Delta chief., 1885-07-15
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.
FrocecdIngs OF the July Meeting Of
lhe Delta County Fruit Growers.

the Delta Coanty Fruit Growers.
The second meeting of the Delta County
Horticultural Society was held Saturday af.
ternoon as was announced. The attendance
was not As large as it might have been, owing
to the hot weather and to the farmers being
so busy. Yet we hardly consider the latter n
good excuse, as farmers are always busy, and
no time can be put TO any better advantage
than meeting where We can learn something.
Those who attended know how they en-
joyed the meeting. but those who did no, at
tend do not know what they missed.
A card was received from President Wade,
stating his inability to be present, which wss
much regretted, rs he WIS to read paper on
the winter care of fruit.
L. c. Alley called the meeting to order, aud
the minutes of the previous meeting were
read by the Secretary.
Then followed paper on "When to cover
and uncover Raspberries and Blackberries,"
hy II. B. Kennedy of which We give the
following extracts: II has been assigned me
To give = paper on when is the best time TO
cover and uncover blackberries and raspber-
ries. II may be thought 10y some that it is
not necessary TO cover blackberries and rasp-
berries, but our experience during last winter
goes to prove that cannot raise such fruit
with any certainty withou, covering them in
winter. Blackb and raspberries must
be covered up before the canes become too
much hardened, especially the blackberry.
The latter part of October Is considered the
best time to cover them, and the fore part of
March Is the best time tn uncover, rs at this
season OF the year there Is not much danger
Of the canes freezing and afier the plant be-
gins TO sprout in is easily damaged. The
subject assigned me does not allow Of my
stating how to cover berries. etc, but shall
take the liberty OF stating few facts in re-
gard TO winter protection. Ny experience
during the past year cost me dearly, and by
stating the sam. 1t may save much frui, for
Others. In the first place We mat be careful
and not water our fruit too late in the fall.
when the soil is reasonably moist September
Is a. late as small fruits need be ~aiered,
unless IL be strawberries. The latter berry
can scarcely receive too much water Trees
should not be ~atcred after August 18th un.
ill lust before it frceIes in December They
should he flooded, snd. alter freezing, mulch.
Cd Strawberries do better without any COW
criug in winter II any such is given them,
it ough, to he coarse litter lightly spread.
Daring the past season where our berries
we're heavily mulched they did not do near
80 we'll As where they received no attention
whatever. In covering hlscSberfics the
dirt is piled close to one side Of the cane
few inches high, then the tops are gently bent
over until they touch tho ground-the tops
can be held down with forkcd stick stuck
in the ground or with III. foot-then with
shovel dirt is thrown over them to the depth
Of about three inches. Bend all the canes
down-which ough, not tu bs more than four
ar frc-no matter if some do break oil, for 1t
is better to have part covered than 70 have
all killed down to the ground. Raspberries
covered in the same manner; however,
scmc recommend covering the tip ends.
CurranU and gooseberrics. especially the
Houghton, need no protection whatever. It
10 not the cold that kills our fruit during the
winter, but the warm sun starts the sap, at.
ter which freeze comes, and this kills the
cane to the ground. Had the writer known
last fall what he knows now he might have
have had several hundred dollars more Of
frui. than he will this season. Aud thus il
Is that We have met together us one interested
In the raising and caring for fruit. We can
all learn something and nearly all can tell
us something that We do not know, aud by
all taking part We will not be like spongcs,
drinking all in and giving nothing out, but
by exchanging views VIC will learn, and feel
that our meetings have not been in vain.
w. o. Stephens read an essay on a. Peach
culture ON the mesas," from which we cx.
tract as follows As the theme Is given 10 me
in the form of question by the Dela Coun.
ty Horticultural Society, will try to answer
Il the best can, and at the best that will
only be theorizing, ms experience is some
thing none of us have only TO a very limited
extent. ] have growing in my orchard ten
peach tree altogether, with ten others that
were set out In the spring of 1884 that died
or were dead when set. Five were winter
killed and have sproutcd from the old stock
aged to weather the blast ana keep top as
well Ms roots alive without water from July
25. 1884, to May 1, 1885, and have up to this
time made growth of from two 20 three
feet. One of these little trees had one bloom
and bore the peach until 1t was ns large MS "a
doves egg, when an old hen took it. pre-.
fer m Medium sizct tree for setting fL,