Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-01
EASTERN FRUIT.
Peach Trees Have Been Badly Damaged
nv Late Frosts

EASTERN FRUIT.
Peach Trees Have Been Badly Damaged
by Late Frosts.
ISan Francisco Call, May SOth
B. N. Lelong, Secretary of the State
Board of Horticulture, who has been in the
East and through the Southern States in
the interest of horticulture, has returned
and reports that the heavy frosts in March
damaged the orange trees of Florida to a
very great extent.
The trees there have also suffered by
droughts, having had very dry winter.
The rainy season does not begin until Nav.
and continues through the summer. AL
though the trees have suffered consider
ably, the fruit crop of Florida will be fair.
FROST AT WORK.
In many places the frost did little OF no
damage; these places were mostly where
the trees had been irrigated. Water is
pumped from the lakes for this purpose.
Throughout the East he reports that the
peach crop was killed by the heavy frosts
during March. He visited all the largest
fruit districts of Maryland, Delaware and
new Jersey, and found that the crop for
this year will be almost an entire failure
The trees are now about recovering from
the FROST
THE PEACH CROP.
This has been a very heavy loss to the
Eastern peach-growers and has driven
many OF them out of the business. The
trees have to be cultivated for year with
out any production or profit, and the cult
walton is very expensive, as commercial
fortilf1prc bovo 10 ho
growth of wood. A crop cannot be grown
without fertilizers, nor can the trees pro-
duce growth for the coming year without it,
There is practically no peach crop in the
East anywhere. The cherry orchards in
some districts were full of fruit, but the
curcalio had stung nearly every fruit, and
In fact it was with great difficulty that any
cherries were found that did not contain
from two to eight holes in them of cres-
cant shape, the work of the curculio beetle.
PLUMs AND APRIcoTs.
The plum crop is also badly damaged bv
the curcul!o, and very little attempt is
made on this account in their culture.
The apricot is not grown, for the reason
that the fruit is also destroyed by the cur.
culio and the climate is not suitable for its
growth.
The pear and apple crops will be large
but about forty per cent. will be lost by the
rayages of the Goblin moth.
SOUR AND SWEET ORANGE STOCK.
Concerning the sour orange stock, much
OF which has recently been imported into
California, he says that in Florida it does
very well in the low wet lands, which are
there called hammock" but when planted
on high ground or pine landn thew do not
do SO well, being best adapted to wet soil.
The reason given for its being planted so
extensively is that it is not subject to foot
rot" disease similar to the gum disease
of our State.
For this reason the sweet orange stock
cannot be planted in wet lands. it being
subject to gum disease. The sour orange
stock, be finds, does influence the bud to
some extent, but Insufficient to be noticed
except by experts. One of the greatest OBJ
jections 10 this sour stock is that it suckers
badly, and in places to such an extent as to
render the stock in time full of protuber.
ances.
The stock is, no doubt, very hardy. The
orange groves of California are not planted
on low wet lands, but, on the contrary. on
dry soil, which is irrigated through the
summer, and several years will be required
to ascertain its value as a stock in this
State, and until such facts are established
beyond doubt our orange growers should
go slow, and be very careful lest they
make mistake that will be very expen.
sive in the end.
Further investigations will be made by
the State Board of Horticulture, and the
facts published from time to time.
In Florida it rains through the summer.
1t would certainly be to the advantage of
every gro wer, if he intends planting such
stock, to import the seed instead of the
tree, as the seed from the time of germina-
ton would be in different climate and
soil, and receive different treatment and
care to that which the imported trees do.
Then there could be no risk. at least, in in
Producing injurious insect pests, as is the
case where the trees are imported.
FRUIT PESTS.
Concerning fruit pests, he saws that there
is great danger of introducing various
kinds of very injurious pests on imported
trees, and the greatest care should be exer-
cised in that direction. The scale insects
most common in Florida are the purple scale
( MytilGspis citricotd). the long or Glover's
scale (Mytilaspis Gtoeerit), and the chat
scale (Parlatoria prgandii, the latter, how
ever, very common species. The other
two species infest the limbs and leaves of
the tree and the fruit indiscriminately, and
they dishgure the fruit and also the tree.
The long and purple scales are generally
found on the same tree. The Florida red
scale (Aspidiotus fcas), is different from
those found in our State. The scale is not
as the name implies. but of dark choco-
late color. This scale has been reported to
have been destroyed by parasites. Upon
he found that scale still ex-
listed in large numbers, but that it had
not increased as rapidly as the others men.
toned. The reason that its increase has
not been so great is on account of the
heavy summer rains, which come during
their breeding.time. The trees have also
outgrown and thrown off considerable of
the scale by the application of chemical
fertilizers, which are applied in Florida
very freely.
PARASITE INSECTS.
The rust mite is another insect which
would be very damaging to the citrus fruits
if introduced in our orange orchards. This
is microscopical insect and turns the fruit
into dark russell color. Such fruit is sold
with great difficulty.
Mr.. LIE Long, the Secretary, is now pre-
pairing bulletin, which will be fully Illus
trated, giving all the desired information
parasitic insects. He found no
internal parasites that we have not already
got. He found very important foes to scale
and insects which are now being propa-
gated at three different stations of the
Board. Very soon their merits will be
known, and from which places they will
be distributed throughout the State.
A new method of ventilating railway
carriages and preventing dust from enter
ing with the air has lately appeared in
France. The more quickly the train
moves the more rapidly the apparatus
works. The air is made to traverse re-
centacIe containing water which cnnls Ii