The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-12-21
AN ECHO FROM THE
WORYM APPLE STORY

WUkIW APPLL SIUkI
We are in receipt Of communica
tiun which we print below anent the
wormy apple. 1t discusses the matter
in semi satirical but intelligent and
frank manner that must prove inter
esting TO the reader. There is both
truth and fancy in the article
and no doubt some of our readers can
make a reply to it. 1t is as follows:
"Editor Glacier :--Some time back
there appeared an article Of some
length, by few of the influential ap-
pie growers, against selling second
grade fruit. They all agreed that 1t Is
an easy matter to keep the fruit free
from worms and pests. IL this is SO,
why bother their neighbors about
spraying, when they have the monop-
oily of sy TENS and pricesY
The first grade apples are selling
now for more money per bushel than
two-thirds of the people Of the world
can afford to pay. These gentlemen
expect the poor people to eat prunes
aud canned apples until the codling
moth are extinct. Then of course APP
pies will be cheaper. Amy fool can
then raise first grade apples. The
English aristoorats cat our seven dol
lar apples, aud the poor people and
those who dine at our best hotels and
restaurants eat the culls. IL there
was not 30 brisk q demand for these
things, the growers would not try to
save them. Every one knows that it
Is not profitable TO raise this fruit.
But we all have some. Many an edu-
cation and many mortgage hasl been
raised by people with thrift enough to
take care of the refuse on the farms.
These men say. Put all the ignor-
ant people out Of the apple business.
Who will be leftY
"Our best growers have adopted
clean culture rather recently and ex.
perimentally. Is 1t not just that they
give their less enlightened neighbors
a chance? Fifteen or twenty years
ago these same gentlemen would have
'hollered' at the laws.
g If the best growers will kindly
come forward now and donate all the
funds heretofore gained from second
grade fruit to the cause of better ed
ueation on fruit culture they will be
we'll along toward general perfection.
1T Is we'll known that any one who
can thoroughly manipulate the bust
ness end OF a spraying outfit can by
timely work and pure materials save
practically all the fruit from pests on
any tree or orchard, whether the rest
of the trees or orchards in that vicin-
ity are sprayed or not. Let each
grower give his own orchard a square
deal and then let those who are free
from pests cast the first stone.
els there any certainty that com
pulsion will produce clean fruitY Has
that been the Incentive of our best
horticulturists2 The orchard might
belong to a widow woman with large
family, the trees may be mixture of
varieties public taste changes quicker
than you can change an orchard), the
soil and location may be lacking, and
she has to depend on an Indifferent
hired man who does not know enough
20 spray one side Of tree or an entire
apple on that tree. DO these gentle.
men propose to put her out Of bust.
ness, when her near neighboI who has
grown up with the trees and has sup
erintended the entire cultural meth
ods for years finds himself asking.
How shall | sprayY What shall !
plant, etc.
II suggest that each grower fumi-
gate or disinfect all second grade fruit
as soon as picked, whether sold or not.
Tho Httst .lprnH ~ na1Ifnsv 90 hna
always left the apples before picking
time, and also majority of the sec
ond brood what are left are hauled
to the canneries and cider factories,
where they crawl out and winter. 1t
is hard TO believe that the modest
hugging of cider press will annihi-
late the Sap Jose scale, especially the
young females.
Following are few suggestions
for intending orchsrdists:
81. Bandage your trees to catch
the worms. It's bowling advertise
ment as to your methods of spraying.
Operate the spray pump with a heavy
wind so your near noighbors will be
forced to spray
go. In giving to charitable institu-
tions, etc, always give the best fruits
the receivers light thoughtlessly drop
a scaly peeling or wofmy core In the
shrubbery.
90. In picking, climb trees with
caulks in your shoes; You might fall
Shake tire 9s when needed put apples
in sacks and wash tubs; heap all
boxes; work frosty mornings and
rainy days,
-. Hire the neighboring women
to wipe your apples so they can settle
all disputes al your expenses have
each lady sit down that she may work
more rapidly. Let them take each ap.
pie without looking, give it two rotary
ilourishes with Que hand and rous,
ing cuff with the other, and throw it
not over four feet.
"5, Hire all packing done by the
box, so that one packer may swipe |
all the large apples from the rest 81 |
the crew, and so they can all pack |
anything in pinch to make a record. |
50 Always ship individually; it |
keeps the price up so we'll, aud it is
much easier 10 find markets, and bear
expenses. THOMAS CALKlNS. "s