Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-24

iNSID ltNf rsSiNsb
The most prevalent OF these fungus
diseases are "Mdnila fructgina," in
fecting the fruit of plum and prune
trees; bitter rot which infects prlnci-
pally the apple and has become so pro.
nounced and dehfd the best known
spray remedies that In some districts,
notably IN the east. some varieties, es.
pecially the Baldwin. can not be grown
successfully and produce marketable
fruit. The black rot OF the grape which
has destroyed 80 many beautiful vine
yards on the Atlantic seaboard; era.
ter blight of the pear tree or fire blight
as II Is perhaps best known, and dead
spot or anthracyose, so deadly TO the
apple tree. Some OF these fungus dis
eases are more pronounced on trees
planted on wet OF undrained soils, while
others live equally well on dry or wet
soils, and again trees planted on soils
not properly conditions grow slow, be-
come weak and more liable to disease
than trees planted on soil suitable TO
their healthy growth and therefore In
a better condition to resist and
throw off diseases. and this
brings us to the topic most inter-
esting to this convention.
FRUIT GROWING IN OREGON.
The subject OF irrigation, or In other
words, where the water liz controlled
by man as needed, rather than depend
on the heavens Tor It. has laways had
great fascination for me, and Is not
only interesting, but the study OF
which In its varied phases as applied
to plant life IL az scientific, as any 9TH
err which enters into the growing OF
grain or fruit; !. therefore, hailed with
delight, while a commissioner of the
Oregon state bohrd of horticulture,
request to investigate and report upon
the adaptabillty Of the arid region of
eastern Oregon and Idaho to fruit cul-
ture under irrigation. Upon visiting
that region ! found a number of small
plantations and only one commercial
orchard, that Of the X. $. g. ID. Fruit
company. near Arcadia. Ore, and soon
observed that there was a noticeable
difference In the health and growth OF
these fruit trees, planted, irrigated,
and cared for Under the same cond-
tions. Here was a problem not readily
explained nor the question arising,
What IL the cause?' easily answered,
which made II all the more Interest,"
ing. | soon found, however, that some
spots In these orchards were better
than others, and upon these wet spots
Il
asked the question whether these wet
spots received fore water than the
drier spots; but was assured that the
entire plantation was treated alike,
which brought me TO the conclusion
that the trouble lay in the soil itself.
| caused holes " be dug and very soon
came upon hardpan, which had sus-
plcioned was az the cause Of It. Upon
further investigation we discovered that
most of the bench land and plateaus
OF this entire region, were undertake
with an undulating strata Of hardpan,
mperyious TO water or roots. / found
that the top soil varied from six inches
TO eight feet in depth, according to the
undulation of the hardpan, and the
thickness OF this strata of hardpan from
three inches To Is inches. Underneath
this hardpan We found gravelly loan,
ri n In plant food, but not available
on account of this hardpan. Now the
conclusion j arrived at, and which after
some years of experimenting has proved
a correct one, Is that the roots Of these
fruit trees planted In the shallow soil
spots soon reached the hardpan and
being unable 70 penetrate. spread out
upon Il, these roots did not only very
soon consume all the available plant
food, and In consequence stopped grow
".
irrigation causing these infeebled roots
to remain constantly in water, made
them an easy prey OF, and unable TO re-
sst the attacks OF fungus diseases.
REMEDY FOR HARDPAN,
am inclined TO the opinion that these
hardpan conditions exist In all arid
regions, for which there Is but one
remedy; Dynamiting the soil; which Is
an easy and inexpensive process by
boring a three inch hole into the hard
pan, then insert a stick OF dynamite
and some powder II found necessary,
attach fuse light, II and the work
is done This will shatter the hardpan
for a considerable distane, which per-
mites the roots TO go down. prolong
the life of the tree, make them healthier
and therefore easier TO resist fungus
disease attacks, / am further OF the
opinion that II the soil Is properly dy-
namited, irrigation Will not only be
more perfect, but less water viii be re-
quired, which Ia a great factor In re-
gions where water Is not plentiful or IL
expensive; for double the amount OF
land can be covered than under the
old system; for instead OF evaporating
on shallow soils under the hot sun In all
arid regions, the water viii percolate
down into the store houses below, to
be brought up when needed by capillary
attraction and proper cultivation,
A CASE IN POINT,
That this theory is correct Is evil
dencod by the fact that where ever II
has been tried since | first advocated it
some six years agofit has proven sue
cessful Kindly permit me TO quote
very noted case by way OF illustra-
ton. Mr.. David Dunbar, near Vale,
Malhauer county, eastern oregon, had
planted an orchard but II did not do
we'll; the trees grew slowly, were fee
BILE and diseased After five years OF
experimenting, his hired man, evident
ly progressive fellow, who had read
the report ! made at that time sug-
gested dynamiting which they did, and
planted an orchard along side the old
one, and now these latter trees are three
times the Size of the old ones strong,
healthy and bear abundant crops OF
fruits. II. Il. Myer Of Boise City, ana
Chas II. Anderson OF Boise City, Ida.
who have made experiments In or
chards already planted by dynamitlng
between the rows Of trees have wrought
very beneficial results. II also seems
to me that the dynamiting Of soils I'M
derlaid by hardpan cannot help hut be
beneficial for grain and alfalfa fields by
yielding larger crops for reasons stated
above.
IRRIGATING NOT UNDERSTOOD.
Irrigation. Is as yet not fully under
stood the turning on Of n lot OF water
TO food the land Is not irrigation In the
full sense the word implies people