Horticulture Commons^™

Preparation Of Vegetables For Market, James P. Fallon

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

PROFITS in commercial vegetable growing depend as much on proper harvesting, handling and marketing as on good production practices.

Many gardeners who are experts as producers are perhaps not so expert in presenting their produce in a manner which will command the most favourable return.

Citrus Growing In The Home Garden, Frank Melville

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

ALTHOUGH well suited to our climate, citrus trees do not always thrive in the metropolitan area because of the unsuitable soil conditions in some suburbs.

Lemons can usually be grown successfully and grapefruit are worth persevering with, but oranges and mandarins are better suited to the loamy soils of the Gosnells, Guildford and Hills districts.

Cover Spraying For The Control Of Celery Leaf Spot. Part 2, S C. Chambers

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

SEVERAL additional cover spray schedules for the control of leaf spot in winter celery, have been evaluated during the past two years.

The most satisfactory of these is one in which Bordeaux 4 : 4 : 40 is replaced by Ziram for the last two applications before harvest.

The Use Of Lime In Market Gardens, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE term "lime" when used in relation to agriculture means any calcium containing material that is capable of correcting soil acidity.

While generally used for this purpose, lime has many other equally important functions in the soil.

Strawberry Culture, K T. Whitely

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WHETHER fresh or preserved, the strawberry finds universal favour and is regarded more or less as a luxury.

For the grower it offers the quickest cash return of all fruits, cropping in the first year. It is, therefore, very useful to a man trying to establish a fruit growing property with limited capital.

Common Bean Mosaic, W P. Cass Smith

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

COMMON bean mosaic is a widespread disease which attacks both dwarf and pole bean varieties.

The disease is caused by an infective principle or virus which spreads throughout the sap of affected plants, and causes both delayed maturity and drastic reduction in yield.

Banana Cultivation At Carnarvon, J A F Lawson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE banana is claimed by some authorities to be the first fruit ever used by man. Indeed, it is so widely scattered throughout the tropical countries of the world that it is very difficult to name its centre of origin.

For centuries it has been regarded as one of the most useful fruits for treating patients with digestive ailments, and over the last few decades it has been recommended by doctors, particularly for infants.

Although the protein content of bananas is low, the sugars of the ripened fruit are present in a most useful form, and the vitamin content, by …

Powdery Mildew Of Cucurbits, R F. Doepel

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Powdery Mildew is one of the most damaging fungal diseases of cucurbits in Western Australia.

Disease development reaches epidemic proportions in most years and results in reduction in yield and quality of crops.

Regular applications of fungicides give economic control on susceptible varieties.

Walnut Growing In The Bickley Valley, E L. Neave

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WALNUTS require special conditions of climate and soil for satisfactory production and there are few places in this State where commercial plantings have been successfully established.

One small planting of interest is located in the Bickley Valley, in the hills close to Perth. The Bickley Valley is best known for its citrus and stone fruits

Improving Potato Seed, James P. Fallon

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

SOME of the oldest records of potato cultivation show that throughout the ages it has been generally accepted that periodically, a change of seed is essential, and the only means of maintaining satisfactory yields in crops.

Even today most potato growers are familiar with the term "run out" as applied to any particular line of potatoes which tends to progressively decrease in vigour and productivity when planted from year to year.

Bacterial Blight Or Black Spot Of Walnuts, O M. Goss, R. F. Doepel

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Bacterial blight is the most important disease of walnuts in Western Australia.

In bad seasons it can cause heavy losses in susceptible varieties such as Wilson's Wonder, and in some seedling trees.

Carefully timed sprays greatly reduce the incidence of bacterial blight, and it is also recommended that less susceptible varieties—such as Franquette— should be used for new plantings.

Toxic Annuals In Horticulture, Robert Dunlop Royce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE number of poisonous shrubs and trees that are grown in gardens is very great, and several of these species have been discussed in detail.

It is probable that few people realise just how many of the commonest garden plants are in some way or under some circumstances, likely to contain a toxic principle.

Furthermore, this is not confined to the longer lived plants, but it applies equally to the annual plants, both summer growing and winter growing.

Mosaic Disease Of Cucumbers : A New Resistant Variety, H L. Harvey

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

TESTS with the cucumber variety Ohio MR 200 which was introduced from the U.S.A. (1), have shown it to be almost unaffected by the cucumber mosaic virus. It is a good type and satisfactory yielder and promises to be the answer to the cucumber mosaic problem in Western Australia.

Spraying Guide For The Control Of Pests And Diseases Of Fruit Trees, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE following guide for the spraying of fruit trees has been prepared as a ready reference for fruit growers and as a seasonal reminder of control measures necessary to deal with orchard pests and diseases.

The charts have been kept as brief as possible consistent with supplying details of recommended materials, concentrations and time of application, and growers should comsult Departmental leaflets or Departmental officers for more detailed information.

Fruit Fly, D G. Shedley

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FRUIT fly control is compulsory! To obtain effective control of fruit fly it is necessary to combine strict orchard hygiene with bait spraying.

In addition, cover spraying with DIPTEREX will give extra protection to stone fruit and pears.

When the breeding powers of the fruit fly are considered it is easy to understand why home growers and orchardists need to fight a continual battle against this pest.

Black Spot Of Tomatoes, R F. Doepel

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

BLACK SPOT DISEASE IS THE MOST SERIOUS FOLIAGE BLIGHT OF TOMATOES IN THIS STATE. IN SEASONS FAVOURABLE TO ITS DEVELOPMENT SEVERE DEFOLIATION AND FRUIT ROTTING ARE EXPERIENCED.

IN Western Australia, black spot, which is also known as early blight and target spot, is a troublesome disease of long standing. It is caused by the fungus Alternaria solani which also attacks potatoes.

Brown Spot Of Passion Fruit, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

BROWN SPOT caused by the fungus Alternaria passiflorae, is found in plantings throughout Western Australia. Severe outbreaks of the disease have occurred in most districts, including Serpentine, Manjimup, Nannup and Denmark. Although isolated young plantings may remain healthy for two or three years the disease eventually becomes established in the vines.

Powdery Mildew Or Oidium Of Grapes, H L. Harvey

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

POWDERY mildew or oidium, is a disease which is always present to a greater or lesser extent in grapevines in Western Australia.

In seasons favourable for its development it stunts the growth of shoots and leaves and may seriously reduce fruit yields and quality.

Most of our commonly-grown varieties are quite susceptible to the disease, but for the reason that currants are the most extensively grown variety, the overall losses are greatest in this variety.

Downy Mildew Of Onions, R F. Doepel

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

DOWNY mildew of onions, caused by the fungus Peronospora destructor, is widespread in Western Australia.

In market gardens adjacent to Perth where the majority of onions are grown the disease occurs each year in spring and early summer crops and often attains epidemic proportions.

Chemical Thinning Of Apples, S E. Hardisty, N. H. Shorter

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

TWO important related problems of apple-growing in this State are biennial bearing and poor fruit size.

Early thinning by chemical means, is providing a valuable and practical means of tackling these problems.

With every prospect of heavy crops in most districts this year, many growers will be interested in the possibility of spray thinning.

Hormone Sprays For Apricots, J E L Cripps

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

VARIOUS hormone sprays have been applied to apricots with the object of increasing fruit size and hastening maturity, and of these 245TA, the tri-ethanol amine salt of 245 trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, has in general, proved the most successful.

The increase in fruit diameter obtained with this spray in Western Australia has varied between 5 and 15 per cent, and is due to an increase in the size of the cells within the fruit, not to the production of a greater number of cells.

Water Usage Trials With Bananas On The Gascoyne, W M. Nunn

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE banana industry at Carnarvon is an unusual one by most agricultural standards.

Normally a tropical plant liking relatively humid conditions in a high rainfall, the banana is cultivated at Carnarvon in an area of extremely low rainfall and with relatively low humidity throughout the year.

Water is pumped to irrigate the crop from the sands of the Gascoyne River bed or from bores adjacent to the river course.

Commercial Vegetable Growing In The Perth Metropolitan Region, L T. Jones

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

MARKET gardening with sprinkler irrigation on deep sandy soils around Perth is really a commercial application of hydroponics or sand culture principles.

Provision of a continuous and adequate supply of nitrogen is the major problem. Peat swamps scattered among the sandy areas have higher natural fertility. However, their common problems are drainage, acidity ("sourness"), salt and various special soil deficiencies. Over-liming of acid swamps can cause new problems.

Sclerotinia Rot Of Beans, S C. Chambers, M. Hardie

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

INVESTIGATIONS over the past three years suggest trenching is the most important practice for controlling Sclerotinia rot in market gardens.

None of the remaining measures under test gave satisfactory control of the disease, although some reduced its incidence significantly.

Bitter Pit : A Progress Report On The Use Of Calcium Nitrate Sprays For Its Control, Frank Melville, S. E. Hardisty

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FREEDOM from serious pests and diseases such as Black Spot and Codling Moth and relative immunity from storage rots has greatly simplified apple growing in Western Australia.

However, what has been gained in this respect is often countered by pre-harvest and post-harvest physiological troubles which are rather common to apple growing in this State.

Bacterial Wilt Of Potatoes, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

EACH season, Bacterial Wilt causes heavy losses to individual growers in several of the potato districts throughout the South-West of the State.

The disease is incited by the bacterium Pseudomonas solanacearum E.F.Sm. and is most prevalent in the districts of Donnvbrook. Pemberton and Manjimup as well as in the area between Waroona and Dardanup.

It is a tuber-borne disease which is extremely difficult to eradicate, once it has been introduced on to a property.

The Budding Of Fruit Trees, T F. Herlihy

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A LTHOUGH the principles of budding and grafting are basically the same—that is, t h e success depends upon the close contact of the cambium layers of both stock and scion—the operations are performed at different times of the year.

The Pruning Of Fruit Trees—Part 2. Framework Pruning Of Deciduous Trees, H R. Powell

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3

The early prunings are very important for the reason that they determine the height of the trunk, and the number and spacing of the main and secondary arms and leaders. Mistakes made then are difficult to rectify later on.

The Preperation Of Rose Beds, C C. Hillary

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3

Roses equal to the world's best can be produced almost anywhere in the south-western part of Western Australia with little more attention than is bestowed on most other flowers. It is essential, however, that suitable soil conditions should be provided for the plants.

The Glorious Gladiolus, F Jackson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3

Possessing a wide colour range and striking beauty of form, the gladiolus is one of our most popular and spectacular annuals. When grown in large numbers, the mass formations of varied hues make beds of gladioli a sight to be remembered, but the flower is probably displayed at its best when used as a home decoration.