ORCHARD WORK FOR FEBRUARY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 32, 6 February 1913, Page 6

ORCHARD WORK FOR FEBRUARY.

It is an -accepted axiom among all successful orc'hardists of the present day that to make a profitable venture of fruitgrowing constant vigilance is necessary to ward off the numerous pests that appear at different periods of the year. Through the instrumentality of the valuable information circulated by the officers of the Department of Agriculture growers of fruit are kept well advised in the most ap-, proved sprays for fighting different pests and the best period of the year for their application. In his monthly notes in the Journal Mr W. A. Boucher recommends the following work for the month of February. CULTIVATION. Occasionally one sees orchards of young trees where the cultivationoofif the soil has been entirely neglected. It is a great mistake to suppose because the trees haAre not commenced to bear that the labor and expense of keeping the soil free from growth of vreods and grass is not justified. ■ During the warm dry months of summer clean cultivation of the soil is absolutely essential in order that the trees may have the full benefit of the moisture in the isoil; in the case of young trees to develop their growth, and in the- case of oldqr trees to develop both growth and crops. ; CODLIN-MOTH. Spraying for this pest will no longer be necessary in the case of some of the earlier ripening varieties of apples, but the vigilance of the orchardist must not be relaxed to prevent infection of later-ripening varieties. In most districts of the Dominion a fairly heavy flight of moths is usual about the middle of February. In spite of aIL previous efforts to keep the moth under control, if the fruit is not protected by a coating of arsenate of lead, in anticipation of this flight, a more or less considerable percentage of loss by infection may still be experie.need. BITTEII-liOT OF THE APPLE. (Glomorella rufomaculans.) In districts where humid climatic conditions have been oxpez-ienced during the month of February considerable losses of some varieties of apples have been occasioned owing to attack by this fungus. Unlike apple-scab, or "black-spot" as it is «ometimes called, which attacks the fruit in the early part of the season, bitter-rot will hardly be noticed until the fruit has commenced to ripen. Development then is rapid, and no time must bo lost in taking the necessary measures for control by spraying with the Bordeaux mixture, 4-5-50 formula. . LEBOH. With the continuance of warm weather this pest will still find ample opportunity for doing a, considerable amount of injury to the foliage of pear, cherry, and plum trees unless the leaves have been well protected against attack by spraying with arsenate of lead. Serious injury to foliage even late in the season* will affect the vitality of the trees durin<r the following season.