The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-02-28

tTOuDlt IL 10 Rcb tllcuA III thO ppA. Pa
vided for polonization Of the Spltzen-
bergs when planting my orchard by
putting out two rows OF Spltzenbergs
and then two rowsof Ben Davis through
out. The body of the spitzenberg tree
seems to be most affected by adverse
conditions, The southwest side Of the
tree.
Il. L. Smith-Th Spitzenberg tree
lacks constitution and vigor and should
be top grated on some strong growing
stock. Asked how about Ben Davis, re-
piled that it is good polonizer.
j. H. Shoemaker-The Ben Davis at
tends strictly to business, and with 100
trees Of this variety can make more
money in ten years than any one with
any three other varieties.
+. Chandler - The reason no more
Ben Davis sell in the East is that they
raise better ones there. The Ben Davis
is strictly a Dago apple, none like IT to
work off on an unsophistocated pubic.
Fl. Davidson-Apples from Hood
River have superior quality, which Will
insure the best varieties good market
| in times of over abundance OF fruit, IN
wears Of heavy fruit crops. The situa-
ton is similar to that of the strawberry
in thigFespect In shipping strawber-
ries we never make as low prices as the
shippers from other sections, but the
quality assures a much higher price 1t
is the same with our Spitzenbergs and
Newtowns, which are prominently be-
fore the public as the best in the world.
Mr.. Mason-Why does the biggest
apple grower in the valley have more to
say favorable to the Ben Davis than any
body else, while he set out 800 spltzen-
bergs this spring. Why did he do 1t?
Why should a man talk Ben Davis and
set out Spitzenbergs?
| Mr.. Williams--You can always count
on the markets taking care of few va
rieties, such as the Yellow Newtown,
Spitzenberg, Jonathan, Wagner, in
many markets the New Winesap. The
Banana apple, new variety, called the
Winter Banana,is finding favor in many
places.
been tried here without success. 1t is a
high priced apple when in perfection,
but | do not think Hood River is the
place for raising it. There Is new
disease making its appearance in the
valley. presume we shall acquire all
of them eventually Toadstools grow
around the roots at the surface OF the
ground, and long tendrl like roots per
meate the bark, causing the bark to rot
and the tree to die. The disease is COM
muhicated from one tree to another by
i means of the roots The only remedy is
to dig out the tree as quickly as possible,
or cut away all roots around the tree.
The only safe way is to completely de-
stroy the tree at once.
Mr.. Chandler had two or three trees
like that few years ago. The trees
died and | have seen nothing like it
since.
Windbreaks, by H. G. Bateham.-l
have had but little experience with
windbreaks, have not had them set long
enough, in fact. In one or two cases
however, they have been set long enough
to demonstrate the advisability of using
windbreaks. E. N. Benson says he car
see the good effect Of poplar windbreaks
all across his field, one tree in about
every four feet. The trees do not SAL
the ground but very little. Mr.. Wilder
recommends the silver maple or black
locust. Any rapidly growing tree vii
, do very well for a windbreak. Almos
all kinds of fruit are benefited by wind
break. The Carolina poplar might be {
little faster grower than the Lombardy
: poplar. Petite prunes have done very
} well for me for that purpose. A grea
difference in the size and quality of tht
fruit is noticeable. 1t is impossible tt
! grow Royal Anne cherries in the valley
: without a good windbreak, as the frui
: is spoiled for market or canning by thu
marks Of the whipping of the branches
E H. T. Williams suggested the Montere!
cypress as a good tree for windbreak
+. l.. Smith said the Juniper would d,
e well for one. G. j. Gessling had exper
: imented with the Monterey cypress anC
8 it did not do well.
4 Pruning, by p. Mohr.-I believe it i
0 best to prune the tree while it is young
e After the first or second year you cal
: break off every little limb you think j
s not wanted. As far as the tree is con
cerned, notice that Mr., Mason and Mr.
e Sears raise the tree low, which is bi
: advantage in good many ways. First
the sun does not strike the body of TIN
0 tree, and it is shady so the sun does no
have so much effect in starting the sal
t too early in the spring. | think it is es
e pecially good for the Spitzenberg tree t
s cut it back at least three times whel
young. But would not recommend cut
: ting it back after the tree comes int
+ bearing. The trees lose their vitalit,
Q by being cut back after they are two o
t three years old,
Frank Stanton-MV. Rand ruined hi
4 orchard of Spitzenbergs by letting then
: go with practically no trimming unit
r they we're about four years old and thel
r cut them back and pruned them so Sc
s verely as to nearly kill them all.
= Mr.. Fay-I think it well to cut tn
r Spitz. back some, and not allow then
: to run too much to top, Cut enough Of
1 to enable them to support the fruit.
r Top Grating, by B. N. Sproat.-W
= had Mr.. Kolos top graft for us last yea
S lS0 Shacklefords, also $50 Spitzenberg
and 80 Jonathans. The process was
!, perfect success, and the gratis all grew
They grew on an average of about thre
o feet long in August. We shipped Of
d about one foot, which left them abou
o the right length, two feet He left o.
J. each tree from two to three branches c
l. the old tree remaining, and said the
d should be cut off in the spring. Wewi
}. have him attend to it at the prope
r time.
IT N. G. Evans--I have had very littl
IT experience in top grating, but | hav
thought it the right way to get a goo
n Yellow Newtown or Spitzenberg orchard
y to grow some variety that is hardy, ha
e hardy trunk, such as the Red AstrG
$, kan, and then top graft it when it ha
been planted three or four years, an
t. under these conditions would prefer
= budded top. Ii you plant a tree an
l, grow it for two or three years you wi
1t have plenty of growth by that time, an
d enough top will have formed so that yo
r. can bud before the sap hardens up, an
g then let the limbs grow down to tn
grating and that will assist the bud i
Is growing, The following year cut dow
N to the bud. | think the bud makes th
l. best permanent union. 1t will take tw
e or three years to get top changed on a
g old tree, for you have to cut back on
n year. About Spitzenbergs and New
is towns, | think they are prominently tn
n, apples to raise in this country, and
d think the Yellow Newtowns will hav
the advantage over the Spitzenberg aftt
" the first ten or twelve years; after thu
,e time the Spitzenberg tree will gain tl
re ascendency. The Yellow Newtown trt
5, grows smaller apples as it advances
It age, whereas, the Spitzenberg improv,
with age, and the fancy fruit is grown {
lie the older trees. The older the better.
es W. A. Slingerland-My idea of tC
m grating as l have seen it done in nun