The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-23
THE APPLE ORCHARD AND CROP
ment OF Trees-Preventives Against
Insects.

four primary operations. These are:
Tillage, Fertilization, Pruning and
Spraying. The effectiveness of these
depends on the thoroughness and per-
sistency with which they are admins
tered. There are other special opera
tons which in many cases are rendered
necessary by the presence of certain
insects or diseases which are not over
come by these operations. In North
Carolina the vast majority of the apple
growers have not properly attended to
any one of these, hence h numerous
failures of the apple crop. Neglect
starves and weakens the trees, thus
giving abundant opportunity for the
increase of the insects and diseases
hat attack them.
1t is noticeable hat the condition of
the apple orchards in the state grows
worse as we go eastward from the
mountains. and this is because in the
east the orchards have been longer in
existence, and the enemies have become
more destructive each year by reason
of the neglect that has always charac-
teriZed the management of u orch
ards. The trouble is, that growers eX-
pect their orchards to produce whether
they are cared for, or not; and, when
the trees rebel against this unfair treat
ment. the grower complaints that ZAP
pies don do we'll here"
In every case which the writer has
yet investigated, he has found that
those men in any one community who
produce the finest fruit nave adopted
some one or more of the fou operations
named which is not in use among he
other growers of his vicinity. 1t is
the man who gives his trees a little
better care than his neighbors, who re-
allies the profits, and the thrifty farm
er sells apples to the careless one, who
lives next door. Let the reader keep
in mind tina an orchard is not really
we'll cared for SO long as any one Of
the four operations indicated in the
first paragraph of this article, is neg
lected. With this fact firmly impress
ed, he may be able to read intelligently
what follows.
THE EASTERN SECTION.
localities inspected, Goldsboro,
Nashville, Maxton, Selma n Fayette-
ville.)
In the eastern section the apple ORCH
ard usually consists of from 1 to 100
trees placed near the house, often in
the corn or cotton field. No attention
is given to the trees of themselves, but
they derive some benefits from the Gull
tivation of the other crops. If the orch
ard must be planted to anything besides
apples, cotton and corn will do as we'll
as any but hat portion of the field
should be doubly fertilized, as two
crops are growing on it at once. In
this section an orchard should never
be planted to a SOWn o but hOed
ones are not injurious. In this section
the greatest need is for pruning and
spraying. AS an evidence of the need
of pruning, n may find dead branches
on almost anU tree he NAV examine
a dead or weakened branch is a tax
upon the tree from which no benefit is
derived. Every dead or weakened
branch should be cut out from the tree
in the winter, which is the season
when the busy cotton farmer has the
most time to spare. Enough branches
should be removed to admit light to the
interior of the tree.
AS an evidence of the need of spray
ing, one has only to look at the knotty
wormy fruit, to be convinced. A very
large proportion of this loss might be
avoided by intelligent spraying. But
it cannot be lone if the grower waits
until the fruit begins to drop. The Sc
cret of success in spraying is to be
ready before the trouble appears. begin
early, and spray thoroughly. The tim
to begin to spray is when the buds frs
break in the spring. Another appllca'
ton should be made Immediately after
the blossoms fall. and a third spraying
should be given from ten days to two
weeks after the second Trees should
never be sprayed while in blossom, as
it Injuries the blossom besides killing
many of the bees that visit them. The
material used in this work is the Bor.
deauX Mixture with Paris Green added
full directions for the making of which
may be had by application to the
writer.
The wet spring prevented a full sett-
ing of fruit this year., over the entire
state. The loss from this could not be
| avoided, but the loss from wormy ap-
pies and the early falling of leaves
from rust can be avoided by the promH1
and Intelligent application Of spraying
mixtures.
This section is not we'll fitted for the
raising of winter apples, but the sun
mer varieties, as the Yellow Transpar.
ent and others, may be grown if giver
proper attention.
THE MIDDLE SECTION.
localities inspected, Raleigh, Dur
ham,, Hillsboro. Burlington, kerners
Vile and WinSton.)
II this region the apple is more eX
t~enSively grown than in the east. A:
is has not been in cultivation here 81
long, it does not yet suffer so badly
from it's enemies, but these are growing
| WORSE every veal, LII IL lIC Slo"Si
do not begin to fight them vigorously
| the industry here will soon be at thu
| same disadvantage that it now is ii
| the east. AS inspection in this region
has fully convinced me of this fact.
There apples are grown somewhat IL
excess of domestic needs and man,
farmers do a small canning or drying
business, selling the product in any O
the nearby local markets and realizing
a paying profit. Very few apples arr
shipped to the northern markets. Thu
orchard is usually allowed to go TO SOC
and is pastured. In many cases tn
trees stand in the gardens and are cul
tivated. and one can easily see tina
these trees make a much finer growtl
and produce more fruit n of bette,
quality. In this section many of tn
farmers prune their trees, but the othel
three essential operations are neglect
ed. The soil is naturally SomeWha
better for apples than in the east, anC
hence the trees have been able to stant
more neglected. but if this continues l
will not be long before these orchard!