The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-10-15
HORTICULTURAL NOTES
r. WALDEN

| Indians and brought north and dis
seminated among the whites it very
naturally took the name of the people
among whom it was found. 1t is not
high grade fruit. Being generally a
cling, it is used chiefly for making
sweet pickles. A few will find ready
sale, but a large quantity thrown on
any market would produce a glut
| note with much satisfaction that
the Ephialtes Carbonarius recently in
troduced into California from Spain to
prey on the larvae of the cooling moth
is proving a success. The California
papers are reporting that this fly null
tiplies very rapidly and seems to be
perfectly at home in the apple or
chards and that the ravages of the
codling moth are greatly diminished.
This is encouraging. 1t is notable
fact that our worst insect pests are
not very destructive in those countries
from which they come when they
reach our shores. Parasites prey on
them and keep them under control.
The San Jose scale (Aspidiosus PERM
ciosus), for instance, does not do much
harm in China whence this pest was
first brought to America. Certain
kinds of lady birds, so-called, devOur
them and keep them under control.
This opens very interesting field OF
inquiry. We may hope for much in
| the direction of importing parasites
to prey on our injurious insect pests.
In fact, our experts in entomology tell
us that if insects did not prey upon
one another here in our own country
we would soon be Overrun with them
and our crops would be ruined. Hence,
| insects are classed as those that are
| injurious and those that are benef-
cial The beneficial insects should
not be molested nor destroyed. Some
kinds of birds should be protected for
the same reason. This new importa-
ton into California may not do us
much, if any, good. Our climate may
| be too severe. That we can settle
only by trial.
One of the finest looking apples
shown at the Portland fair is the Win
ter Banana grown by William Ed
mond, of Orondo, Douglas county,
| Wash They are beauties-large,
somewhat pyramidal in shape and OF
| UlOSC D0duIllul ClHC' IhCy nCCi oS|
much attention. Where this apple can
be grown in such a state of perfection
it ought to be profitable. 1t is very
| delicate apple and if bruised its beauty
would be married. Such apples should
be we'll wrapped with soft paper. In
fact, it is becoming question wheth-
er we would not do wise thing to
wrap all apples. Our packers do not
charge any more for packing wrapped
apples than for those not wrapped.
They can pack wrapped apples just
as fast and perhaps somewhat faster
| than the unwrapped. They do not
have to hunt so long to find apples
| of just the right size-the paper helps
| in that matter
w. M Scott, of Kiona, Wash, has
sent me the following letter, written
under date of Sept. %:
"My Dear Mr. Walden: There are
two or three things | want to write
you about. Cd | would like you to
discuss. in The Ranch or elsewhere,
the matter of raising early apples In
these early valleys, like Kiona and
kennewick. A number of ranchers
| have a few trees of Red Junes, or
some like early variety, and usually
have found them about the most prof
liable fruit they have. The argument
| has been advanced that in these early
valleys we can successfully grow these
extra early apples and place them on
the market ahead of any other local
ity-thus escaping much of the annoy
ance from insects, as two or three
h tT H(1n
| til these apples are gathered; and also
securing good returns for the fruit.
This sounds well enough to us begin
l., rhot ID think of it2