Notes for Fruitgrowers.

Manawatu Herald, 5 November 1892, Page 3

Notes for Fruitgrowers.

EXPERIENCE OF GUM LHAVES. u Apple " writes to the Weekly Press from Stratford: — "In your issue of the 29th ult. you state that, a Michigan fruit grower had discovered that a mulching of gum tree leaves is good lor destroying the above pests, and you ask your readers to state ' heir experience on the point. 11 Early iu June last T had some fnm trees cut down, and had the ranohes looped off with a view of placing them on the rafters of the calf pens, as T have found it to be almost a certain cure for lung worm, but certainly it is a positive prevention of that disease in young stock if kept inhere they a*-e confined during thenight. Such is my experi ence gained during the last nine or tbn years. On my way to the pen with the branches it struck me that I would try them on three (8) apple trees in the orchard (the only bad ones out of two hundred which were bad with Wight). I took an armful of the branches and put them in amongst the branches of the trees, and within three weeks there was no bHght on the trees, and they are a? present (October 7ih) quite free and clean from any insects. 14 1 rannot say whether I bad ever beard of gum leaves being recom mended as a cute previous to my uaiug them in June as stated. Whether the leaves are a cure I have not yet had a sufficient trial with them to speak mih certainty, but I am inolined to say yes I find the fol'o wing to be a'most a certain cure : — Tie pieces of common soap about as large as a walnut in all the large branches. The rain disolves the soap and washes the tree most effectually. Perhaps some other of your readers would try the gum leaves, and state as to how they act."