Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-01
AMOUR spKAYlNn lREGs.

ilg communication from Oguep, on
the subject of spraying NUT trees:
Mr.. Edltor:-Please read, on page 3, of
the apple pest. Now, when man under
takes 10 work for the public, let MIN
understand his business, and give proof
that he does, before trying 10 force the
people to spray their fruit trees, ana not
receive large salaries from the State for
what he cannot prove TO be of any good.
Spraying does no good. 1t only kllis or
scalds the leaves OF the trees. and spoils
the sale OF the fruit. A great many peo-
pie are cutting down their trees sooner
than DO forced to spray. The best thing
to do is TO keep the ground clean.
RICHARD l. STEVENS.
Tn article which our correspondent
requests to be read appears In the
American Agricultural under the
title. ga Dreaded Pest of the Apple"
We quote 1t in full;
The apple maggot. or railroad worm,
lie serious pest that IL rapidly spread
ing from the East to the West. Tho
mature insect is fly, which cannot
readily be poisoned, and 1t Is supposed
that the eggs which produce the maggots
are deposited by the flies in the pulp OF
the apple beneath the skin, SO that the
iruit, from tho time the eggs are laid un-
til they are mature and emerge from the
apple and go into tho ground. The mag
got Is very small, and honeycombs the
iruit without material injury TO the skin
or exterior appearance, but causes streaks
OF rot in the flesh of the fruit, that are
very repugnant 10 the consumer. The
soil beneath infected trees was examined
at the Rhode Island experiment station
last fall (bulletin 81, l.. f. Kinney, and
The number OF maggots that were secret
ed under different trees was estimated to
be from 600 to over 1900. When hens
were penned under the troes,they worked
faithfully and seemed to get enough food
from the ground to sustain them during
three or four days. 1t appeared us ii
few Of the lnaggots were likely to be
overlooked by the hens. 1t is probable
thst the apple maggots remain in the
pupa state in the soil beneath tho trees,
in that latitude, from tho timo they
leave tho apple in the fall until the
following spring, so that combining
poultry IN the orchard in tho fall is the
most practical treatment for this pest
that can now be suggested. 1t is i'm
portant to ascertain the distribution OF
the pest, and all who observe 1t will
please report 10 us. Carefully feeding all
windialls or refuse apples to hogs or the
stock is advised. Sheep, hogs and
poultry should DO kept in the orchard
after haying, II not before. Clean culture
is also advised. Spraying Is no protec-
ton against this pest, because 1t does not
affect the lily that lays tue egg.
Our Ogden friend appears to regard
the foregoing ss conclualve evidence
that "sprsying does no good" whereas,
all that the article claims 10 that spray.
ing 10 no protection against this pariic.
ular pest. There is n sugg 7stion that
hens may be an effective enemy to
the railroad worm, and this may be
granted. But 1t does not follow that
they destroy the oodling moth, fol-
they do not. Neither does 1t follow
that because they ara ineffective
against particular pest, they are
''no good" in fighting others
The fact that spraying fruit
trees does good In destroying
many kinds OF apple and other fruit
pests ia beyond the domain of theory;
is Ia thoroughly demonstrated knovI'
edge. There may be some question al
to the most advisable time OF spraying
TO catch all kinds OF pests affected
thereby, but there is none as TO the
fact that destructive insects on fruit
trees fall victim1 to the spraying sys
tenn. AZ to spraying spelling the sale
of apples, the evidence of the sprayed
fruit controverts the claim, And peo
pie who cut down fruit trees rather
than spray them simply do not valul
the fruit tree to be more than the
trouble OF keeping 1t clear OF such in
sects as spraying destroys.
Our correspondent auggests that the
best thing to do is to keep the ground
clean. We will not dispute this; fol-
such cleanliness is an essential feature
in destroying pests. But there are
other things almost as good. anu one
OF these 10 keeping the tree clean also
this is done by proper spraying, anu
In other wRys. To allow either the
ground on the tree to incubate injuri-
Gus insects in accumulated rubbish IS
aswlse. Both should receive atten.
ION.
ItsheJll 20. be forgotten that there
ars fruit pests that spraying does moi
kill, and oth0rs that it does. The rail
road worm may be one OF the former;
but II is net the most serious pest in
Utah, snd it is to be hoped will not ex-
terd Its ravages here, Tho codling
moth, woolly aphis, scale, ana 3 score
of other insects and iungii are
operating here, and soms OF them
are destroyed by spraying. Some
require other means. All these
means should be made available
The most urgent condition is thai
which requires spraying. The pres
ent Law on that subject may nsct
some amendn.ent, but it should mo-
bs repealed.
A great trouble has been that tree