THE GARDEN

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 11, 16 March 1938, Page 4

THE GARDEN

SPRAYING STILL ESSENTIAL * Spraying is still a very necessary operation, not on.y x.or protecting town from tne late nroous or cdtthn and other lruit-oating pests, but ih keeping trees tree from Jeecli, beetles and other destructive , insects that play such havoc >vith the foliage it spraying. is neglected. 4 Liven alter the fruit is gathered spraying should be continued’ as long as these pests are active, especially such varieties as plum, pear, quince and /others subject to the attacks of leech or other destructive insects. To grow fruit successfully is no longer a simple occupation, bur is a laborious and costly undertaking, ns the numerous insects and diseases that fruitgrowers have now to combat before sound fruit is secured necessitates almost persistent spraying throughout the whole growing season. In addition to this, winter and ..spring dressing is equally essential in trying to destroy fungoid diseases. Some fungoids are even more destructive and more difficult to deal with than insect pests, especially the disease usually termed Black or Brown rot that is so‘ destructive to the fruit of nectarines, peaches and plums. This season, especially, fruit has suffered severely from this disease. In many instances, nearly every fruit has been attacked. The condition under which this disease thrives best seems difficult to define. In seasons when frequent and heavy rains have been experienced, the spread of this disease has been attributed to. excess .of moisture. This season, however, it can scarcely be ascribed to this cause, yet stone fruits have rare!}’ been more badly affected. This applied l , particularly to the early and main crops. Later crops have had to contend with exceptionally humid conditions, the weather being very favourable to the spread of the Brown rot. Moist, humid conditions and heavy dews, no doubt, assist the minute spores to germinate and. spread quickly when once they have fallen on the fruit, which in a short time penetrates through the skin and spreads rapidly through the pulp.