Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-09-30
Horticultural Notes.

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notice that the leaf crumpler is worse
on newly-planted orchards than usual
this year. The best way to get rid of
them is to take a basket or vessel OF
some kind as soon as the leaves fall and
gather their nests in the basket and
throw them in the fire. This will destroy
them efiectually. If this is not done,
they will commence their work next
spring as soon as the leaves begin to
open. While they seldom kill thrifty
young tree, they weaken its vitality by
destroying the foliage and sometimes kill
the young trees. They seldom affect the
peach, cherry or Japan plums, but are
quite destructive on young apples,
ounces and blue damsons. They deposit
their larve and mature three broods
during the SUMMERTIME first as the
leaves open in the spring, and the second
in June and July, and the third in Aug
ust and September. They crumple the
leaves In which they make their nests,
and attach them firmly to the twig by
little web or string similar to a spiders
web, and are very easily discovered and
picked off as soon as the leaves fall,
Spraying with London purple in the
spring as soon as the leaves start will
destroy them, but find the best way is
4. a. "a ~ ,, ,I ,,I htf,-,1 them
The handsomcst late cling peach that |
have seen is the Monmouth cling, origi-
mated in Missouri and is at its best now
If the woolly aphis, or root louise, is in
your young orchard, apply heavy top
dressing of fresh wood ashes frequently
during the fall and winter, so as to reach
all of the roots. Don't be afraid of kill
ing the tree, as the aphis will surely do
this if they are not destroyed. Young
trees affected by aphis may live and
make Il feeble growth for five or six years
after they are planted from the nursery
row. but the aphs will destroy them be
fore the trees fruit il you do not destroy
the aphis. The aphis, or root louise, is
almost invisible to the naked eye, but ia
very destructive TO the orchard when
once introduced, as they completely de
stroy the roots. The tree becomes loose
In the ground and can be shaken like a
post, and when the destruction Is com
plctc, the tree falls over, often having no
more roots than tcnce-post Great
care should be taken in the cIamina-
ton of the young nursery stock before
planting to see that they are not affected.
While the lice are invisible to the naked
eve, they soon form knotty like Jumps on
the roots, sometimes as large as q hen
egg. and Others not as large as pea. |
would not plant such an apple tree on
my place If nurservman was to pay me
100 times the price of the tree for doing
so, let alone paying him for the stock.
Such stock is often sold by the nursery
man-very chcap(O. If they have de
stroyed any of the young trees in your
orchard, the trees should be dug up and
the fresh ashes or kerosene emulsion put
in the hole to destroy the lice before
other trees are planted in the same
place. Hundreds of young apple trees
that were badly affected with the aphis
have been delivered to the farmers OF
this county in the past few years, and
because they are not making good
growth the planter thinks it is not a
good fruit county.
The same care should be taken by the
farmer to get good, healthy young fruit
trees that he would use in purchasing
pigs or calves. Runty, stuntcd, diseased
trees will never grow to produce good
fruit any more than a razor-back pig
will make good pork or Texas calf a
good mich COW or beef steer.
Good, healthy young trees of the var
ieties best suited to this section, properly
planted, and then given onc-half the care
that 10 kiNNh w shoippShpiN'
horses, cattle or hogs, will bring much
surcr returns.
Let us all pull together, and have
good, strong horticultural society; e1-
change experiences on successes and fail |
urcs in the fruit llne in all its phases. f.
Let the GROWER growl, the kicker kick
and the enthusiast enthuse. Meet with
us once a month Subscribe for the
Western Fruit Grower, and read it-or
any horticultural paper is better than
none. Be as enthusiastic and earnest in
your Investigations and discussions of
the best methods of horticulture as YOU
are in the best methods of finance for the |
United States, with or without the con
sent of Spain or any other nation, and | !
believe it will conduce more to the com
fort and elevation of the fame family ,
and community. Try it a year or two
and see how much better you will feel,
You will not want to let go.
Ira S. Bierley and myself have just
been eating apples picked last October.