The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-04
COlOVa I FSlel,
2o2-2o3 New York BIock.

202-2O3 New York block.
Of almost starvation and win give any
thing In reason for vegetables. Then IL
the time to sell. II you can hold your
potatoes until then, as well as your apples,
poultry, eggs and other things they use.
you are sure to get high prices. We ship
ped 500 dozen live poultry to Dawson last
year. and had to send to Oregon to get
them. Next year We shall have to 70
East for them and eggs. We are ship
ping potatoes now from Oregon and the
Palouse country"
Prof. Balmer devoted himself principally
to explaining how to prune fruit trees.
though he said In preface that the people
OF Eastern Washington and elsewhere
had realized that there was a growing de-
termination on the part OF the people
west OF the mountains to supply their own
markets. The prospect for hardy fruits
n rh ss are est sooa Is he said
there is no reason why all sorts OF fruit
cannot be probably raised. Apples and
pears make an especially good variety to
Pruning Fruit Trees.
As to pruning fruit trees, he said "There
Is no, general agreement rs to the best
time Tor pruning fruit trees; some say In
not at all. But think that the best time
OF year for pruning IN this part Of the
state would be in the winter. II you prune
w when ,n the leaves are not on the tree I
the next season. while opposite results
VIII obtain from pruning wheH-tiAe- leaves
axe on. The more pruning. that Is done
trees viii become. Leaves are the labor
atory In which are manufactured all the
forces that spur on the growth of the
III you trim the roots Of tree for ave
or six years, the result win be to send
tho tree into fruit You should not dig q
doing You cut OF ali the snrsc az r N g
thus destroying the entire system OF feed
ing, and leaving nothing but the anchor
age rrd !, main ain rcot going down into the
fill in with good soil. and the next year
you will find little fibers growing in an
intricate mass. which feeds the tree and
The ordinary buyer makes n mistake
In getting too old trees from the nursery
II you ees q tree four years old, in trans
and the tree so far grown that It will not
recover to the same degree OF production
It would II you had bought trees one or
out q branch on them-simpy a switch.
In this way you get nearly the entire root
system, and 1t Is In good condition for
perfect development.
Gull the three-foot switch down to the
ripest and plumpest buds, Start tho tree
top betwes1 one and two feet high, and
next year you will find greater develop
ment OF the limb system because the
growth has. been concentrated. Do not
pIune or pinch IN the summer or you
VIII haye a dwarfed tree. In taking out
the limbs, never leave two opposite each
other, as when they grow up and are la
den with fruit they will split and kill the
tree. Leave three limbs, one shooting up
opposite sides. but one lower down than
the other. Always follow this same sys-
TEN tenn in trimming the branches Cut the
leaving the middle little higher. Now
your tree is only three feet high at two
years old.
Don't Cut on Spurs.
THE next year don't cut Off the spurs
below the higher limbs as they are fruit
buds. Leave two limbs on each limb
pruned last year. and see that they leave
the branch at even distances. II you wait
to prune until the tree is grown you will
suffer the loss of bearing by several years.
After the tree is grown you must discon-
tinue top pruning. If the tree makes six
inches ct wood growth year above the
spreads too much cut to the inside bud on
the branch and 1t will grow straighter Use
pruning shears instead Of knife, and If you
are expert. with two-handled shears you
-ean prune ten acres day of trees from
to years old.
"A well-pruned tree never needs pole
to support Its fruit. Never cultivate nearer
than a foot to the tree, as there is danger
Of barking it. Prunes grow well on peach
roots, If the root Is in peach so.i--dry, loose,
warm soil-which is not the condition here.
are on plum roots. Plums want clayey.
damp soil. Pears will stand the dryest
soil Of any fruit grown, though all bear
better. in moist soil, II It is well drained.
II could never see the benefit Of split
ting the bark with knife. Did you ever
see a low-headed tree. hidebound? If the
bowl does become hidebound. stand a
board on the sunny side, or grow limb
there, and the trouble will be over. as all
the tree needs is shade. Do not attempt
to grow fruit trees in land that cannot be
thoroughly drained four feet deep. Potash.
phosphoric acid and nitrogen are needed to
sustain fruit trees and IL you need these
use wood ashes. bone meal and barnyard
manure. A tree can take sustenance only
In the form of liquid. Swamp muck is
good fertilizer, but not 50 good as BARN
yard manure.
PLANT trees in the fall, as this gives
them time for the wounds to become cal
loused and the roots TO take an early start
In the spring. In planting trees in an old
hole, first put In half wagon load OF well
branch four to six feet above ground. You
can do all the pruning for the first four or
five years without stepladder. In head
ing the tree low you can make 1t grow as
you please"
Patent Lice killers.
Prof. Balmer spoke Of patent lice killers
that had been sold to large number OF
farmers In the form OF powder. ne saiu
that upon analysis this product was found
TO be sulphur, bluestone and a little. char
coal, and that If the farmers would open
the hole where Il was injected 100 years
afterward they would find the preparation
Just as it was inserted. He emphasized
the fact that trees could take sustenance
only in liquid form.
In planting. he concluded. the tree should
be set two inches deeper than in the nurs-
cry, and after the soil settled this would
be found to be about an inch deeper than
the former mark, which was about right.
Prof. Brodie devoted most of his dss--
course to grasses. the kinds best adapted
TO Western Washington soil. how to grow
them. the different purposes for which
different species should be used. etc, and
there followed a general discussion or
silos. The main thing about silo. the
professor said, was to put the best for
age In 1t, which was generally acknowl-
edged to be corn. The silo should, OF
course, be air tight, and have a concrete
bottom The corn should be cut into
three quarterback lengths, and II put In