for the markets of the world you must produce it at the least possible cost, and to do this you must do everything you can by horse labour and use labour-saving machinery wherever possible. Planting should be continued during the month where not completed, the same care being taken to have the land in proper order, and the trees well planted and cut back when planted, as advised in the notes for June. Remember that planting an orchard is not like planting a crop of wheat, as it is not a question of a few months, but of a lifetime; therefore it pays to have the land in thorough order and to plant the trees thoroughly. Do not plant too many varieties, and only plant such fruits as the soil and climate are best suited to grow to the greatest perfection. In the cold, late districts plant late varieties of apples and pears-the apples on the lighter soils, and the pears on the heavier, as we want good late apples and pears for our own consumption, being now almost entirely dependent on Tasmanian fruit. Plant only three or four varieties, and several acres of each; this will pay you better than planting a lot of worthless varieties, and you will have fruit that you will always find a market for, and when our local wants are supplied you will have fruit that is fit for exporting, and that can be exported at a profit. The only fruits to be marketed during the month are oranges and lemons, and in the case of oranges it is desirable to relieve the trees now of a large portion of their crop, as, except in favoured localities, oranges begin to drop during August. The best of the oranges, if cut, sweated, graded, wrapped, and properly packed, should be suitable for export, and should carry well if cut during this month, but later gatherings will not carry as well. For export you cannot send too good fruit or be too careful in the grading, packing, and general get-up of your fruit, as the better you get it up the more chance there is of its carrying safely and of fetching a good price. The cost of getting our fruits on to the English market is so great that it will not pay to send anything but the best, and to make the best pay it must be marketed in the best possible manner. Lemons, as previously mentioned in these notes, should be cut whenever ready, and if properly handled there is no more difficulty in our exporting our main crop to Europe than there is in the Italians exporting their main crop to us; but if we are to succeed we must follow the example of the Italians, and thoroughly grade our fruit before packing, rejecting every bruised or blemished fruit, as a single bad fruit will spoil a case. If there is any slack time during the month devote it to draining the orchard, keeping all surface drains and the outlets of all underground drains clear, looking after the fences, gates, and roads, gathering rubbish for compost heaps, as a good compost heap is of great value, as it conserves a large amount of manurial matter that would otherwise be lost, and when the compost is applied to the trees it forms a good mulch. Where codling moth is bad, scrape off and burn all the loose bark on the trees, and remove and burn all stakes or other material that is likely to form a hiding-place for the grub, as every grub killed now lessens the loss to next season's crop. General Notes. RAIL FARES TO THE HAWKESBURY COLLEGE AND WITH a view to the convenience of farmers and others desirous of visiting either the Hawkesbury College or the various Experiment Farms, the Department has been in correspondence with the Railway Commissioners. It has been arranged that the Commissioners will grant special rates to parties of twelve or upwards, who can arrange to make the journey together. These rates can be ascertained either by communicating with the local station-master or writing direct to the Secretary for Railways, the latter course being probably the better. BIRDS DESTRUCTIVE TO VINES AND FRUIT-TREES. WITH a view to protecting their vineyards and orchards from destructive birds, the Corowa Vine and Fruit Growers' Association has decided to offer a prize of five guineas for the largest collection of heads and eggs of the fol lowing birds, viz. :-Crows, parrokeets, parrots, and leather-heads. This reward will be given at the annual show of the Corowa Agricultural and Horticultural Association in August. This announcement is made at the request of the Corowa Vine and Fruit Growers' Association, in the hope that other districts may follow their example, and thus assist to abate the nuisance. QUEENSLAND NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY'S SHOW. WE have been favoured with a Schedule of Prizes of the Twenty-first Annual Exhibition of this Society, to be held in Brisbane on the 12th August next. The prizes offered are on the usual liberal scale, and as the exhibition is a feature of the year in Brisbane there should be a good opportunity for residents in New South Wales of extending their reputation in the many classes of stock and produce which will be gathered together. The Secretary is Mr. Henry C. Wood, of Brisbane, who will gladly afford information on application. Southern New England P. and A. Association (Uralla) J. D. Leece Candelo A., H., and Dairy Farmers' Association Camden A., H., and I. Society Lithgow A., H., and P. Society Manning River A. and H. Association (Taree) Robertson Agricultural Society ... ... Tumbarumba and Upper Murray P. and A. Society Cumnock P., A., and H. Association N. Emanuel H. R. Elvery ... J. H. Brooks W. S. Cranfield R. G. Ferguson Mar. 3, 4 R. G. Megarrity W. Williams Armidale and New England P., A., and H. Association W. H. Allingham Port Macquarie and Hastings District A. and H. ... ... ... 11, 12, 13 J. J. Roberts ... T. Howard 17 ... ... Upper Hunter P. and A. Association (Muswellbrook)... D. H. Allan Bathurst A., H., and P. Association Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales Castle Hill and District A. and H. Association... H. J. Peard W.M.Madgwick J. Clements F. Webster F. H. G. Rogers 420 Society. Richmond River A., H., and P. Society (Casino) J. T. Tandy Liverpool Plains P., A., and H. Association (Tamworth) A. M'Leod Clarence P. and A. Society (Grafton) ... Moree P. and A. Society (late Gwydir P. and A. Hawkesbury District Agricultural Association... Walgett P. and A. Association Cobar P. and A. Association J. C. Wilcox H. Munckton ... May 4, 5 C. N. Culley ... 18, 19 23, 24 W. G. Dowling C. Poppenhagen Geo. Cousins T. Williams ... 10, 11 ... G. L. S. Wilson ww. 1897. ... J. A. Beatson ... Feb. 3, 4 Wollongong A. and H. Society Secretaries of Societies are asked to forward dates of forthcoming Shows as soon as decided. [10 plates.] Phylloxera. By W. PREEDY. THE following brief report is published in the hope that it may arouse vignerons in New South Wales to the dangers before them if the present practice of planting cuttings from diseased areas, without proper treatment, be continued. While the Department of Agriculture is busily employed in Cumberland and Camden in destroying diseased vineyards, it is astonishing to see vignerons in "clean" districts courting fresh outbreaks of phylloxera by planting cuttings grown in the centre of affected areas. If vignerons will not themselves assist to check phylloxera the Department's efforts to help them must be of little avail, for it is impossible to appoint inspectors to watch every vineyard and every road. The following incident will tend to show how vine-growers themselves assist the spread of the pest. Some years ago a vineyard badly infested with phylloxera was destroyed. The Act did not allow the owner to replant the same area, but within a few months he planted a new vineyard three feet distant from his old one. His new vineyard became badly diseased and had to be destroyed. Probable spread of Phylloxera to New Centres by Vine Cuttings sent from Camden and Cumberland. A brief review of the life-history of phylloxera, and of its spread in New South Wales, must convince one of the immense danger that exists of the disease being spread by means of cuttings from affected areas. The following is a very short life-history of the insect: Towards the end of summer, after undergoing certain changes, many of the insects work their way from the root of the vine to the surface of the ground, and appear as four-winged females. They are capable of travelling a considerable distance, till they settle on the leaves of the vine, and may lay from two to six eggs differing in size. The larger eggs hatch out females, and the smaller males. These latter females lay a single egg on the woody part of the vine amongst the cracks of the bark, and generally on two-year-old wood. Balbiani a great French authority on phylloxera-named this the winter egg, because it passes the winter without hatching, and he adds that it is this egg which is destined to form new colonies of phylloxera. It hatches out in the spring, descends to the roots of the vine, and commences rapidly to reproduce itself. We cannot burke the question that this one winter egg, laid on the wood, is the greatest source of danger that we have to fear in the spread of the disease to distant parts. From the short history I will give of the spread of |