Mrs. Lance Rawson

“ If young vines, say in their first year of bearing, I would leave but two stems, and only one eye or bud on each, and I would nip off all fruit spurs but about three or four, thus paving the way to future supply from the vine. I believe in some places the growers prune one year for a heavy crop and the next for a light. I should think the better plan would be an even bearing each year, and not so trying to the vines. The variety of grape must depend upon your climate, and let me impress upon would-be growers that it does not pay to try new varieties with small experience. ”

“ I have seen scale on shrubs and on rose trees treated with a wash made of kerosene and water—eight or nine tablespoonfuls to a gallon of water, well stirred and poured over the plants. Another emulsion for trees is made of kerosene and milk, diluted with water.
All fruit trees require care and attention for the first few years, after then they can get on without much looking after, save just at pruning time and when first beginning to bear. It is not advisable to let a young tree bear too heavily, it weakens them and often spoils them for after years. ”

“ It is wonderful how soon the whole orchard will become affected if one affected tree is in it, therefore, it is only reasonable to say that all tainted trees if not treated at once had better be removed immediately and destroyed. Disease spreads just as fast from a scaley tree as scab will from one scabby sheep in a flock. The best way of all is to avoid the disease by grafting on resistant stock, as then though the trunk and branches may be liable to it, the roots are not. ”

“ Very often the dead wood in a tree can be traced to cramped roots or bad drainage—it is what is called a "greedy grower" from the time it first starts till it withers and dies of old age or disease, and in spite of the most adverse circumstances the orange tree will try to make wood and live. It is one of the easiest trees of all to prune as the chief thing is to trim the branches so that none are in advance of their fellows. ”

“ Any woman might undertake vine culture and she need have no reaching or climbing, which I heard one lady say was her objection when I suggested fruit growing as an occupation for women. The grape requires well drained land, it must have specially good under drainage. A sandy soil is the best, and it need not be particularly rich so long as it is drained well. The side of a hill with a westerly aspect makes a good vineyard, and on a trellis is the best manner of training the vines. ”

“ The fruit spurs are merely the shoots that have come from leaf buds and become fruit bearers. Often the leaf buds are in clusters. When pruning a young tree it is sometimes necessary to cut away some of the leaf shoots to prevent it wasting its strength in too much leaf growth. In very warm climates, such as North Queensland, the fruit grower has to adopt a different system of pruning to what he has learned in a colder climate. The short winters and long fruit producing seasons, during which many trees bear two, and even three crops require very vigorous measures. ”

“ It wants good free soil, doing best where there is some lime in it. Farm yard refuse and ashes is its best manure. In planting an orchard it is best to arrange the same varieties together and those that will ripen at the same time, so as to save time when gathering the fruit for market. One of the best plans I know of to dispose of one's fruit is on the tree, or as is done on some parts of the Hunter, selling the produce of the trees for the season, then the buyer sends his own men to pick the fruits. An orange tree would sell for a few pounds per year ”

“ Barren fruit trees are constantly met with in almost every orchard. The reason of their non-productiveness is a mystery. Sometimes it may be a want of potash in the soil, or a general poorness. A good plan is to apply ashes to the roots; open up the ground round the roots and dig in two or three barrow loads of wood ashes; also spread them liberally on the surface. Orange trees can often be benefitted by the household soap suds thrown round the tree. To take off smut on orange trees make a wash of wood ashes and water, thick enough to stick to the leaves and branches. ”

“ Generally it throws out fruit-bearing shoots as early as the second season after planting. The peach is a very vigorous grower, and frequently develops more fruit than the tree can possibly bring to maturity if left untended in its early years. The fruit is borne on wood of the preceding year's growth. You can know them by the large fresh full buds, and which look green and unripe at the points. These should be cut back in very young trees, leaving only as many fruit spurs as you think the tree can support. In very young trees the fewer the better. ”

“ One way of arranging the orchard is to prepare it in strips four or five yards wide, so that the trees can be put in and growing while the rest is being ploughed, or if not required the strips of grass can be left in grass. It is well to put as much bone dust into your orchard as possible, as it is good for all trees. Night is the best time to transplant trees, and for oranges and lemons soon after all frost has gone is the best time of year. Make your holes large and deep enough to allow of all the roots spreading to their fullest extent, and trim off any that may have got broken in transit. ”

“ As a rule the orange tree does not begin to bear till it is four or five years old, therefore, it requires no pruning till after then, but all shoots that run out far beyond the rest should be cut off, and directly twigs begin to die they must be cut out at once. The orange requires plenty of room, and very deep, rich, loose soil, so that the roots, which are mostly near the surface, can push out freely. ”

“ Almost every grower has his own pet theory about pruning and how it should be done; the only matter all agree about being the time when it should be done, and which greatly depends upon the season. Generally one is pretty safe to prune in the middle or end of August, or the first week in September, but a sharp look-out must be kept to find out exactly when. ”

“ Make the cut in to the wood, and then with the point of the knife (a budding knife is the correct tool to work with, and be sure to choose some tree of good size and easy bark for a first attempt) raise the bark all round the cut, beginning first where they cross at the leg. If the tree or plant is fit to be budded, or a good one to do, there will be no difficulty in raising the bark, it separating easily from the wood. ”

“ As the fruit increases in size and weight, support those branches that require it by placing strong saplings with a fork at the top (like a clothes prop) under them. To prevent the wood getting bruised, wrap a piece of old bagging round where the fork rests. The peach can be raised from seed, though it is as well when planting an orchard to get good grafted trees from some first class nursery.
Bone dust, lime and wood ashes, with stable litter and leaf mould are the best manure for the trees. ”

“ By this means the bud is, as it were, planted in the bark of the tree.
The worsted must not be bound exactly over the bud, or it might bruise or break it. The bud should have the appearance of peeping out between the turns of worsted. When the operation is finished it can be left a week or two, and by that time you will know whether it has taken or not by the appearance of the bud. As soon as you are sure that it has taken, the ties or worsted can be loosened, not taken off; they may want relaxing several times as the little bud swells and grows. ”

“ The second year do not allow any runners, and the third year take up every other row of plants and set in new ones, and this should be done every year after the third, being careful to take up those rows left last year, and no runners should be allowed till the fruit has ripened. Strawberry plants should be dug a few days and left in some cool damp spot before planting, as this plan will allow the sap to draw down to the roots, then when planted it will go to the tops and in a few days small roots will have begun to start. ”

“ In pruning his trees the inexperienced fruit grower often finds a difficulty in distinguishing the fruit buds from the leaf buds, and he may discover when too late that he has cut away all his leaf buds instead of those he should have pruned. ”

“ First scoop away the earth from the plant to the depth of a few inches, then choose your branches from the strongest wood, bend them down, and cut a slit as if you were going to cut the branch off, but only cut about half through, and let it be made at the thickest part (the elbow) , have small forks to keep the layers in place and cover the earth well over them, forks and all, to its former level. ”

“ Gradually as the trees get older more and more can be left till when it has reached maturity its strength is equal to a very heavy crop, though the peach always requires attention in the matter of rubbing off surplus fruit if in a climate that suits it. ”

“ When your trees have made one year's growth, prune away where you wish the trunk to be. Often there will be laterals spring out from the roots and near the roots, they must be cut away, and a better way is to break them at their joint to the tree. Choose one strong branch as leader to form the head of your tree ”

“ When the tree is in, and before filling in the earth, pour in some water (soap suds is good if you have it) round the roots of the tree, let it sink in, and then fill in gently round the roots, and press the earth firmly down. ”

“ Peach and nectarine trees are specially given to heavy crops when quite young. Much of the fruit should be knocked off soon after it has formed. All heavily laden trees must be supported where necessary, or branches may break, or if storms are frequent the whole tree may go. ”

“ A common and very useful grafting clay can be made by mixing some clay, horse or cow dung, and a little horse hair. It requires beating on a board to make it pliable. When going to use, moisten with a little water. ”

“ In this way, and by careful training and coaxing the shoots into position the vines will have made a good start in the first year. The second year still make wood, and if a few fruit buds show nip them off; they are not very likely to do so unless the vines are old stocks or plants. Do away with all lateral shoots, which are those long shoots springing from the roots or from the sides of the main stem, and when a shoot or branch has grown a certain length top it and let it branch out. In tying up the young shoots it is best to use some soft strips of stuff that cannot cut into the vine. ”

“ As I have just said every one has a pet theory about how to prune, how many eyes or buds to leave, how many main stems, &c., &c. And trivial as the matter may seem to those who know little it really is a very momentous question to those who are interested. ”

“ Let those who know a lot, experiment, and those who don't can benefit by and bye. The grape has many pests and diseases to trouble it. Oidium is one of the worst, and it must be treated directly it appears, or beforehand, to prevent its appearance at all. ”

“ Always use a line in planting, and the spade, as without the former your rows will not be exactly straight or the same distance apart. Mulch the plants in, and press firmly about the roots—this is a most essential point, as unless firmly placed they are apt to be loosened by the least wind. ”

“ In tying, it is as well to start below the long cut, and wind the worsted round and round up to the bud and then on above it, as by this means it is brought more closely to the wood, the idea being to place the inside of the young bud close against the sap wood of the tree. ”

“ The first year the vine must be allowed to make as much wood as it will, but allowing but the one strong main stem, and train from this two main arms, a right and a left, starting them at about twenty-two or twenty-three inches from the ground, and leaving spurs at not less than nine or ten inches apart on these arms. ”

“ Wire makes the best trellis, and three wires are better than four, or if four are used the two lowest should be about six inches apart, and the other two the same, leaving a wide space in the centre between, I have found the best arrangement, as it gives the chance of training the arm of one vine along the top wires, and the next or opposite arm along the lower. ”

“ Plant your strawberry plants at each edge of the filled in trench, and about 16 inches apart. When they have fruited the first time you can leave two runners to each plant, which will make them much closer for next season. Keep all weeds down, and work round the plants with a fork in the spring. ”

“ You want a good strong barrel with two good heads. Nail a block of wood about four inches square in the centre of each head, fasten it on securely. Insert two three-quarter inch long screws in each block so as to act as axles. ”

“ By and bye the layer will break from the parent stem where the cut was made, or if not, when well rooted it can be separated with the spade. You can put down as many layers as you like round a bush. Camelias and Gardenias can be very successfully propagated in this way, as can also many other varieties of shrubs and trees. ”