The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-30
Pruning and SPRAYING.

PRUNING anu
To the Editor: Owing to the fact that
your valuable journal has always given
liberal space to the encouragement OF the
best methods of fruit culture, / take the
liberty of asking you to publish few
thoughts pertaining to this great industry.
which is soon to become second to none OF
Its kind in the United States, so far as the
apple. pear, prune or peach Is concerned.
1t is not uncommon for the man who has
given his fruit trees proper care to pick
from one pear tree forty bushels of fine.
perfect fruit. The same may be said of the
apple. which Is and always will be the
king OF fruits The Yakima peach has
gained fer itself a worldwide reputation,
being second to none grown on the Amer
lean continent. The output of the Walla
W2lla fruit belt and that of the Snake
river valley is too fresh in the minds of
the consumer, both in the old world and
in the new. to need any comment
There is. however. danger threatening
the prosperity of the fruit growers of this
Coast which, unless removed, may ulti-
mately bring disaster to them. 1t is that
hidden germ fungus) that lies DORMANT.
concealed from sight around the bud that
you expect your perfect apple, pear. prune
or peach from. If II is not killed soon by
some funsicides it will no longer be dor
mant. as IL is a live germ and in its nature
as contagious to the fruit or fruit trees
as smallpox In the human family. This
IS the source from which the black spot
OF the apple. pear and peach comes. II
this was the only enemy TO be feared by
the fruit grower the matter would be the
less.
The same enemy Of the grape that has
laid waste many of the great vineyards OF
France (Phyloxera) is now laying waste
the same industry in our sister state, CAL
ifornia.
The enemy (codlin MOTH that is running
the world-famed Michigan apple, has
crossed the Rockies and spread her wings
of destruction over the once famous Ore
gon apple.
I might 20 on giving the reader names
and history of many other fruit pests that
are to be found In our midst, such as Yooly
aphis, green aphis, scales of different
kinds. but space will not permit. I have
simply this to say: There is only one
method by which the fruit growers will
ever get rid of these foes, and that Is by
pruning and spraying. and this to some
extent is new enterprise with the ma or-
ity of fruit growers on this Coast. and
such let me remind of one fact. there is a
right and a wrong way in spraying
1t was only yesterday in my travels
noticed a number of yards that had the
trunks. and as far as they could reach on
the large limbs. sprayed or washed with
some white substance. This may have
been all right as far as II went but such
a method will not lessen the ravages OF
the green aphis. the tent caterpillar. and
VIII make but little difference with the
oyster shell scale or black fungus You
viii find ninety-flve per cent. of all green
aphis deposit on the tender growth of last
year. Who ever saw a tent caterpillar de-
posit on the trunk OF tree? No one On
the contrary. they are to he found on the
tips OF last years growth. The oyster
she'll scale that Is TO he found on the
stocks OF old trees are simply the empty
scale covering that served its term years
ago.
n you want to find perfect scale they
will he easily found on the more tender
growths. To spray and wash the larger
growths and not the tender branches has
a reasoning similar 20 the ostrich. which.
when. pursued by an enemy, sticks its
head in the sand leaving its body uncov-
cred. presumably out Of danger Do thor
ough work. and your insect foes will soon
have to succumb 10 II. Remember that no
one spraying will rid badly infected or
chard from insect pests Remember an
other thing. that yeu can kill ten million
insects while in louise. worm or grub sta "a
of lie flarvab 20 one after they have be-
come winged. W. II. BROWN.
Seattle Wash