USE THE PRUNING KNIFE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1939, Page 5

USE THE PRUNING KNIFE

TO ERADICATE DISEASE. It is not as well known as it should be that in addition to pruning to promote fruitfulness, ohe must be prepared to give further pruning purely with the object of promoting cleanliness and good health. There are for instance, several serious diseases which may be checked outright if the right method is adopted in the pruning season. One of these is mildew. Shoots, spurs, etc., which now carry the spores of mildew are readily recognisable at this season of the year, having the characteristic white appearance. These should be cut right out. “Scab” is another disease showing its symptoms now. Where a winter opportunity is taken of cutting out scabbed shoots, summer trouble is often negligible. The deadly silver disease is another foe which can be checked in early stages by pruning. Here, one should be careful to cut well beyond the brown stain which is easily visible in the “core” of affected branches. “Dieback,’’ “Brown Rot” and similar diseases may be prevented by cutting out all branches showing cankers, together with all dead shoots. Turning to black currants, while much can be done by lime sulphur sprayings in spring to control the currant gall mite, pruning also plays a part in eradication. The severity cf the attacks may be greatly minimised by pruning cut all affected branches now, and at the same time pinching off all isolated “big” buds. With cane fruits, attacks of raspberry moth may be held in check by the removal of all old canes immediately after fruiting, and keeping the stools at all times free from rubbish.