Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1899-01-20
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST I'D
ACRICULTURISTS
Some Up-to-Dats Hints About Gull
'ivstion of the Soil and Yields
Observation-Disclosures. yiticuIturs and
Horticulture
Anent the Apple orchard.


varieties. 1t has been generally said
that we must choose high location
for our apple orchard, but this is not
30 important as to select land that has
been well-drained to depth OF at least
three feet. Flat lands will produce as
well as hills II they are kept from
standing water. Land that will pro-
duce good wheat will generally produce
good apples.
THE apple orchard must be well Gull
tivated. No one in Illinois does this
as well as it should be done, so far as
my observation goes. Experience has
shown that corn should be cultivated
at least three times during a season,
but there is less information on how
often the orchard should be cultivated.
On our grounds at Champaign we Gull
tivate about IL times during the sea-
son, and the work costs US about six
dollars per acre per season. We need
not expect very good results till we
learn to keep the soil of the orchard
in proper condition.
Trees should be sprayed three or
four times during the season to pre-
vent scab and codling moth. These are
the most important pests. If the fruit
alone WAS injured by the apple scab the
fungus that does the injury would not
rank so high in badness, but it takes
the leaves also and that makes 1t the
worst enemy we have to combat. Some ]
times the trees, on account of the
presence, of this pest, are defoliated
weeks before the proper time for the
leaves to fall. The first application of
the fungicide and insscticide should be
just after the blossoms have fallen and
Just as the leaves are unfolding.
H. Augustine.-Is it not a fact that
some of these manufactured soils, like,
for instance, sloughs that have been
drained, are unfit for apple orchards?
Prof. Burrill.-Yes, sir; and there
will always be some soils that will
not be fit for growing an apple or
chard
Q.-Has not the foliage much to do
with developing the roots?
Prof Burrill.-Everything.
Mr.. Hartwell-The question of the
adaptation of soils for orchards is an
important one. We have heard farm
ers say that black prairie soil was too
rich for apple growing and l have
been inclined to think that there was
something in it. But now others say
that that is all nonsense. I know OF |
one orchardist that says his soil is as |
rich as any in the state and that he has
also piled manure into it. He has a
good orchard. 1t may be that the |
great trouble on prairie lands is that
the trees are killed by wet feet.
Prof. Burrill-That brings to my |
mind point that l will speak Of We
have been taught that we must stop
cultivation of our orchards early in the
pared to endure hard winter; that if
we continue cultivation, we will get
spongy growth that will be unable to
resist the winters cold. / see in look
ing over some of our transactions that
Mr.. Friend does not believe that and l
think he may be right. 1t may be that
good soils that are kept in cultivation
the season through, so the growth will
not be checked at all, will be only
DcuoAlcu Uy ldlc Cu1lltd i ~ uOl Il
believe in late cultivation when there
has not been good cultivation all
through the season. The rich soils
may give us just as compact wood as
poor soils. l am sure, however, that
the treatment we should give those
soils is different from what should be
given upon the stony soils of New
England.
Mr. Foster-We naturally look to the
high ground for dry soil, but the dry
soil is not always found there; 1 have
sometimes found the wettest places on
high ground.
H. Augustine.-It is always advisable
to drain both low and high land.
Experience in Spray1ng.-At Green's ,
fruit farm we have found by the pres
emit years experience that pears are !
greatly benefited by spraying with Bor- !
deaux mixture. The spray should be !
applied three times: The first time at ,
once after the trees have blossomed Z
and the next time few weeks there a
liter. The Seckel pear is particularly
Inclined to be imperfect unless sprayed,
but where sprayed the Seckel was !.
Imooth and beautiful. The blemishes
IN other varieties of pears can be
argely removed by spraying and the :,
ruality of the fruit is greatly increased
n apple orchards, buyers do not care :,
o go far to see orchards that have not .
zen sprayed. knowing that the fruit r,
4 such orchards cannot be hrst-class. n
inc spraying IL not enough for apple II
since frequent showers are o
able to occur at the season Of the year