The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-12-23
IN THE WORKHOUSE
Is TBE PLACE WHERE THE HOR-
TICULTURAL SOCIETY MET
To Transact Business for December
The Annual Eiection Of Omcers
Takes Piace-A Good
Meeting.


Owing TO the almost impossible con.
vdition of the roads, the attendance at the
December meeting of the Stalk County
horticultural Society on the 18th, at the
Work House, was not quite so large as
ssual for the annual meeting. The dis
play of apples was fine for this off year
and our genial Florist, Mr.. c. w, Faust
more than maintained his always good
record, by coming prepared to decorate
each member with beautiful bouquet.
In order to be ready for the business
of the afternoon a short session was held
before dinner; Pres. Hayhurst rapping
for order at eleven a. m. Minutes of
previous meeting read, corrected and
then approved.
Mr. w. B. Shanafelt and Mrs. Borst
were appointed to collect dues.
The chair appointed Messrs Shanafelt,
Holibaugh and Bitter as committee to
rominate officers for the coming year.
Mr.. Bitter opened the discussion on
the question "can any good be done by
spraying fruit trees in winter" by re-
commencing washing the bodies of trees
with soapsuds or with a solution of lye,
rather than spraying; thinks spraying
IN winter would do no good, Recon-
mends washing in fall or spring, but for
spraying wait until blossoms are off.
After washing the body of trees scrape
off the old rough bark with hoe.
Mr.. McGregor as entomologist, read
the following paper as bearing on the
question.
There is always plenty to say about in
sects, in one way or another, but not
wishing to inhict this society too much,
or interfere with the regular business
too much. was reading lately of high
English authority who advocates giving
poultry chance in the orchard, claiming
they do good service in manuring the
ground and destroying grubs and insects.
He speaks of the apple maggot attacking
the favorite Baldwin in America, which
is largely imported into England. He
refers to spraying as being good. The
young maggots grow within the fruit,
which they render worthless, and when
mature emerge from the apple and 60
into the ground, lying in the pupae state
underneath the surface soil among the
grass roots. Samples of the earth six
inches square we're taken, and the mum
Der of maggots under the trees varied
according to the size from 800 to more
than IL, 900 under each tree, the pupae
somewhat resembling kernels of wheat
Now comes the point which was partic-
nlarly interesting to me. The expert
ment was tried as to weather poultry, if
confined to a small range, and encour-
aged to scratch, would destroy these
pupae. A large movable wire fence was
placed about tree whose fruit had been
destroyed by insects. One side of the
fence was raised and about fifty hens
were called into the enclosure. The
fence was let down and they were con-
fned to the space around the tree. AS
soon as they had eaten the corn, they nat
urally began to scratch for the pupae, and
in the course of three or four days it was
found that the latter had disappeared"
This English writer says he speaks
from practical experience running over
many years, Saying, 'raising Of poultry
for sale may be more advantageously
carried on when the land is made to pro
duce two crops. Apples aud eggs, being
better than where only one is gathered
The Ohio Agricultural experimental
station in their Bulletin, No. 81, treats of
the introduction and distribution of the
San Jose scale and says:
There are now twenty-nine distinct
outbreaks of this pest known to occur in
the state. These are distributed in %
counties and effect over 70 different
srchards and premises.
This San Jose scale is the worst insect
pest that has ever visited Ohio. 1t is
worse than all other orchard pests COM
bined because of its deadly effects, not
only upon orchard trees, but upon any
ornamental trees and shrubs, as we'll as
On rose, raspberry, blackberry and cur
rant bushes. 1t is very minute and diff
cult to detect until it has increased and
begun to cover the tree or bush with a
gray, scurfy covering, while a single
female insect may get under bud and
while entirely concealed there produce
enough young to ultimately cause the
death of the tree.
The insect is protected by covering
resembling an inverted plate, and
hence any mixture used must be strong,
and unless in the winter is liable to kill
the tree.
All badly infected trees should be cut
out and burned and all others growing
near them should be cut back and treat
ed in fall and spring with mixture of
two pounds of whale oil soap, dissolved
in one gallon of water. All orchards that
have been set within the last eight or
nine years should be carefully inspected
and If any trees are noted with a small
gray scale thickly scattered upon them,
at once send sample to the station for
identification.
A convention met at Washington d. c.
on the 5th of last March and arranged to
have national and state legislation with
r