The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-12-15
Fruit-Growlpg Suggestions.


At the Mrmers and fruit-growers'
meeting in Seattle last week, the fol-
lowing we're among the matters Of in
terest discussed by those present:
Mr.. Aggers gave practical address
on the relations of the producers and
commission men. The variety of ap-
pies to bring the best price in the mar
ket, he said, was the kind to raise.
For the district west of the Cascades
this was not the Ben Davis, as had
been generally supposed, but the Grav-
fenstein. The Baldwin he praised for
its color and shape, and it made one
OF the best varieties Tor shipment to
Alaska, where people would not buy
anything but the largest and brightest
fruit.
You can never raise too much first
class fruit" said Mr.. Aggers; "for the
district to the north will consume all
OF it, and the people there are willing
to pay enormous prices. So extensive
is the market there that last year
had to send to Minnesota for potatoes
to supply it. There are $4,000 people
wintering in that country, and as they
cannot get any fruit or vegetables be-
fore next June, when navigation is
open, they will then be in condition
of almost starvation and will give any
thing in reason for vegetables. Then
is the time to sell. If you can hold
your potatoes until then, as we'll as
your apples, poultry, eggs and other
things they use, you are sure to get
high prices. We shipped 800 dozen
live poultry to Dawson last year, and
had to send to Oregon to get them.
Next year we shall have to go East for
them and eggs. We are shipping po-
tatoes now from Oregon and the
falOuse country.
Prof. Balmer devoted himself prin-
clpally to explaining how to prune
fruit trees, though he said in preface
that the people of Eastern Washing
ton and elsewhere had realized that
there was q growing determination on
the part of the people west of the
mountains to supply. their own mar
kets. "The prospect for hardy fruits
in this district is excellent" he said.
"There are good markets near here,
and there is no reason why all sorts OF
fruit cannot be proftably raised. Ap-
pies and pears make an especially
good variety to raise"
AS to pruning fruit trees, he said:
"There is no general agreement as to
the best time for pruning fruit trees;
some say in the winter, some in the
summer, and some not at all. But
think that the best time of year for
pruning in this part of the state would
be in the winter. If you prune when
the leaves are not on the tree it will
increase the woody and leafy growth
the next season, while opposite results
will obtain from pruning when the
leaves are on. The more pruning that
is done III the summer, the more de-
bilitated the trees will become. Leaves
are the laboratory in which are manu-
featured all the forces that spur on
the growth of the tree.
If you trim the roots of tree for
five or six years, the result will be to
send the tree into fruit. You should
not dig circular trench around the
tree, as in SO dong you cut off all the
surface roots, thus destroying the en-
tire system of feeding, and leaving
nothing but the anchorage-the main
root going down into the ground. If
the soil around the tree is poor, fill in
with good soil, and the next year you
will find little fbcrs growing in an in
tricate mass, which feeds the tree and
produces great quantity of fruit
buds.
ssThe ordinary buyer makes mis-
take in getting too old trees from the
nursery If you get tree four years
old, in transplahting it the root sys-
tenn will be cut off, and the tree SO far
grown that it will not recover to the
same degree Of production it would If
you had bought trees one or two years
old ADD get these trees without
branch on them simply a switch.
In this way you get nearly the entire
root system, and it is in good condi-
ton for perfect Development.
"Cull the three-foot switch down to
the ripest and plumpest buds. Start
the tree top between one and two feet
high, and next year you will find q
greater development of the limb sys-
tenn, because the growth has been con-
centrated Do not prune or pinch IN