Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-14
Farm AND ORCHARD.
INSECTS THAT DO MORE GOOD THAN
HARM TO FRUIT TREES.
Rule for Apple observation-disclosures for
Profit-Care of Ashes-seasonable
Hints-Farm Notes.

Helen Wharburden, writing for the
American Cultiuator, says: 'Not all Of the
insects which infest the gardens and
orchards are injurious to the fruits, trees
and shrubs. Like the birds of the air, there
are many insects which do more good than
harm, and their acquaintance should be
cultivated as much as possible. There is
constant war going on among the bugs and
insects of the fields and orchards, and this
war does more good toward keeping down
the injurious ones than all of the London
purple and Paris green that the farmer
can spread over the shrubs and vines. The
white faced hornet is probably the best
friend to have in the orchard after all,
although many consider this hot-tempered
insect great nuisance. If the garden is
infested with slugs, the hornets will soon
discover them, and colony of the latter
will soon destroy thousands of the slugs
They will fly about and take the slugs from
the leaves and carry them to their nest
The amount of good that a colony of these
hornets will do for garden cannot be
over-estimated, and the little trouble that
they may do should be overlooked in view
of the great benefit they may confer upon
the owner of the plant.
9The larger kinds of beetles, the lion
beetle especially, are also very beneficial
to the farmer, because their whole time is
-, Asoe IL
grubs. These beetles are homely looking
things, and nearly everyone feels inclined
to step on them and crush them whenever
discovered, but they are the best friends
of the orchardist and gardener. By all
means let them live, even if their homely
figures are unpleasant to look upon.
Where a garden is infested with cut
worms the lion beetles are of great value
for in the night time they hunt the cut
worms untlringly. 1t is in the night
time that the cut worms come forth to
perform their destructive work, and it
is also then that the beetles go forth
on the war sath. The tiger beetles are
somewhat smaller than the former, but
they do almost as good service for the
farmer. Let a number of these loose
near tree infested with plant lice and
they will soon rid the leaves of the pests
They eat an untold number of aphides
and do practically no harm themselves te
anything that grows in the garden. The
tiger beetles also prey upon other insects
and few of the species devour the Colo.
RADIO potato beetle by the wholesale. The
wheel bug and the soldier bug are also
great enemies to many of the injurious in
sects and flies. The mosquito hawk o.
dragon-fy destroys the plum curculio and
pear slug and other destructive creatures
1t would be well if every gardener under
stood the nature and habits of the differen
bugs and insects, so that he could know
which to destroy and which to let live
There is no doubt that many insects ar,
destroyed each year through ignorance O
their worth, which, if allowed to live
would prove of inestimable benefit to tn,
agriculturist."
RULES FOR APPLE ORCHARDS.
For successful orcharding, there ar,
many requisites to be observed which ar,
given in extended articles, and which Oh
account of their length the inexperienced
are apt to overlook. They may therefor,
be more useful if condensed into the fol
lowing thirty EIGHT brief rules:
l. Select good soil, such as will raist
good farm crops.
2. Make it mellow at once, or with
previous mellowing crops.
3. Hillsides or rocky places are admis
sible only in case plenty of barn manure
can be had for annual top-dressing.
4. See that the land has good natura
or artificial drainage.
5. Choose young and vigorous trees
not over two years old from the graft.
6 See that ample roots are secured il
digsing-enough to stifen the tree with
out slaking and give ready growth.
Z lyoid large, overgrown or stunted
tree, which have short roots mutilated by
Dig g.
s. i.emember that good supply ofroot.
is more important than straight stems OF
handsome heads.
9. Procure well proved standard varie.
ties, and not new lauded sorts.
10. If trees from distance are partly
dry when received, bury them for a week
top and all, in finely pulverized moist soil
to retsore them.
II. Before setting out, dig holes broad
enough to receive all the roots without
bending.
II. Use no manure, except on the sur
face after setting or in the remote parts o.
large holes.
13. In setting out, spread the roots Out
equally on all sides, at their full length ane
fill in compactly with fine mellow earth.
IA. After set, shorten back the Ions
shoots and thin out where too thick
giving neat, even, moderate head.
Is. Always shorten back before the
buds swell, and never when partly Oh
wholly in leaf
Is. Keep the ground for several feet
around the newly set trees clean and
mellow all summer
II. Keep the ground cultivated over the
whole surface for six or eight years after
transplanting; after which allow grass to
grow only in case good annual or BIZ
ennial top-dressing Of manure can be
given.
Is. As the roots of growing trees are as
long as their height, avoid the mistake Of
spading or manuring narrow circles around
the foot of the stem, but cultivate the
whole surface.
10. Preserve a smooth, clear stem by
promptly removing all suckers
20. Clover and sowed grain should never
be allowed in young orchards; grass, il
kept short and annually top-dressed with
manure, is admissible; hoed crops, as corn
and potatoes, do well; and clear culture is
best.
81. In well-managed orchards much
pruning is unnecessary, and when per-
formed, do but little in any one year
thin the outside of the head and not the
center, and paint all wounds.
%. Undesirable fruits, or those proved
untitled to the climate, may be changed
to good ones by grating several gratis,
spread over the heads, will soon form
bearing trees. For large trees, divide the
grating through two or three seasons.
%. For home use, set out good vari-
cites enough TO keep up constant sue
cession from the midsummer kinds through
autumn and winter, and OF long-keepers
to last through spring till the ripenine