The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1901-07-18
Hor.leulsural os.erHaNons.


None except scientists can afford to
take chances with their fruit trees, in
the way of demonstrating new and I'M
tried theories, Recently we have heard
a good deal about ringing, girdling,
stripping off bark and the like, and
there is a danger that some man that
has more orchard than orcharding ex-
perience may be carried away by the
claims made for these processes, and
may ruin a good part of his plantation.
At the Missouri experiment station
stripping was practiced for two years,
and careful records made of the re-
suits, which did not prove beneficial.
AS a temporary stimulant Of fruit
production any one of these three
methods is ~serviceable, but such tenn
porary stimulation is destructive to
the frnitfnlness of the tree, and often
leads to premature death
There are years when fruit has not
the flavor usually belonging to it. Es-
pecially is this the case with straw
berries and melons. On investigation
1t is found that rainfall and sunshine
are the principal factors in determin-
ing 1avors. In very wet easons fruits
grow large, but contain little sugar.
In dry seasons much more sugar is
elaborated, and this sugar enters very
largely into the in~definable something
We call flavor. Prof. Troop of Indiana,
touching on the same subject, says:
An excessive amount of rain is I'M
doubtedly one of the chief causes of
trouble. 1t is a well-known fact that
during a very wet season Strawberries
are OF much poorer quality, containing
a less amount of sugar, than when the
r1pen1ng season is comparatively dry.
The same is true with muskmelons;
the crop may be larger during a wet
season, the fruit may be finer in ap-
pearance, but the sugar content which
gives the melon its delicious flavor is
comparatively low. Hence it frequent
~ happens that a variety may give
good satisfaction one season, and be
very unsatisfactory the next. Thor
ough drainage, either naturally or ar
tifcially, will do much toward pre-
venting trouble from this source. The
use of fertilizers, rich in potash and
p~hosphoric acid, will have a tendency
to produce a fruit of high quality"
1t is doubtless true that selection Of
varieties for planting will do much
to give flavor, eve in a wet season.
The introduction of the olive into
the United States and its cultivation
in the semi-arid regions of the Pacific
slope and of the southern rim of the
so-called Great American Desert"
means much for this country. The
olive is a fruit that grows in favor on
acquaintance, and its use increases
rapidly wherever it gets a first atten-
ton. 1t has played a very large part
In the economic history Of the world,
for a period of at least 1000 years.
1t has made more than one ancient To-
cality rich. A striking illustration of
this is seen in the economic history
of Tunis, in Northern Africa. A part
OF that country is a high, arid plateau,
which now affords only meager pas
turage to focks. But there was a time
when this same region was covered
with %populous and prosperous cities.
with equally prosperous suburbs.
among which might be mentioned Ell
Diem (Thysdrus), Cillium and TheI-
epte. Where a few shepherds now
barely subsist, anciently dwelt my
riads of human beings. The secret
of it's ancient wealth was the vast for
ests of olive trees that once covered
this plateau. The raising and export
ing of olives made the communities
rich. When the Turks came in they
cut down these olive forests to make
new pastures, and as a results got
nearly barren wastes. In the eleventh
century there we're more than 200
thriving villages in the neighborhood
OF Gafsa. The olive forests had not
always been there, but had been plant
ed and extended since the times of
Sallust. What was done In Africa
centuries ago will doubtless be done
there again, and will be repeated in
the southwestern United States. Our
deserts will yet bloom and blossom
like the rose"