The morning call., 1894-05-14
SPRAYING TREES.
A Matter of Interest to
the Farmers.
The Result of Intelligent Farming.
Flowing and CuItivating-Fer-
tiIiZers and Irrigation.

NILES May 49, 1S94.-Farming is a lottery;
the farmer plows, s0ws and eultivates. and
reaps according TO the wind, the sun. the rain
and the soil Fruit-grOwing is lottery; the
Orchardist plants prunes and tends his trees,
and haryests each season a varying crop. The
fact is, that nature and mother earth have been
relied upon entirely TO do the work without any
assistance. Time was when the seed was put
IN the ground and allowed TO grow and mature,
II it could without any care taken whatever, or
trees were planted, and grew and thrlyed or
not, as nature willed. While all that is past.
the half is not yet done that viii be by the
successful farmers and frult-gr0werS OF the
future.
Grain men are not content with light plow-
ing now, they pOw twice and Dlow deep, they
harrow aud cultivate and roll the ground until
ii Is fine as flour; and fruitmen plOw and har-
row and sled their land. and cultivate 1t time
after time. realizing that all the work which
they may put upon IL will be returned many
times over in the increased value OF the crop.
Thousands of acres OF land are reclaimed
each year by The uses OF the great water sup
piles and thousands OF acres or hisides are
cleared and made 10 produce crops. Not con-
tent with all this, the soil itself Is now being
studied and analyZed scientifically, and It's very
minutest needs are being studied with view
To supplying them. The Government appro-
PIRATES large moneys, too. for the support Of
experimental statlons-schOols. in fact, for the
education of the masses OF farmers ana frul :
growers; and If they fail TO accomplish all that
is expected of them as yet IL is not the lack or
the ability on the part OF the students, or per-
baps OF the teachers, Dut the manner In which
the knowledge Is disseminated-or rather not
disseminated. There must be devised better
aud quicker way of placing results before the
public. who want ii and need It,
Eastern farmers, frultmen and truck garden
ers have for years used fertilizers 10 fufnlsh
th lacking ingredients In the soils devoted to
crops, New jersey alone spending as hlgh as
S1,00U.000 annually for fertilizers. Think OF
the vast returns they must have 10 make sucn
an eXpenditurr for fertilizers alone JustinaDle.
II is known that cultivation VIII serve almost
as good purpose as limited irrigation, so our
fruirmen keep their cultivalOrs going and where
practicable turn the water on literally. Even
In our valley where il is supposed tha the soil
is damp enough the benefits OF Irrigation are
apparent IN the orchards that are Irrigated.
Thousands of acres devoted to deciduous and
citrus fruits 10 our great valleys would be Dar-
ren If il were not for the vast water facilities,
and now on top OF all this fertilizers are being
used as being cDeaper, more valuable and
more easily applied than any other manure.
1t is lbe custom In the East To buy prepared
fertilizers, which are composed of muriate of
potash, superphosphate and nitrate OF soda.
But as matter OF fact, the most necessary
substance IN supply is nitrogen. which Is more
than any other ingredient lacking To the ma
j0rity OF soils. SO 10 replace this lack several OF
our best OTchardistS are experimenting with
nitrate OF soda. 1t costs under 20 cents a
pound. comes 10 crystals, is easily pulveriZed If
lumpy and is distributed broadcast. The best
time 10 distribute il is In the spring and TO
harrow IL in, distributing after the last plow-
ing. From 100 10 200 pounds TO the acre Is
used $50 pounds being an outside limit.
From day 10 day farmers are putting more
work on their orchards believing that IL pays,
that good, sturdy, healthy trees are more ready
to Withstand disease or raYages Of insects. and
that money and labor spent te keep trees
healthy Is as gO0o, ii not better, than 10 spend
so much IN fighting pests when they appear. As
fa. h.afrl n dfsa NJ fhae
follows in It's trail.
The trees have been infested for several years
with the black orange scale, and while few
brown apricot scale have been seen they have
year the brown apricot scale Is on trees In
almost every orchard, and iO great numbers,
too; meanwhile the black scale seems to be
disappearing. Wnlle the APP icot scale is in the
majority there are at least four others of the
dozen or more different varieties of scale on
the trees.
leaves and fruit with honey-dew and smut, thus
hurting the appearance, and, as a consequence.
The sale OF the fruit. Several Orchafdists have
been dusing their trees with sulphur or spray
ing With different washes this last month TO
clean the trees, but with what results remains
10 be seen.
For the past four years our orchardists have
been carefully spraying their trees with several
different approved WASHES. and yet can see nc
diminutiOn of he scale, so they are tending
their orchards, pOwing, cultivating ana fertil.
iZing them with as much care as The most con-
sciehtlous gardener gives 10 his choicest plants
feeling that they are putting them In better
condition 10 Withstand the pests, on the old
principle that IAN ounce OF prevention Is worth
pound OF cure"
While all the talk Of COMPULSORY spraying
and Inspectors. ETC., Is going on, it Is worth
While going into the canyons and examining
the native shrubs and trees. Several varieties
are covered with every scale known, aud IL
seems practical people as IL til Sc very trees
cannot fail TO be the source OF constant supply
OF insects to neighboring orchards, In spite OF
the utmost care.
1t Is Interesting to know. TOO. that trees In
well-cared-for orchards, that are not sprayed,
look as healthy and bear as much and as good
fruit as trees that are sprayed, The reason being
perhaps, that The natural enemies OF the scale
90 possibly as much good as the sprays. SO,
nOnS Snra wing Muc L LIZ,