Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-05-12
Report of Fruit Inspector
Berry,

The following report was pre-
pared for reading before the May
meeting of the Horticultural So
ciety but the meeting went by de-
fault.
In presenting this subject to
the association, it may be we'll to
first give you review of the ex-
tent of the work done il the way
of inspection. Facts are all we
are after today, SO l shall give on
ly notes, dealing with the con-
densed facts and all details may
be deduced later.
The total number of orchards
inspected was All. Or this num-
ber found blight in 161 orchards.
The total number of acres of Or
chards examined is 445O. In this
grand total l find $50 acres have
been in bearing and will likely
bear heavy crops this year; but
this does not include some 400 or
500 acres Of young orchard that
will likely bear n profitable crop
this year, providing the season is
favorable. Certainly the present
prospects for a large crop of fruit
were never better in this valley.
With the exception of the apricot
and perhaps some varieties Of the
Early Japan plum, the outlook for
an abundant fruit harvest is most
tlattering.
The increased acreage of new
orchards for this year in Otero
county is enormous. Many will
be surprised to know that 20S,O00
fruit trees have been imported in
to the country this spring, all of
which have been carefully in
spected. This does not include
the vast number of grape vines,
goose berries, raspberries and
other small fruits.
In regard TO the blight that has
appeared in so many of the Or
cLards, vigorous means have been
taken to rid the county of the
disease, and it gives me great
pleasure to state that the fruit
growers appear to appreciate the
situation and have heartily coop
Grated with me in Kidding the or
chards of this much dreaded dis
ease. So far as 1 have been able
to learn the work of cutting the
blight has been we'll done rs l
have seen but one orchard where
the blight is affecting the bloom
this spring.
Root gall was the principal dis
ease found on the trees inspected.
There were a great many trees af-
fected with Woody Aphis and
were condemned. Some scurvy
bark scale insects have been de-
tected; the Putnam scale has
been found and some 275 trees
have been condemned on account
of them.
OF the stock shipped in here
this season there seems to be a
great difference in the percentage
Of the trees diseased. Some ship
ments were comparatively free
from infection, while other lots
were in bad condition. The
condemned trees ranged from ] of
l per cent to about 20 per cent of
the total shipments. The black
knot was found on some imported
peach trees. also few plums were
found to be affected with it. The
apples I found mostly affected by
the blight are the following: Yel-
low Transparent, Peawaukee,
Louver, Wealthy, Smiths Cider,
Willow Twig and Duchess of
Oldenburg, but the latter is not
bad. Among the crabs 1 find the
Whitney No. 90 and the Tran
scendant blighted badly. The
Bartletts and Claps Favorite ap-
pear to be the worst among the
pears to blight, yet several other
varieties are more or less affected.
Ounces are blighted quite badly
in some localities.
The amount of blight in an or
charu appears 10 Dc largely IN pro-
portion to the amount of water
used on the trees. Fowler has but
5 or orchards in which blight
was found, Manzanola but or 6,
Ordway and Olney none at all,
and very little about La Junta.
Every man in this county who
has a fruit tree old enough to bear
any fruit at all should use the
spray pump. Various insects
must be fought and the spray
pump is the only successful way
to do it. One pound of Paris
Green with 2 pounds of lime will
make 200 gallons Of mixture that
will do effective work. Trees
should be sprayed as soon as the
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