The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-01-23
horticulturists Will Ask the Legis-
Iature for an Appropriation.
Which Is Said to lnfest Small Por-
tons of MissouIa and FIathead
County-The Crab Apple Industry
Grows Apace and Must Be Kept
Free From Apple Worms.

c. NJ Allen of Lo Lo, Missoula
county, a member of the state board
of horticulture, had the following to
say to newspaper correspondent
concerning proposed legislation and
it's objects in the interest of the fruit
growers of Montana:
The principal thing will be an ap-
preparation for fighting the codlng
moth, and certain minor amendments
to aid in this work." replied Mr. AL
len. "The appropriation asked for is
insignificant when the interest at
stake and the possibilities of extermi-
mating the pest are considered. There
are today 100000 apple trees in Mon
tana which will produce during the
next four years an average of two
boxes each year, or 100000 boxes
of apples a year. At Is cents a box
the value Of the annual crop for the
next four years will be 1880 900, to
say nothing of the many trees which
will be planted during that time, so
that fruit raising must already be
reckoned one of Montanas great rev.
enue producing industries.
I'm every other state the cooling
moth has become SO numerous that
ton. In New York one-half the an
nual crop is destroyed by this pest
in spite of the most energetic meas
ures to check the evil. In other apple
states the loss is Tess. Illinois re-
ports the smallest percentage of loss,
but even there it is one-third of the
annual crop, so that if the pest once
gets established in Montana and
spreads to all the fruit growing sec
tons we may expect a loss of at
least one third of the annual crop, or
$450000 annually.
"To prevent this great loss and in
sure the production of Montana APP
pies free from worms. we ask for an
appropriation of $4,000 in 1903 and
$4,000 in 1904 With $4,000 it is be-
lieved that every codling moth in
Montana may be destroyed.
Professor Cooley and Mr.. Branda
gee have made careful examination
OF the orchards of the state and find
that there are only three sections
where the pest has yet begun tC
work and each of these is limited in
area and widely separated from the
other apple-producing sections.
Zone of these is in and around Mis-
soula, extending only a few miles tt
the south; a second region is neal
Plains, and the third is in Flatheat
county.
The theory formerly held that be
cause the moth flies chiefly in thu
evening it is unable to travel an!
distance in country having colt
nights has been found untenable
though it is true TIL pest spreads
less rapidly on this account in Mon
tana, and would, therefore, be NOR
easily controlled.
1.-The appropriation asked for is
based on the actual experience O
the past two years, during whic
great progress has been made towar
the determination of the pest.
THE determination of the mot
will be of even more importance t
raisers of crabs than that of othe
varieties of apples. You may Gu
out the core of an ordinary appl
which contains an apple worm an
use the rest of the apple, but tn
crab which contains a worm is goo
for nothing.
when it becomes known that tn
name Montana" is a guarantee tn;
crabs are free from worms, the pro
ince of Canada north of us will TAX
all our surplus. Already the deman
is far beyond the supply. Bass Bro
received a Geographic order for
carloads of crabs this year, whic
they were obliged to decline.
Grabs sold readily throughout IL
valley at Is cents a box at the o
chard. and you know they do not +
quire as much labor in packing ;
apples"
Are not crabs more prolific ths
standard apples?"
"Oh, yes, far more so. Mr.. Harla
has trees which he planted son
years ago and just let them gro
scarcely cpltivating them at a
which now produce Is boxes of era
a tree every year A great MAJ
people are now planting crabs on tn
account"
do you not fear an over prodr
tom"
Il do not The rapidly increasi
population of the Canadian pre-
inces. of Dakota, and of our o,
state will make constantly mere
ing demand and if we can furnish
product free from worms, and til
superior to the fruit from neighb
ing states, we will always be able
market it at fair prices"
'Do you expect at this time
work for legislation looking to bet
freight rates?"