ORCHARD WORK FOR NOVEMBER.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 6 November 1912, Page 3

ORCHARD WORK FOR NOVEMBER.

CULTIVATION

In order to produce fruit of full size and high quality it is necessary that thorough cultivation should be maintained throughout the season. Much of the land planted in orchard consists1 of more or less stiff clay, a class of soil that requires careful working. If left to become too dry it breaks up in clots that are hard to work down into a suitable mulch, while much the same thing happens if worked when too wot. Frequently in many localities warm dry weather sets in in November or December, so that no time should be lost in bringing the soil of orchard or garden into the best pos* sible condition for the summer months. SPRAYING. Mussel Scale. In any instances' where spraying for mussel scale has not been satisfactorily accomplished, a further opportunity of controlling the pests will occur when the young scale are on the move. A careful watch for this period should be kept, ana the trees sprayed with, the kerosene emulsion while the insects are still sufficently tender to be easily killed. CODLIN-MOTH, LEAF^KOLLER, CaTEKPILLAK, AJS'D BKOKZE BEETLE. These pests will now require the at* tention of fruitgrowers. As soon as the different varieties of apples, pear?, and quinces have set their crops of .fruit the..troes should be carefully and thoroughly sprayed with arsenate of lead. There are several brands of this material which have been proved to be satisfactory now on the market, When spraying for codlin-moth it is not sufficient to spray round the trees only, for in that case many fruits receiving a coating of the poison on one part only will still be liable to attack on the unsprayed portion, Care should be taken that the spray-nozzle should be directed not only round but through the trees from side to side. If a reliable brand of arsenate of lead is used and care exercised in application, there should be less than 1 per cent of infected fruit. There have been instances where as the result of thoroughly careful work crops of fruit have been gathered without a single infected specimen being detected, In most localities apple and pear scab are more ©r less troublesome. To. control these fungus diseases it will be necessary to use the Bordeaux mixture, 4-5-50 formula; for the first one or two sprayings, to which arsenate of lead will be added, forming a combined spray for insect pests and fungus diseases. Leech. Attack by this pest should not be overlooked even in tne case of young non^bearing trees. Injury to foliage always reacts more or less seriousty upon the health of the tree. In the case of pears and quinces sprayed with arsenato of lead for the control of codlin moth farther treatment for leech will not be necessary. To control tho pest on cherry t.xees arsenate of lead should be applied in the same proportion'us for codlin-moth. Some fruit 3, especially some varieties of plums, are susceptible to injury to foliage if sprayed with arsenate of load. In some instances I oz. Vlrite hellebore powder to 2 gallons of water should be substituted. In order to secure the best results the powder should be mixed with boiling watpr twenty-four hours, or preferably longer, before it is required for use. Peaou-apiiis. This pest has proved very troublesome in some localities. When its appearance is first noticed affected trees should be sprayed with tobacco-wash made as follows :—Boil in a closed vessel 1 lb. of strong tobacco (or 3 lb. tobacco waste) -with 31b soft soap in 2 gallons of -water ; then add 18 gallons of water. As some difficulty occurs in destroying the fully developed aphis, a second application of thp mixture should bo mado four or five days after the first spraying, in order to destroy the young generation producod by the fully developed aphis which escaped destruction at the first spraying. Gooseberry Leaf -spot. This fungus has become very widely distributed: fortunately, it is easily kopt under control ty spraying with the winter f ornaila of ' the Bordeaux mixture when the plants are quite dormant, followed by a second spraying with 4-5-50 formula applied as soon as possible after the crop has been gathered. Black-spot of the Giupe. Vineyards planted in districts where humid atmospheric conditions are experienced in the early part of the season are liable to severe attack by the fungus, followed by serious nrjury and loss if the necessary preventive measures have not been adopted. Spraying with the winter formula of the Bordeaux mixture when the buds commence to swell should be followed by applications of the 4-5-50 Bordeaux after the vines have well started into giowth. "When warm dry weather has set in but little further trouble wi'Ji this disease may be expected. It is to Iru noted that hardy varieties of vines sxich as Albany Surprise and Isabella are less subject to injury by black-spot than the morn delicate varieties of European origin, Thitwmxg Fuuit. There are many varieties of the different classes of fruits which have a tendency to overbear. With such varieties growers will rind- that time spent in judicious thinning is time

well occupied, By reducing the excessive amount of fruit the vitality of the tree will be conserved ahd in many instances a good average annual yield maintained, instead of a heavy crop of a heavy crop of small inferior fruit one seasan, succeeded by a sparce crop the following seasion. A further ad* vantage is that the selling value of the crop is increased, especially in the case of peaches, for well-developed fruit of good colour and quality should always realise a much higher value than fruit small and inferior in quality.