Feeding the Tree Fruits.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 5 June 1914, Page 2

Feeding the Tree Fruits.

When the blossom has set upon the pip and stone fruit trees—when the infant fruits are visible—is the time to feed as well as to occasionally syringe with liquid insecticide. Beyond watering or mulching, or both, food in the late spring is necessary for bringing the crops to perfection, and also for saving the strength of the trees for another season. A tree may have enough food within the ground to satisfactorily ripen the present crop, but a poor crop is certain the following season if the burden of fruit is allowed to exhaust the soil. Large orchards are often manured with sewage. Smaller plantings may be mulched and fed with dung.

An artificial fertiliser could be used several times between now and the season of gathering the fruit. In the application of powdery manures, remember that, given dry,

the rootlets cannot benefit until water has carried the stuff into the ground, so for immediate effect a liquid fertiliser is preferable. Sootwater of the colour of pale tea, dilute natural water —one part in throe of water —or animal manure in weak solution could be employed. Again, the artificial could be mixed in water according to the instructions