Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-03-07
DELEGATES 0

County Horticultural Society: Ladies
and Gentlemen:
As a delegate to the State
Horticultural Society held in Madison
Feb. 8 to s inclusive, I would make the
following report:
Tuesday morning there was not much
OF Interest done at the society except
the ent"y Of fruit etc, Of which there
was a good display considering the sea-
son, 4 man alone having about so
plates Of apples all OF different varieties,
which [ think will dispel the delusion OF
that apples can't be raised in Wiscon-
sim" Mr.. Odds, of Clinton, Wis, had
10 exhibits of potatoes which were in
deed very nice. Mr.. Coe, the nursery
man of Fort Atkinson, had a canned
sample OF the Columbian red raspberry
which was fully as large as a nickle
) cent piece after being cooked. The
greater portion Of the morning I spent
looking around the Capitol and Univer-
sity.
The afternoon session began at 1870
with a ten minute talk on What do the
apple trees OF Wis. need most,'' by F.
W. Chapel, Of Madison, who thought
our apple trees need, LIST, moisture; ID.
location, and Sd plenty OF plant food.
He thinks a coating Of salt followed by
thorough cultivation until the first of
July, then seeded with buckWheat will
have the desired effect. We should
never select a ~grayelly soil to begin an
orchard on. All pruning should be
done between June 10 and July 20 while
the sap is thick and then only the first
year after transplanting. Avoid the use
of coarse stable u as it is produc-
tive of blight. Prof. Golf thinks there
is no II thing our apple trees need
most but can be summed up in three
heads, viz, better care, moisture and
plenty Of plant food. He thinks it a
mistaken idea that salt draws moisture.
Mr.. A. D. Barnes thinks pruning
should be done the last of March or LIST
Of April, and all water sprouts should
be pruned off as fast as they appear.
Never cultivate after July LIST, so as to
give the trees time to ripen their wood
before winter.
Prof. Golf, of the Z. W., gives the
following deyice for starting growth in
newly planted trees if they do moi
readily start themselves: Drive a stake
near the tree to be treated SO that it
Will be about Is inches above the tree.
cut the end Of the tree SO there will be
new wood exposed; tit Il rubber tube
over The end; next take q bottle. say q
half pint, fill it with water and connect
1t with The free end Of the tube; invert
the bottle and tie to the top of stake.
1t was t!led in quite a good many cases
the past summer and proved good in all
cases Of apple and cherry trees, but
failed in three trials of pears. 1t works
equally as we'll on the root or branch.
but Prof. Golf prefers the branches as
they ale easier of access. This pressure
must be applied before the bark begins
to shrivel in order to be successful, and
you will be surprised to see your trees
starting in seven days, and moreover,
they will cOntin; to grow unless some
thing else sets in.
"What l have learned aboutspraving"
was ably handled by A. L. Hatch, who
would not recommend spraying for any
Of the small fruits except strawberries,
and then only for blight which should
be treated with the Bordeaux mixture,
which is prepared as follows: Dissolve
+ pounds copper sulphate (blue vitrioD
In 4 gallons of hot water, and, in an
other vessel 4 pounds of unslacked
lime III i gallons of cold water. When
cool, the two solutions are thoroughly
mixed and applied with a spraying
pump, which should be well washed
after applying as the mixture is some
what corrosive. For blight on apple
trees the same may be used; but for
the leaf eating insects q solution of one
pound Of London Purple to $50 gallons
of water may be used with good results
if begun in time and used persistently
and thoroughly: Begin as soon as bios
SONS begin to fall and repeat every ten
days until the fruit begins to hang with
the blossom end towards the ground.
For currant worms Mr.. Hatch thinks
should be treated before they make
their appearance by applying a layer of
lime or ashes one or two inches thick
around the bushes; but if you are un
fortunate enough to have neglected that
precaution then apply a solution of 1 OF.
white hellebore to 2 gallons Of water.
The plum curculio can only be con
trolled by picking. In spraying we
should follow the old adage eff at first
you don't succeed try, try again"
Secretary Phillips as committee on
new fruits reports that he visited sever
al new seedlings in different parts of
the state, and finds the following list of
promising merit: red raspberries, the
London and Columbian; apples, Muir
phey's Blush in particular for late,
while the Ruth hasa great many desira-
bic qualities. He thinks cur list of
summer and fall varieties of apples
about complete, but that there is a
large field in the late winter varieties
left open as yet.
The report Of Treasurer Coe shows
that the finances Of the society are in