The Orchard.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 83, 22 May 1908, Page 4

The Orchard.

CULTIVATION. The orchard planted, interest has commenced for the worker, tor is it not interesting to watch the growth and development of your young trees into shapely trees (it profit hy the annual yield of fruit they will give you if properly cultivated ? For the first four years after planting the broad hoe is the best implement to work round the young trees. All through the growing season it shou'd be freely used to keep down weeds and secure the surface being loose and open. On clay soils dry weather has no ill-effect if the young orchard is worked under this method. Cultivation is more important than manure on our clay soils —that is, after a liberal dressing has been given at planting time. As the trees advance in size and age, less hand work is needed. Horse labour will almost meet all requirements if the proper implements are used, end used at proper seasons and regularly. It is surprising how much labour can be wasted if done out of season, or how much benefit the trees receive by cultivating at the proper time and thoroughly. Nature indicates when assistance is needed, for does not the activity of Nature in spring and summer show that a great demand is being made upon the resources of plant life, and it is the good husbandry of man to assist and encourage Nature to bring forth it abundance. PRUNING. Insufficient attention has been given to the work of pruning" in Northern orchards. Time and practice has now reached the conclusion that systematic pruning will well repay for the labour bestowed at planting time. Apple trees should be cut back at least onethird, sometimes more, and from thenceforward up to the time the regular crops of fruit are boribe check superabundant growth of wood. Summer pruning is good; but as at this time so much else has to be done late autumn should see the pruning shears go round to every tree in the fastgrowing orchard to do the work of shaping and restraining the future tree for profit. Apple orchards on clay soils require this attention, as well as those on deep loam soils, though, perhaps, not so keenly. CONTINUITY OF FRUIT PRODUCTION. Having reached the bearing age of the orchard, the object is to keep up that condition, and even increase the weight and quality of your harvest. I believe, on more than theory, that our clay lands, properly cultivated, will more than equal richer land in producing a regular and continuous crop of apples." Wood growth, being less rapid, lengthens the age for maturity, and the peculiar constituent in clay soils, highly suitable for apple tree life and fruit production, leads to this conclusion. After the trees have become set—that is, through continuous heavy cropping—wood growth is almost at a standstill. Many profitable seasons can yet be obtained by extra cultivation and a dressing of orchard manures. A free, openconditioned, and. well-drained soil is the great point in sustaining a healthy and long-lived apple orchard. FUNGOID AND INSECT PESTS. Fungoid pests are often the result of bad tillage, drainage, etc. But once it is established in the orchard much assistance in its eradication can be got by spraying with Bordeaux mixture, the strength of which must be regulated by the season of the year it is to be used. Now, as so much of the success of the apple orchard depends on spraying mixtures being used, and used extensively, it follows that the orchardist who makes any pretence to being practical must have the appliance ready to hand for spraying his trees. The size of the orchard should decide how large the spraying plant should be. Spray pumps of all sizes and quality can be got, and for plantations over ten acres in extent no pump should be purchased for use under 1501b pressure. GATHERING AND STORING APPLES. Following the succession of the season's work, after the spraying operations are well through, gathering of your harvest commences; and how much more heart one has when the crop is abundant and marketable. As experience is gained it is found the gathering can be done so early that the fact that a few apples arc falling does not indicate the crop to be fully ripe for gathering. It is now recognised that well-matured fruit is of a much richer flavour, and possessed of better keeping qualities. Maturity is quite necessary to prevent toughening of fruit when stored. Hence it is not well to be in too much hurry to gather your main crop. A good practice is to commence gradually, and work up to the main gathering as the whole crop becomes matured. The bin system appears to be the method that is found the best for storing, and being economical of space it is generally adopted by large growers, who find it far the best method for keeping and retaining the full flavour of the apple. If apples free from bruises or other blemishes that lead to rot are carefully kept out of the store-house a very great saving in the loss by storing is effected. Provided this care is taken at the gathering and storing time it is surprising how long apples will remain in the heap without much shrinking or decay. Quite a number ot varic-th-s will keep nght up to the spring time if thus stored a way. Preparing the fruit for market is a! 1 important in its thoroughness, as tne buyers ar-> beaming more particular on this point. The oui rough and ready wav of liilmg m the case will have to be a habit of the past. 1 lie benencial eitect ot enKH'cinj; the •. i-.a----den and Orchard Pests Act has hao a wholesome iniiuence upon the of ft u|t p'!l up. and no relaxation should be allowed until all or any that deal in fruit abide by the principle of clean, marketable packing as a matter of necessity. 1 ho pntcs realised by the grower this season haye been good : but as so much uncertainty sU|i remains as to how one's fruit will go under thp auctioneer's hammer, there is much room for improvement in this direction, and no| nflfj! the consumer and

grower are brought nearer in touch with each other will the former have reasonably cheap fruit. 1 lie growers average prices would be Id to 3d per lb for the work of production, thus leaving a good margin of pruht iur i someone. Only an export trade will bring the apple-growing industry up to the standard of conmcrdal value thai the natural endition of the country demands. And to build up that export trade, capital and labour must be put into the venture, with the special object of growing for export. Say, for illustration, one hundred orchards of from 15 to 20 acres were planted, consisting of only five tested, profitable sorts. In a few years 120,000 bushel cases could be exported from these orchards, and still expect more as the orchards developed. The cost, etc., of establishing an orchard, and properly attending to the upkeep after once established, depend very much upon the natural condition of the land at the commencement. If " open, ploughable land is chosen (which is preferable, though of poorer quality, to bush or swamp lands), the cost at the start should not be more than £6 per acre, including everything from first ploughing to planting of the trees.. Where shelter has to be raised, of course, more expense is involved, and this, although not seriously large, is a j necessary expense, that depends upon what amount of shelter is wanted, and how easily obtained. The upkeep of the orchard from the first year on to when the apple crop will pay for all work required can be greatly assisted by growing crops on the land between the trees. This practice is highly beneficial to the trees if manures are used for the crops, and also if, while cultivating, and cleaning the crops, the trees receive their share of attention. Under good husbandry farming operations in young orchards will offtimcs pay for the whole of the upkeep, and hence the direct expense of raising an orchard becomes proportionally small. Once your trees have reached the bearing siz:, and fair yields are obtained, it is most unwise to have farm crops between the trees; it only hampers the necessary moving about orchard with horse teams and implements, which are an Economy in the working of lqji^