work 
to eradicate. and couch grass spreads 
rapidly when left undisturbed. Where 
there are bad patches of couch grass 
these should be ploughed up and 
harrowed on a very hot day, as the roots 
soon die exposed to the sun. 
— Codlin Moth. — 
A strict watch must be kept over 
bandages on the pear, apple, and quince 
trees. and all fruit should be picked up 
and destroyed either by feeding it to the 
stock immediately or boiling or burning 
it; but not by burying it, as a few of our 
Tt if 
to the interest of every grower to see that 
every grub is destroyed before it can 
fly. 
careless growers have tried to do. 
— Care of Young Trees, — 
Newly planted trees should be looked 
over, and all unnecessary and misplaced 
shoots rubbed off. The plant then puts 
all its strength into the shoots that are 
left, causing a much stronger growth. 
— Attention to Vines. — 
Thin out the superfluous shoots on 
vines, allowing just sufficient to remain 
to furnish next year’s crop, and to act as 
a partial shade, Stop the fruit bearing 
shoots at the second or third joint beyond 
each bunch, Thin out the bunches and 
the berries. Thus the ripening will be 
hastened, and better sized quality 
ensured, In the case of trellis and 
house covered vines, see that the wall is 
covered with useful wood for present and 
future use. Remove shoots that have a 
tendency to cross and overlap others. 
Towards the end of the month give the 
the vines liquid manure or dressings of 
bonemeal, old mortar, and well. rotted 
dung or spent cow manure as a mulch, 
Keep the soil around them clean, sweet, 
well erated, and free from weeds. 
G. A. PREVOST & CO., 
Currie Street, 
ADELAIDE.’ 
FRUIT EXPORTERS 
ON GROWERS’ ACCOUNT. 
EVERY FACILITY GIVEN. 
Sole Agents in S.A. for— 
Nicholls’ Arsenate of Lead 
x Bordeaux Paste 
‘s Fungicide 
if Insecticide 
‘Bave-uw’ Power Sprayers 
Jones’ Lancaster Hand 
Sprayers. 
Barger’s Disc Cultivators 
Write for [lustrated Pamphlet. 
Suppliers of— 
FRUIT EXPORT CASES, WOOD 
WRAPPING PAPER, 
CORK DUST. 
WOOL, 
