Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-03-31
After the Pest.

! The spraying work now going on IN our
county is peculiar in several respects. Ia
the FIRST place the funds for doing the
work are all the result OF private donation
from the members of the Berkeley County
| Horticultural Society.
In few places in the United States has
anything similar to this been undertaken.
1t is true that gigantic spraying tests have
been made in states having law regu-
lating the manner of procedure, but there
are few examples of so extensive opera
tons by the people impelled merely by the
sense of justice to themselves and 10 their
neighbors. No one interested in or con-
| tributng to the work now in progress will
arrogate to himself the attitude Of a pub
| lie benefactor. Everyone who takes part
in this work does it with the idea that by
helping others he is helping himself.
By checking this pernicious pest in one
orchard all those in the vicinity are being
protected from the danger of infection.
If the work were to fall upon the individ-
ual owner it would be considerable bur-
| den because the materials used even when
purchased in bulk are expensive. In the
work in progress over 400 pounds OF
| Goods whale oil soap" has been used.
| This, even at the low figure paid, makes
each gallon of the spray solution cost
about cents, and when it is remem-
bered that ii takes over one-half gallon TO
| the tree 1t makes the cost amount up very
considerably when the trees number up
into the thousands. The whale oil solu-
ton is the most expensive mixture being
used. The IS per cent mechanical kero-
sene mixture costs about , cents per gall
Ion and the IS per cent crude petroleum
mixture will not cost more than l "a cents
per gallon. The quantity used of either
| is about the same. The safety and ef-
fciency of the mixtures are not widely diff
ferent according to experiments in New
York and New Jersey.
| The results of the tests here will be
watched with great interest by all fruit
growers. Not merely because OF the OBJ
J ject lesson in spraying which it affords,
but because of the purely experimental
| feature of treatments which have proven
of value in other places, being brought to-
gether under like conditions and applied
| TO the test of actual commercial practice.
| The part which the State Experiment
Station, at Morgantown, has taken by
sending Prof. L. c. Corbett here to SUI
perntend this work shows the spirit in
which the authorities of the institution
look upon this class of work The Ex-
pertinent Station is for the people Of the
State and they should all follow the ex-
ample of those of Berkeley. when you
want anything ask for il" A ready re-
spouse is sure to follow.
| The local committee in charge OF the
work has spared no effort to make this
work a success, and the fruit growers
have not only contributed their money.
but they have loaned pumps and contrib
uted their labor, as has also the agent OF
the Gould Manufacturing Company, MIR.
| 7. w. Noll. The success OF the work will
be due to the united effort of the fruit
growers of Berkeley and if the beginning
already made is persistently carried out,
success is certain.
| The troublesome little insect that has
come to Berkeley county to destroy the
| fruit trees is now at the mercy OF the
fruit growers, who are up in arms against
| it. And indeed should they be, or there
are thousands of dollars invested in the
fruit growing business in Berkeieycounty,
and if the insect is given any further tree
dom it means that the money invested
will eventually turn out to be loss.
There were four big pumps at work in
| the infested orchards near Gerardstown,
two furnished by the Miller Bros. and
two by Mr.. James Nol, agent for the
Gould Pump Company. The two pumps
owned by the Miller Bros. are enormous
machines. They are carried on wagons
the size of four-horse wagon and it
takes five men for each pump.
-Four ingredients were used, one
kind in each pump, ahd the one which
proves to be the most effective and least
injurious to the trees will be the one here
after used by fruit growers. In one pump
whale oil soap is used. In another crude
petroleum. In another refined petroleum,
while in the other mixture of Is per
cent petroleum and IS per cent water is
used.
The infested orchards presented a scene
not unlike that of a large camp. Five
large kettles were used to heat the whale
oil soap Much Importance is attached
10 the work as upon the success OF it de-
ponds the future Of the fruit growing in
dustry in Berkeley county.
i The work of spraying the fruit trees in
the orchards of Messrs. Clyde Borun and
Ambrose Bros, near Gerardstown, the
orchards worst infested with the San Jose
scale in the county,was commenced Tues
day under the direction of Prof. L. c.
Corbett of the State Experimental Sta
ton. Those who are assisting in the
spraying are Messrs. |. w. Wood, Charles
Miller and Alex Clohan. The work is
being watched with much interest by a
large number of the fruit growers of the
county.
BY Electricity.