Cleaner Orchards
A further set of experiments have been carried through and tested in a theory of orchard purification, produced some few years ago by Sir Arthur Nance in Ireland. He sends me the result of this year's experiences both of himself and his neighbours. Some of them have been published elsewhere. He used a winter spray of paraffin and thick oil (froth his motor-car) in the proportionof three to eight. He finds that not only has he thus secured fruit free from scab and many other maladies, including American aphis, but that the general health of the trees, as proved by the size and colour of the leaf, is greatly improved. The ideal date for this winter spraying has not been fixed ; but I should infer that January, or very early February, has some advantages not shared by earlier dates. Enough evidence has certainly been accumulated to make a test of the mixture With the attention of our research specialists. They are unanimous in their approval of some sort of winter spraying, with tar distillates or what not. On the general subject that admirable little paper, especially for the young idea, the Burkinghamshire Farmer, gives evidence of the steady bettering of the orchards due to the advisory work of experts from the Horticultural Department and to competitions in orchard improvement.
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