The morning call., 1892-11-14
NOTES FROM NILES.
Efforts OF the Orchardlsts to Get RID of
the Scale.

the Scale.
Correspondence of THE MORNING CALL
The last OF the almonds are harvested.
grape-pickiug is being rushed for fear of
the rains, a few farmers are already prun-
ing, and as rule all are preparing for the
winter work.
There is theory that pruning apricots in
the late fall-say OctObeT-win serve to help
them hold their fruit buds in the spring.
The intelligent farmer investigates and ex-
periments with all theories before pro-
Bouncing upon them, and as rule in would
be hard TO find more intelligent worker
than an Orchardist. He is not averse to OBJ
tanning information, too, from any source.
For some twenty years the Board of Hor-
tieuliura has been In actual existence en-
ployipg at liberal salaries men TO study hor-
culture lin its brOadest sense) for the bene-
fit OF the actual worker. -Four experimental
stations, al an annual cost of SIS, 900 year,
too, are maintained. Bulletins are pub
llShed once in so Often, and great ieal of
matter is published nnuaily, To he had for
the asking. And yet 1t is doubtful il the
orchardisI would not be- Just as we'll off
without the Board of Horticulture or the
experimental stations, as they are now con-
Quoted.
just now, for instance, the scale. the
most troublesome of frult-Iree pests, is hatch
ing.
These officers will talk sagely of these in
sects In the most scientific language, but do
not talk one word more than every orchard
iSt already knows. They do not know, or
do not tell il they do know, how long it
takes THE IN TO propagate, how many hatch
ings there are In a season: neither can they
tell what positively will Kill the scale aud
at the same time not injuTs the trees.
FaTme rs have followed the boards printed
directions carefully as to the method of pre-
pairing washes, the time of applying them,
ETC.. and meet with no more success than
others do with washes which tile board con-
demns. In fact, Judge Black ) remark
| is about true that he found at the end of the
season that trees which had not been sprayed
at all were just as clean and healthy as these
that had been attended TO most reigiously.
The subject, in fact, is Just as lar from q
| solution as IL WAS three years ago, the scale
! is still with us. the first crop. so to speak,
| have Matched, are past the crawling age
and have attached themselves to the limbs
| and are about as large as small letter In
| these columns.
A statement appeared in one of the horti-
| cultural papers lately. written by profess
sor, which stated that the scale was an
| insect invisible TO the naked eye. 1t is only
invisible for the first two or three days and is
fully al eighth OF an Inch In diameter when
grown. A large number of orchardists,
| however. are becoming convinced from day
10 day that the many scaie-eatiDg nsects,
| which now abound in the orchards, viii do
the work ii not destroyed by the washes,
attention.
The French are most thorough gardeners,
aud the French agrie ultural bureaus have
caused one thing TO be done for gardeners,
vineyardists and orchagdists that might be
done here as well. Along The roadsides
are placed placards such as this Ito To-
caiiZe it): do not kill the gopher snake.
1t destroys gophers. field mice and moles.
which are injurious to all growing crops and
trees" Or,
do not destroy the ladybug. 1t destroys
scale of all kinds, pests upon fruit trees"
These signs are paid for out of the funds
that with US are used Ia printing yoluminous
reports OF the meetings OF the horticultural
boards They are ineligible TO the average
farmer, and familiariZe him with his creep
ing. crawling and flying friends and enemies
at the same time.
The scale is worse this year so far, as a
rule, on the peaches; last year was good
peach year-and the following fact has been
noticed, that the season following full
crop of any variety of fruit the scale APP
pears on those trees in greatest numbers.
Is il because the tree is more exhausted
after full crop?
As soon as the working season is over
| the inter's play begins.
The Catholics gave one of the best enter
| tainments ever given in town last Saturday
evening. Charles j. Ward and James
| Piratsky had been secured from San Fran
| cisco, and they delighted the large audience
| with their specialIies. A minstrel troupe
| also gave TWO or three selections, under the
leadership of ID. Pinckney, who also sang
| several songs with hDs effect.
! A heller. a box Of tea and a large picture
! of Pope LEO XIII were ratified, and brought
/ in each neat sum. The refreshment
tables were patrouized, and the total
receipts for the evening were over $500.
1t is astonishing. but true. that this little
town has in the past year put over $1,000 ont
| for the churches alone. In cash, aside. of
| course, from the salaries and other Incl
| dental expenses.
! The Spare Minute Circle has in rrenara-
ton farce-Howell's Sleeping Gaia
4 be given the 18th inst, and TO be followed
| by dance.
The Ladies' Guild is busily working on
the pretty things for their bazaar, and is
also preparing an entertainment to he given
| The same evening.
Two card clubs are in full running order.
The Choral Club meets regularly. Lunche,
and evening parties are promised galore.
and very merry winter is promised
Peas and new potatoes will surely be in
| the markets by Christmas, as the rains have
| been early enough to allow the hillsjdes To
be plowed aud planted a couple of weeks
ago. Mrs l., E TuANE
Niles, Nov. g. 1892
|