Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-09-12
SOME FAaMEas' AFFECTIONS.
APPLE nAa0ors, PHOsPHA1E AGENTS
AND OTHER PESTS.

E4itor Dsmocrdt:
Last spring I, gave tn the Dsuocrst
| my order Of endeavors TOR The protection
Of my apples against some OF the moro
virulent pests with which We e'hAve 70
contend.
kept the caterpillars subdued With
strong soap suds and swab, By constsnt
vigilance and climbing. Some OF my
treea were we'll Get with fruit, and TOR
experiment placed cans, suspended 10
the trees, partly filed with sweetened
water, and caught many mtllcrs, bugs
and what not.
The fruit appeared fair, grew TO CON.
siderable ,sizs, and with high hopes,
commenced 70 brag Of my success, when
all of . sudden the fruit commenced to
fall, dashing hopes, and setting at
nAusht all Of my labors. Whesher the
treatment WAS not followed mp long
enough, or whether Il would be Inc tYect-
ual anyway, Is beyond my comPrehen-
sion.
As have before mentioned, the mag
gots are far more dsstructive In this VII
iase than oueside on the farms, which
makes me think that they breed from
the fallen fruit, % ouch Of Il Hes and
decays on the ground, whereas on the
farms the stock u allowed 70 eat that
which falls.
How these msggots are placed 10 the
apple or when I cannot tell, but when
they become developed, 70 the extent OF
making roads through, they are plainly
dIscernible, Q small white worm With
black head, about al eighth Of an inch
In length, moro or less, % they contract
and expand.
Yes, as q dear lover Of fruit, have
done what could, and failed, and while
have about given up climbing, AL 70 no
purpose, / hope that others may have
better success and report.
As have frequently mentioned my
experiments with phosphates, will
mention the same for this season on po-
tstoes.
Three rows were furrowed. In the
middle row I used large mixing spoon
full OF phosphate. On either side very
little compost Was used, not moro than
q shovelful TO -four hills. During the
growth the tops where phosphate was
used seemed ranker, but on harvesting
the compost led by about 10 per cent.
The variety Was the New Queen.
About elk rods from this plot were
some Early vermonts and Clark's No. l,
with nothing In the hill but little salt,
which produced nearly double the
amount. will here state that In the
compost mentioned there WAS small
amount OF salt.
Many claim great benefit from the use
of phosphate, and In all my experiments
In small wav for more than twenty
years have hoped for success, hence
this report IL NOT born Of prejudice.
There are quite often men who buy
phosphs for growing sweet corn who
don't get enough out Of their corn TO
pay their phosphate bills, and II II my
firm belief that with . little labor TO
prepare q compost with scarcely any ont
lay OF cash, it would be much better Tor
the farmers.
There are 90 many agents about the
country, and consequently 90 much
blowing, people become confused. Last
season, . farmer agent from outside was
on the street showing potatoes grown on
his particular kind. followed him With
equally good poestoes grown on "wind."
One Of these agents said to mo not two
days since that be did not think
very much of Il, except on grain and
grass. I have sown lt on grass, and
could discern no difference, but Others
may have. Perhaps do not know how
TO use Il, but I have long thought that
much money hss been wasted among
the farmers on phosphate.
GILBERT TILrON.