GARDENING NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5184, 18 November 1895, Page 3

GARDENING NOTES.

I APPLES AND THE CODLIN MOTH. [llY HOUTIiS.] It is doubtful if there is anything of so much importance to tho orcliardist and fruitgrower, at this i season of the yoar, as a lixed deter- • mination to combat every form of ■ p'irasitio pest to which fruit trees i and the garden generally, are subject. Wo are just entering upon the : time of year when tho codlin moth will commence its enormously dei structivo operations, if allowed to go ■ unchecked, It has been said, by i those who.should be better informed, : that the apple crop cannot be preserved from this persistent pest, ; That this is not the case, can bo abundantly proved by growers, whose trees are in the midst of affected areas, in and around Masterton. A little later in the season, last year, 1 advised through these columns, that if every fruitgrower! would continue to dress his trees from that time to the middle or end of January, full ninety percent, of the fruit could lie saved. Now, I have it on the evidence of several gentlemen, whose words are undoubted, and from my own personal observation, that my advice was correct. The codlin moth is not a strong Hying moth, and it does not travel far; but confines itself'to tho immediate vicinity in which it emerged from the chrysalis, unless carried by strong winds into gardens in close proximity, and hence anyone who has the determination to combat this pest ean do so - and do it most effectively. A firm and persistent resolve lo slamp out this post is a duty which every grower of a single fruit Irce owes to his neighbour ; by our neglect we are calling down upon us " Acts of Parliament," which may chafe, and, ultimately, become vexatious. It is understood that the Government intend to teach the people how to deal with insect pests generally, and all those who will not take the necessary measures after this knowledge has been imparted, are to have their trees destroyed. It is only right ihatthisshould be so, for no one has any further right to keep a dirty tree to the detriment of his neighbour, than a sheepfarmer lias to keep lousy sheep to the injury of his. It should bo unnecessary for legislation on this sub ject if people would really consider (heir own interests, but when it becomes a matter of thousands of pounds loss to this Colony annually it is desirable that Government should interfere. An undue facility has been given to fruitgrowers by the imposition of a duty on imported fruit to enable them to produca remunerative crops. To give some idea of the magnitude of the affections from which somt 1 gardens are suffering, I may mention that a garden on the Upper Plain near the Creamery was last week visited by a gentleman who has taken great interest in this subject, and has assisted several persons in cleaning their orchards, lie found the trees in this garden in a most tilth}-condition —codlin moth and scale were rampant. The trees were so bad that the natural condition of the bark vas entirely gone, 1 and they were covered with large loose pieces of diseased bark, partly detached from tho trunk. On removing several of these pieces of loose bark from an Irish peach tree, he found the bole was covered with one mass of life, there being fully two or three of the codlin moth larva' to every square inch. While gardens are allowed to exist in this state there will be no comparative immunity from the pest. Apples we must have, and if ornlmrdists will not grow apples lit for human consumption the law should step in and demand the destruction of the trees. It has often been said flint apples cannot be grown profitably in face of the various destructive diseases to which they are subject. Now, it is usually conceded that as many apples as potatoes can be grown on a like area of ground, provided the trees are kept clean and healthy, f will take forgrantedtlrat ten tons of potatoes are tho result of cropping on? acre These at £4 per ton would give a return of £-10, while if only live tons of apples where obtained from the same area they would return upwards of £93 if sold at twopence per lb, or £1(110s if sold at one penny per lb. Surely this is all in favour of the appple. While growers pre more than satislied to purchase sued and work the ground sufficiently tp secure a crop of ten tons of potatoes to the acre \yhich returns them £lO, they >vill not tijl the ground and keep clean tree# which would givo a return of half as much again at the lowest possible comparative estimate!