Tec 20 Feb

Monday 16

The class gathered at Molynueux campus and as usual the Kiwi Contingent were well represented and all but had won the game of cricket by around 9.30am. We were to be discussing birds and the control of, we covered the types, from Starlings, Wax eyes, Thrushes and Sparrows. Agreed that the New Zealand bird natives don’t feature in the area. Agreed that the feeding times for birds was from 6.30am to 9.30am and popular opinion was a person was required and used 1000 rounds of ammunition per hectare. Let the cricket begin, me not a contender as the Kiwis do want a chance of another win and to maintain there winning sucess, followed by a BBQ lunch and that was well attended by Tutors and all that knew of the day.

Tuesday 17

First up was a resit of plant identification in room 4, for those that had been unsuccessful first time round, all had been setup and all go. The Indians take so easy and not so sure that they can be trusted to not be looking over your shoulder. Some of the plants were dried off so smelling not an option, and colours not present to give a clue, for me as a greenhorn in the flower variety got the grey stuff churning. Spent the rest of the morning in the computer suite catching up with those elusive assignments, trying to download off blackboard so they could be attended to at home later on. Numbers dwinding quickly a lot of the class not about, maybe a not show for most of them cause nothing aside from a get together on the inception of their arrival in New Zealand and how the course has been implemented.

Wednesday 18

The day of our practical exams, I got to start at 8.00am and so it was full on from then, started with unhitching a sprayer from the small John Deer golf tractor and taking it for a ride about the block and then ATV’s checked the fundimentals oil, air cleaner, petrol and tyre pressure. Irrigation setting up a low density pipe 500 rectangle and a lateral tube with a rotating sprinkler.

Thursday 19

The class met in room 4 with Jo Wakelin and Alex Huffadine and we talked over the year and what had been achieved, places we had visited and next year changes and various proposals. We then had a break for morning tea before having a general tidy up of glasshouse 4, the hardening off area and anything else that required attention. Glasshouse 4 was to see the majority of the vegetables be rejuvenated with a load of greens headed to Catherine’s chooks, the strawberries relocated, the Basil refreshed and new plants for continued us in the dining area.

Friday 20

The day for me was to see me heading down to Alexndra to meet with my case manager and to undertake a seminar in an attempt to get me into work, not sure why as thought that Steve Brown of Workbridge was to make contact with my case manager. Sent a text to Jim Blanche of Molyneux to try and set up an appointment to met with him this afternoon at 1500, he got back to me and we agreed to make it a date for Monday 30th.  All organised and time to relax before making my way to Elspeth street for the Graduation day ceremonies and a chance to catch up with faces that have featured through the year.

Monday 09 

A day again on leave, had a meeting with WINZ @ 12.30 pm was to receive the royal treatment, chauffeured by Graeme in the Highway patrol car, must say something bout my driving ability. The WINZ experience was different but I guess that has to be if you are asking for assistance with the repayment of your flat-rental and electricity account. A day again on leave, had a meeting with WINZ @ 12.30 pm was to receive the royal treatment, chauffeured by Graeme in the Highway patrol car, must say something bout my driving ability. The WINZ experience was different but I guess that has to be if you are asking for assistance with the repayment of your flat-rental and electricity account.

Tuesday 10

 A mixed morning that was to start with Alex starting with Bees and then Roger Gibson having an interlude of the compost practical, that we all supposedly passed with accolades. Back with the bees and we were to meet with pollination, apparies, bee escapes, clones, capping layers, nucleus colonies and hive tools.

Wednesday 11

A morning that no one was to show till 9.30am, Sonny was as usual the first one to appear and drip by drip they drifted in. Steve Brown from Workbridge arrived and we went through the many forms of information he had to complete, my eye on cue raged at its best for an hour. All forms complete and Steve went off with a list of things to follow up on my behalf, would appear that no one has had my interests being of concern. The day was to be spent in the computer suite, a lot of the kitchen students having returned for the day to finish off for the year. Was to go out to Molyneux and meet with Jim Benck and talk over having  Molyneux  Orchard as my choice of company for my Enterprise report required for the culmination of my daily ‘Blogs’. Jim was happy for me to take photos of the tractors, he offered to get building plans,  and vehicles that are resident on the place 

Thursday 12

Planting trees shrubs at the ECCA house at Clyde after some confusion we were on the road at 0915.Sue Mort Lanscape architect was to meet us there, a rugged site lots of steep access to be negotiated. Was glad to be taking photos of the nearly constructed house and garden shed, all to be coated with mud and a straw mixture. Utilising Otago polytechnic students, all appeared to be under way, a little surprised with there method of gravel recovery methods, very demanding on plant. After a delayed morning tea we were to gather our tools and trays that had contained the plantings, saw that all the plantings were watered we madeour way back to Cromwell 

The mudbrick house to be judged for the ECCA award, the roof of the house will be ‘Stonecrop plants that were grown at Cromwell Campus of Otago Polytechnic.

 The garden shed associated with the ECCA house.

Friday 13

 The class met at the Bannockburn campus for thinning of fruit trees and discused chemical thinning and terms such as Carborayl, ‘Dinoseb’ (245T product) of years gone by, and that 4-65 leaves are associated with stone fruit grown at the block. Cherries and Pears have a natural shed of fruit, the thinning of fruit carried out by the class today was to avoid over crowdimg. The class worked there way through the stone fruit trees dropping what appeared to be vast quantites of fruit but given harvest time the benefit will be shown in the fruit size. Some of the class were to practice there experience with some of the plant such as tractors/airblast sprayer while the opportunity arose.

Monday 26

Day one of work experience – and I was to call in sick, my eyes giving me heaps, will have to go back to my favourite hant of late, the optician.

Tuesday 27

Did get to spend the day with Trev, was removing suckers from the stone fruit at the Bannockburn block in preparation for spraying the weeds. Was five rows short by days end, had to meet my daughter late evening and so was unfortunate that I got so close to finishing.

Wednesday 28

At the block again and the weather was cold and miserable, Trev thought we would be best employed at the Molyneaux campus and was to spend the day weeding plants in the glass house 4.

Thursday 29

Spent the morning with Alex, filled the knapsack sprayer with Glyphosate and methodically went about the garden beds and onto the parking area which seems to attract weeds. The rest of the afternoon was a real bonus for me, I got to travel with Alex about the balance of the students. Was to visit students at Molyneaux, Jones, and another on Ripponvale road that I am unsure of the name, and finally out to Phoenix orchard.

Friday 30

A morning of spraying with the ‘Golden’ tractor and the ??? litre power sprayer, a little nervous but as Trevor said at the end of day boring and I guess that was quite appropriate. Tractors aint my fortee but you have to learn what they can achive and be aware of what they can achieve.

Monday 02

A day on leave: attended the Optician, the master from Alexandra, I don’t appear to be combating the Conjunctivitis from forming in my eyes and is wearing me down along with my Horticulture studies. A day seems to last forever and my chronic eye sight aint helping.

Tuesday 03

The day was spent out at the Bannockburn block tractor driving using the ??? litre sprayer to attempt to ward off the weed nasties such as Stinging nettels (alias the common nettels). 

 Wednesday 04

My day was to be spent in vain, I was supposed to attend a meeting with WINZ for them to assisst me with payment of my winter 2009 electricity account, they had my meeting time set down for November 02, the day that I spent with the optician.

Thursday  05

Propagation day the last one for the year

Friday  06

start

Monday 19

Irrigation Unit 12395 day 2 with Alex Huffadine, design basics was the flavour for today, we talked of the Cromwell water system at 70 pounds per square inch as the pressure and at the garden tap as being @ 40 psi giving a flow of 1-1.5 metres per second. Talked of friction losses and viewed a table  that we will be able to refer to, talked of 1 metre head loss being 14.2 psi and rules that should be adhered to 1/. Measure your flow being the water collected in a bucket for one minute, and repeat several times to establish an average. 2/. Measure your pressure with a simple catch can gauge tapped into your line. We talked of installing the hose with in the garden area, using a spinning jenny (wire type) to lay out the various runs and always using hot water to assemble the various elbows, bends and joiners never just bending the tubing about a corner. Talked of the fittings being first primed and the way to apply the glues and the dangers of inhaling the various adhesives.  I was to depart the class to pay a visit to the Doctor, I had been nursing a head ache all morning, the doctor upgraded the paracetimol to Ibuprofen and told me to stay clear of panadol that I had been using my afternoon was to be spent in bed.

Tuesday 20

The class gathered in room 4 with Jo Wakelin and we went over the format of the enterprise report that is to accompany the daily blogs (diaries). I was to acquire a copy of the requirements to expedite this report to find there will be sufficient typing to achieve the 500 words required. Spent the day in the computer suite trying to work my way through Unit 829 which has been eluding me for some time, not for the requirement to try and achieve but the absence of not having word 2009 has seen my efforts fail repeatedly. Sent a text to Jim Blanche asking if I could meet with him to discuss retrieving the information I will require to achieve the for unmentioned report. 

 Wednesday 21

One of those days that stated out in room 4 with a lot of the class either dragging the chain down Barry Avenue or had died over night, slowly they to Alex’s disgust they drifted in with a load of feeble excuses. That  was to be the format of the morning Alex was grumpy and rightly so!!, the majority drifted off to the computer suite to catch up with assignments. Still no response from Molyneux and may be rightly so, I have not been able to work all year and after the grubbing the IRD gave me from last Xmas hols I guess I deserve the stand-off. I countinued with my catch-up  with Unit 12395 Irrigation systems and utilising the internet and the references we were given was able to put reference notes against all that I could. My mobile was to erupt twice and so that chocky is getting close, I don’t mind when it has to do with efforts to get my heat punp, maybe summer months now but winter is on the move forward as I write this.

Thursday 22

Propagation day we were class less as in room 4 was being used for something food oriented, so straight to the potting shed. Catherine was in control and dishing out tasks so we took on her task, one  of many I was presented with a bucket and set about extracting weeds from potted larger trees. I then went on to weeding in the peonie garden, couldn’t help thinking was a very temporary measure as some of the Indians were talking so much jabber there mind was else here. All in all a very productive day getting work done that was set out for Friday and into the weekend, getting the perimeter hedge trimmed and looking good will be appreciated by joe public. They will learn that there is a kiwi way that we are proud of and it ain’t rip and bust, enough enough of that rambling. After a tidy up of the tools and wheel barrows we gathered in the potting shed and Jo set us on our way.

Friday 23

A good frost over night with wind mills and a helicopter in attendance creating the usual chaos. getting far too late for these conditions but I guess not totally surprised the weather that New Zealand has been experiencing.  The day was to start in a weird way, the Indians were to arrive at our second propagation day way late, I had arrived to have Catherine open the doors of the student potting shed and we set about gathering the signs and to start setting up for the advent of the senior citizens who were to arrive at 1200 noon. Eventually they were to arrive and all were assigned tasks for this to happen, some last minute weeding of plants  that were for sale, trolleys were loaded. I was deemed the Vegetable section, and to keep the stock up to the front to enable checking on the addition of new plants as required. Come twelve noon the gates were opened and there were people all over the potting shed area, the gates will be opened from another side of this area, for the plants that were extracted today it will be interesting to see what stock can be called on.

Monday 12

Irrigation with Alex Huffadine we talked of our return to Term 4 and caught up on a news letter, Alex posted the results of the theory exams held during Term 3 and then we got in to irrigation Unit 12395 and proceeded to work our way through the overheads. After morning smoko and a call to the optometrist I had an appointment an appointment at eleven a.m, I met with a Lady optometrist and she had some resolve for my eyes which have been watering and stinging. After lunch I was to return to class and we carried on with the overheads, which during the course of had a walk about the campus looking at the various types of sprinkler varieties and the spray patterns they are capable of producing. We are to cover the various types and features during the coming weeks as well as calculations for implementing our design.

Tuesday 13

Day 2 of irrigation Unit 12395 we talked of a Low pressure system in that they require a small pump in the 10-15 pounds per square inch at approx $4000/hectare a value range. We discussed overhead impact sprinkler systems, popup varieties and travelling irrigators. After morning smoko we traced the water flow from the Kawarau river and into the Ripponvale irrigators, visiting various orchard operations down stream. After lunch which was accompanied with students from the Dunedin campus of the polytech we talked of irrigation systems until someone was alledged to be sleeping in class and so we visited glasshouse 2 and 4 to see the effects of a cooling down process using a using a water spray mist to achieve this. Then we moved on to “irrigation maths” to waken everyone back to reality and for the purists I guess that was to achieve that, a little daunting getting to grips with the jargon that was to evolve.

Wednesday 14

A tutorial day started with Alex Huffadine going over the Irrigation tutorial Unit 23995 and the assessment that he considered we should be able to achieve during the day. After morning smoko we had Roger Gibson going over unit 21555 and 21559 the weed’s unit asking for areas we required assistance for,  questions 07, 09 and aspects of the weed control plans for a vineyard were discussed. After lunch all were to dissipate about the Molyneux campus, I ended up in the computer suite with a group of Chefs Peter’s Asian students working on my irrigation and weeds assignments. My attempt to discuss my outstanding assignments with Alex Huffadine and my  short comings with my efforts to achieve ascertaining Word 2009 software struggled  to come to fruition. 

Thursday 15

Propagation day with Jo Wakelin, started off in room 4 then we migrated down to the student potting shed stopping off at glasshouse 4 en route to under take some weeding arising from a cock-up on Ravensdown fertilisers behalf. We then moved on to various work that will be required for Labour weekend and the Polytech plant as sale, trimming hedges, weeding of for sale items and rejuvenation of the shade house covering. A glorious day after a coolish start to the day, a drastic change from the rain of yesterday and the snow level dropping by the hour. I met with Alex Huffadine after smoko and explained where I was at with software for my Laptop, and by chance he produced Office 2009 which has been eluding me for some time. A few beers will be going his way at the first opportunity I have., I should be overwhelmed certainly takes a load of mind. Eveyone gathered at the potting shed where Callum was to deliver his Plant profile on Buxus ???, Jo kept things moving along by asking a few questions.

Friday 16

Grafting of stone fruit trees, a subject that we covered while Alex was on holiday and we had collected the bud wood to allow for this day when we would implement the actual grafting. Alex had the class write down what we recalled of grafting and the groups of people had two representatives present there recollections to the class,generally a good recollection of the terminology gathered and were awaiting  the theory into practice. The class were aware of Genetic modification and mind full that the class were sitting at the outer limit of this practice. The group recognised the importance of tagging the bundles of bud wood with good well labeled information of the type, date collected and presented in well wrapped with plastic and string and storage in the freezer. We got to witness one bundle that was due to be discarded because these factors were not adhered too. A  good rule of thumb was identified that a tree of ten to fifteen years old should be considered to be passed its use by date.  We were to put our knowledge to date to practice on apple and cherry root-stock within the block  and were to use the grafting tapes and make in incisions into the to be fruiting stock, unfortunately some body has souvenired Alex’s personal grafting tool that allows for the cutting of the tree modification. We had a quick weed of the raspberry plants that had been recently transplanted, got to witness some very poor examples of using a knapsack sprayer, almost to the point of being extreme.

Monday 21

I called into Alex for him to excuse me from class a gain with Roger and a compost class which I have a record for missing out on. This cold/Flu bug is keeping me at a very low eb. My landlord has promised me a heat pump but trying to get the installation organised an absolute nightmare.

Tuesday 22

 Out at the Bannockburn block for a fertilisator class that would involve the plant and machines they have out there. Talked about a soil test Alex had  instigated us novices sat there taking it all in. Talked of ‘valaisation’ ?? = nuetrient removal = losses,  Fertilizator – input,  Compost (organic matter),  Mowing grass between rows,  Boron being short in C.O soils, Calibrate fertilizator sowers,  Petiole test for grapes @ flowering mid December, test uses youngest mature leaf, samples of 50 leaves,  Ten liters / hectare for Digester application.

Wednesday 23

The day of our term exams, all very tense awaiting Alex to hand out the papers, not a lot of conservation was some indication of the terseness. Eventually we got underway, Alex had given us the contents some day before hand, and true to form. Amazing where time goes, 1130 came up very quickly, I didn’t get to apply the correct answer for Plant water. Not a good day for my cold congestion, I was to finish with the anti-biotics and that had to be a plus.

Thursday 24

Propagation day, the class gathered at room 4, and eventually made there way down to the student potting shed, having stopped off at glasshouse one and four to  check on the progress of plants. They keep moving between one and four depends on the growth during the week and Catherine moving into glasshouse four to harden off. The polytech plant sale is looming and the majority of our potting and planting out is directed in this direction.

Friday 25

Propagation day 2 that plant sale is looming and the workload reflects this, a lot of weeding of plants to be put up for sale and a general tidy up for what will become the retail area. Repotted some asparagus plants, was to learn of the cultivation of a plant that I had growing as a weed some where on the section, of days gone by. After lunch we were to make our way up to the dry gardens that the Polytech had a hand in the instigation of beside the swimming pool complex, did some tidying up of grasses and weeding, and then out to the Block at Bannockburn to dig over the community garden. The last day of term, not for me it won’t I have many days of catching up with assignments over the holidays, not having my Internet in a functional mode at home I will be taking advantage of the time out.

Monday 14

After a weekend and the previous week trying to alleviate my cold was to text Alex and said I would be absent from Rog’s composting class. One that I wanted to attend as I have a real affiliation with as I consider that you don’t have soils with out oranic matter. Have developed a stench in my nasal passages that I desire to be rid of , that was put on hold after I talked with the Doc’s nurse later in the day and was prepared for another visit, he was not in so that visit was put on hold. A beaut day in Central Otago at 29 degrees C., with strong north westerly winds one out of the blue for at winters/spring season finishing/beginning.

Tuesday 15

Unit 2804 Blogging and Enterprise report, the latter the part that has been eluding me, turns out that my assumption was very close but with out the trimmings. We were presented with the enterprise report format and the format required, I was wanting to incorporate Molyneux Packhouse but will have to evaluate to what degree they have progressed in house. We then scattered near and far to accumulate all of the required information required to have handed in by 23 October 2009. I was to go back to Jo to acquire another Plant naming Unit 829 report format to have emailed to me so I can have a third attempt to complete, definitely need my software upgrade for this to happen.

Wednesday 16

Tutorial day started with Alex in room 4 doing some in house catch ups, including scholarship opportunities available and then we ventured into our amenitity report, by chance I had taken my copy of the Molyneux Packhouse code of ethics along to show that was what I wanted to venture into. Then moved onto Soils which has rapidly moved up my ranking list “to do”, my struggles with this elusive software again features predominately. My day was consumed by the Computer suite not by choice but am left with no option have to use the interet for so much of my work. Taking on Molyneux and their infrastucture another reason for this facility to be utilised.

Thursday 17

Propagation day with Jo once again we met in room 4 pricking out and planting some of our creations from days of propagation essentially what is to be sold in the plant sale at labour weekend I was to repot the ??Hebes. Managed to fill one and a half propagation trays and put into glass house four for aperiod of hardening off, one tray was originally to be done but added the spares left over. Finished off the afternoon weeding plants to go in the sale, while the balance of the class were involved with activities about the campus so as not to become over bearing come the weekend of the sale.

Friday 18

The second day of fire arms training with Wayne, as I had missed day one I thought come hell or high water I would not miss day two. An excellent day that started off cooler and as the afternoon commenced it just got better, we were divided into two groups, one doing Rifle shooting the other working with Pistols. Some of the pisols were of excellent calibre and manufacture the club that Wayne is associated with has amazing talents and facilities to back up, constructed in a very secure location in Galloway.  Some excellent results were being posted by people that had not been giving a display of there talents. After lunch both  sandwiches and a bbq we were to swap activities and enjoy the alternate disciplines and the group of assistants that Wayne had enlisted to help out with the rifle’s, guy’s of unknown talents with all  from black powder relics of days gone by to extremely high powered Russian varieties

Monday 07

Compost 21045 out at the block with Roger Gibson we had a sluggish start, Roger had to go into Cromwell for something that would allow his laptop to function. We went through the over head presentation and after lunch gathered some green and brown plant life then checked out our four heaps that were allowed to process over the last week. I had a doctors appointment mid afternoon and had tests conducted so that was my Monday. I was not to miss a lot, they continued to construct the fourth heap, with brown, green matter with some sheep poo mixed where we could.

Tuesday 08

Unit 2057 & 2058  Propagation theory with Jo Wakelin, worked our way through our propagation books and ticked off what we had been achieving to date then checked through glass house one to see what had surfaced since two weeks ago, we then moved on to glasshouse four to see what Catherine had moved the for hardening off wth better light and less water. Had a general tidy up, swept the fl00r and weeded the peonies whilst waiting on the guest visiting from China to arrive. He had a visit from Chris the hospitality (Chef) tutor and I guess this visit was repayment of his visit and to meet with Chinese students on campus

Wednesday 09

With Alex Huffadine good chance to catch up and explain why soils and weeds are falling behind, I have been very active  trying to upgrade S0ftware that is more compatible with Vista, very easy for Bill Gates to wave his wand and make major changes. My hunt continues the software supplier is eluding me getting to the stage with the tooing and throing am strugling as to who is doing what. Unfortunately am at my wits end, and for a conclusion it has to be brought to a head

Thursday 10

Propagation day with Jo the class met in room 4 and then sluggishly moved down to the student potting shed where we were given a choice of various seeds to be sown, I was to sow some Ford Hook Giant beet seeds in standard potting mix. A portion of us then went on to move plants out of green house 4 into the new shade house for a period of hardening. All were in volved in various atactivities about the campus, from digging and weeding, the new vegetable garden, to clearing dis used  tree the front of glasshouse 4. 

Friday 11

So bogged with a cold, I was to text Alex and was to call off my day with Wayne King with his fire arm training. I was to spend the morning in bed, to surface about noon and to make my way down to polytech later in the day.

Monday 31

Unit 21075 Demonstrate and apply knowledge of compost making in organic horticulture: at the Bannockburn block with Roger Gibson. That phenomenon called the moon and Demeter and Bio-Gro standards was to raise it’s head once again the Placebo effect also mentioned. Talked of the Carbon cycle and was presented with a very explicit diagram to stress the point. And we found that composting can be divided into home  and industrial and until these web sites an be explored I will take them at their word. Humus a condition that was to feature during our soils study and one facet I am very partial too. Talked of humus and the fact that CAT ion exchange, another factor soils studies laboured and the fact that this exchange and clay have a very close association with the soils that feature in Central Otago. After lunch we were to sign a release form for Roger that enables us to go on our field day trip to Oamaru. We dabled with Bokashi bins and charged them with green matter and their accelerator agent then we were into building three wooden pallet bins and loading with green and brown matter. We have at least three more sessions for the establishment of Composting and the features of this organic element.

Tuesday 01 (September oficially the first day of Spring in Central Otago)

The class set off for Oamaru @ 8.00 am Alex was our driver with Jo as navigator, both performed well with our first stop at a local Oamaru propagator as ??Ford Propagators

Oregon Propagators

, then we moved on to a stone fruit a now wine producer, dare I say some one who saw the light. I was green with envy when they were showing off their new toys, not a steptoe like Cliffy Skeggs these were the ultimate from one of the share holders an Italian who obviously likes the ultimate with his toys.

Wednesay 02

We awoke in time for Jo and Alex who were to pick us up at 9.00 am a few bleary eyes as around midnight the lady that was our landlord for the night had Maju and I encircling the car park as she had heard the call of the ?? penguins and she knew that had been a hideout for them. First oint of call was an ex Oamaru farmer who has done an extremely good job of marketing tart cherries, have a unique taste and all the rage in America and soon to be New Zealand if his marketing comes to fruition. The medical benefits of this juice collected at a specific temperature are seen to be very beneficial with the dreaded ‘cancer’ A very kiwi ploy that certainly has potential, he has had Erncy Weaver as a consultant for establishing the pruning but has a problem establishing a chilling environment in the Oamaru climate 

Thursday 03

Propagation day, a very sluggish start to the day, I was sitting in class for ten minutes before any or body showed and then the number was rather depleted. A trip out of town was obviously too much for some a plesant day was to unfold, we are told to expect frost to night, and maybe more as Spring makes itself known. Summing up the day we had and the experiences we had experienced was many and varied, a/. planted out the seeds sown 2-3 weeks ago, for me it was Diantus described as an ‘Ideal Select White’ coloured ??b/. after lunch a visit to the Bannockburn block for some summer raspberries which we divided and they will go for sale at the Polytech plant sale in Labour weekend, two hundred will help the coffers, c/. then the bulk of the class weeded what will be the student vegetable garden peas, carrots cabbages, cauliflowers, typical kiwi vegetables and following with some chillis as the weather warms up. Hydroponics was tended to by Maju and ?? we had our first plant specimen that all the class will have a turn at presenting, Presenth was one that didn’t show for the day and so will make two presentations next week, the object of the excercise is to make all more conversant with the plants we deal with on an every day basis.

Friday 04

A coolish start to the day with the over night temperature at around -3-4 degrees C lots of water being sprayed at Jacksons as there trees are in full blossom and will be very vulnerable to frost conditions. Class was at the Bannockburn block and we had Alex talking of sprays to be applied such as Copper talked of the Air blast sprayer and that we all will be having turns each week to get confidence with its operation. Talked of spray patterns and whether we were gaining the coverage required, talked of using litmus paper strips stapled to trees at various heights to determine the coverage. Those chosen for their turn with the tractor and sprayer went off, the rest went on to prune plum, apple and red pear trees, at the end of the day we were told we had all past our ???? pruning and were all demonstrating degree of being over cautious of not cutting by three or four cuts to finish off.