The herald., 1897-07-01


l think the greatest cause for poor work
| is usually in lack of thorough appli-
cation. This will be remedied when we
get to using power pumps more in doing
this work Hand pumping is hard work
| and the tired muscles are very apt to do
| the work imperfecetly. Again, it is very
likely true that people frequently get
poor quality of poison. Here is another
reason for our horticultural clubs. They
can send directly to the manufacturers
and thus not only save the profits of
the middle man, but will also be sure to
get a genuine article, as the manufuc
turer would never, in his own interest,
| adulterate either London purple or
Paris green. 1 thing in almost every such
case it is the middle man that commits
the fraud. I have made very careful
investigation and could never learn
as yet that bee keepers ever adulterated
honey. 1t is the city bee keeper, in other
words, the dealer, who commits this
| fraud.
Mr. John Anderson of Clearwater also
wishes the following answered through
The Herald: II have some fine young
apple trees very badly affected with
scale. Twice during the winter thor
oughly sprayed them with scale wash,
'McBain's,' but it does not seem to have
been successful. Noticing this, 1 again
in the spring sprayed twice with your
kerosene emulsion, but so bad was the
trouble that even this has not cured it,
| and several of the trees seem likely to
die. 1 should be glad to learn of some
extra powerful solution, that 1 may get
rid of the mischief at once. / have some
caustic soda on hand. Could that be
effectively incorporated with the kero-
sene emulsion SO as to make the latter
more effective and at the same time not
injure the foliage? Would it do to use
kerosene?" 1 am very glad to answer
such inquiries as the above, but would
like every time that specimens of the in
sect be sent, that we could surely know
just what the mischief-maker really is. I
wish Mr.. Anderson had mailed me some
of the scales. 1 think, without doubt,
that it is either the pernicious scale As
pldiotus perniciosus or else the old ap
ple-tree bark louise, Mytilaspis pomocor-
ticis. In either case neither application
used above will destroy the insects un-
| less applied very soon after they have
Matched. These scale insects are COW
cred with an impervious scale covering
and so are protected against such reme-
dies. 1t is generally believed in Califor-
MIA that the salt lime and sulphur reme-
dy, applied in winter, will destroy the
+ first of these insects. I have never had
any experience in its use and so cannot
say how reliable it is. From my observa-
| tions and from what have learned
| from our best fruit growers, think in
all such cases the surest way is to fu-
migate. Without doubt, this is effective
against both of these scales. We know
of no other method that is effective
against the mature forms, and there are
always such in the orchard.
By special request the editor Of the
agricultural department of The Herald
answers the following questions and
that he might do so the more ably, he
called the questions up at the Claremont
Horticultural clubs meeting held last
Monday week, and will embody in the
answers the views given by some OF
the ablest orchardists in this region:
First-In what way has the fruit ex-
change benefited the citrus orchardists
in your section? The answer is, easily
given. 1t has secured much better pack
ing and grading of the fruit, and a not
J "A
present said that they had received much
better prices since they had Joined the
exchange. Many prior to the organiza
tion of the exchange, who sold to COM
mission men, received no profits at all
and some were even brought in debt
The exchange had in every case Sc
cured for them a fairly satisfactory
price. 1t was also stated that the ex-
change had broadened the market push
ing the fruit into sections where it would
not otherwise have gone, and by thus
stimulating the market had appreciated
the price of the fruit
! Second-Could the citrus fruit indus
try be maintained on a paying basis in
the absence of any such organization? 1t
was the unanimous opinion that it could
not. In such case the producer would
be entirely in the hands of buyers, who
would work together, and generally, if
not always. Charge all that the traffic
would bear" 1t was thought that this
/ conclusion was warranted, both by the
experience of years previous to the Or
| ganiZation of the exchange and also by
the experience of fruit growers in other
sections where no exchange existed. 1t
is true that people not in the exchange
may secure as good or even highe.
prices on occasion than those in the ex-
change, but this would be impossible if
there were no exchange These people
stand outside, reap the benefit of the or
ganization and yet do nothing to support
it. Indeed they do all they an, by lack
of cooperation, to interfere with its
! best success.
| Third-What suggestions could you
make to improve the present system?
The only suggestions made were those
of universal membership among the
fruit growers and great patience among
the members being willing to wait un-
til the organization could note its faults
and perfect them. 1t was the general
opinion that the exchange was all or
more than could be reasonably expected
of it.
Fourth-If not satisfactory now, could
the system be made SO, and how? 1t
was the consensus of opinion that it
was now all that could be expected. No
one held that it was perfect but believed
that the officers were eager to make it.
So and were constantly making changes
| that experience suggested would be
wise and conducive to the best interests
of the organization. 1t was stated that
at present only half of the rebate on
freight came to the organization II
was believed that in future the entire