The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-04-13
CROP WILL Be
VERY SHORT.
Short Crops Will Not Result from
Cold Weather Alone-Growers
Abandoning Use of Spray,
preferring Scale as
Remedy for It.

Fort Valley Ga. April -(Speoiall--
The fruit growers througho this sec
ton are not al all iubant over the out
look for peaches this year. This is sore
disappointment, as the prospects up to
two weeks ago was unusually good,
Some few growers in this section have
full crop of peaches, and it amounts
to nothing short of a gold mine under
present conditions. A. j. Evans, VINO has
an unusually fine crop on mis- Britt place.
viii make $500 on lis crop this year, as
is estimated by leading peach men 1t
viii he of interest to know tnat he pUI-
chased this place only three years ago
for $210o, which was thought a the time
to be a handsome price He only has
about ne-third of the place in peaches.
Or. w .. Wright thinks there will he
a fair crop Of the early varieties. but
among the Elbertae ami Georgia Bells,
which Is the standard crop and which
composes by far the bulk Of the orchards
throughout this section. are almost IN
tirey destroyed, and he estimates nov
that we viii probably have only onc-tenth
of q crop. While this is due largely to
weather conditions, be says he has lost
,onsidera bic fruit and killed many trees
outright by spraying with oil.
r. NJ. Pagan. who is one of the most
substantial farmers of Houston county,
says he has lost not only his peach crop
for this year, but that his trees have
been killed by spraying with oil. This
formula containing oil was recommend
ed by State Entomoogist Scott, and IN
some instances has proved 10 be very
effective in killing the scale. This year
considerable permanent injury has been
ir16fP
now are that the fruit men will dscon-
tnue using oil altogether.
MI. Pagan says no one could even per
suade him to put it on his trees again,
and feels very blue over the complete
loss of his orchard. 1t Is thought by a
good many that this injury to the trees
is due to the fault of the spraying pumr'
and this is probably true as it has been
clearly demonstrated that the trees viii
not be injured If you can get 4 upon
the trees in the exact proportion Of OIL
recommended by Mr.. Scott. But since
the growers have no way of finding our
whether their pump is working properly,
it is considered far more dangerous 10
spray with oil than the scale itself
John Murph Of Marshallville. states
that h. superintenGed personally the
making up Of this oil formula IN me
exact proportions recommended by Stat9
Entomologist Scott and that 1t has hl!eu
= large number of his trees entirely. lie
does not know whether his pump vas
in working order or not, but so far -
he could tell il was MIR Murph says rs
will never again spray with oil
Quite number of growers have sui
fered great loss this season by spraying
alore, ana It is not at all improbable
that the use of oil will be discontinued
entirely by the growers in this part OF
the state Some few have already sdopt
ed the salt sulpher and lime miAiHfe,
which has been used by peach men 50
successfully in California and other states
So far as present tests have gone. no IN
Jury has resulted to the trees, ana It IS
thought to be quite effective in AlidnG
the scale as the oil
i. III Baird, of the Hale Georgia
orchard Company thinks all the varieties
OF peaches together might average ~
one-third of crop. There is no doubt
but that it will be an unusually snort
crop this YEAR
". ". Henderson. Of the Mega orchard
Company. says he will have very snort
crop. probably one-fourth.
Hon. H. - Mathews says he viii have
a very saorr crop this year. He sp1ayt1
with oil and has killed a number nj tree.
I he fruit men generally are very much
troubled about the situation. II ioohS
aow MS If it Will be very dangerous 70
the use of oil.