The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-02-15

"a members and more In SlgnJ, ana we
hope to make some progress during
the winter. l would like to take issue
with Hon. J. F. Cass on his statement
that our soils are we'll stocked with
potash (witness the heavy growth OF
clover, etc., produced).' Glover grows
better here than any place 1 ever saw
and yet our soil is very deficient in
potash. l have seen many fields that
stood waist high and many stalks
when Strengthened out were more than
six feet tall. 1 believe that most of
our soils will hold plenty Of moisture
if properly handled and then by apply
ing more potash there will be COM
paratively little trouble in giving on
apples a good complexion" Mr.. Flint's
remarks are worthy Of careful con-
sideratiOn.
Geo. P. Hurd, of Sunnydale, Wash,
asks the following questions: list.
read in the editorial part of The
Ranch, I think, some time ago, that
we had been using too much blue
stone and not enough Paris green.
Then read another article about Bor-
deaux mixture and it continues just
the same-6 pounds of bluestone,
pounds of lime, etc. End. Did you
wish to convey the idea that scions
should be waxed before burying them
in sand? 3rd. In the last issue OF
The Ranch you state: Place the cut
tings of plums top end down until
warm weather. Now, is that the prop
err way to start gooseberries? Of
course, I could try and find out for
myself"
The regular formula for Bordeaux
mixture is six pounds Of bluestone,
four pounds of lime and fifty gallons
of water. Paris green is rarely used
with this compound and not at all
when it is used as a simple fungicide.
Paris green is not a fungicide but an
insecticide. So just what some one
meant by saying we should use less
bluestone and more Paris green, do
not know This whole question of
spraying with the different compounds
will soon be treated thoroughly in The
Ranch under the head of Orchard
Problems" I did not mean to wax the
ends of cuttings put out for the pur-
pose of callousing. Wax the ends of
CRAFTS after they are set in the trees.
I am just where Mr.. Hurd Is in
growing gooseberry cuttings-never
tried them in that way. See no reason
why they should not do we'll. Goose
berry plants can be so easily grown
by division of the punches that it
seems hardly necessary to resort to
any other method.
w. S. Phillips, of Eddyville, Iowa,
visited the editor of this department
last summer at Portland and subscrib-
ed for The Ranch. He writes as fol-
lows: Have 40 acres of young orch
ard here in very fine condition, but
wish it was alongside Of your Zillah
orchard. If I can ever sell l surely
will come out to Washington. There
was blight struck the young orch
ards of this state the past summer.
1t seems to kill them. The disease
seems to run down the heart. Did you
ever see such a disease?" l must say
am glad Mr.. Phillips has desire
to come out to the state where such
fruit as was SHOWN at Portland can
be raised. The blight that struck the
orchards in Iowa is known commonly
as the 'pear blight" l had it in my
own orchard in Iowa. 1t never did me
much harm. 1t is usually much more
destructive on pear trees than apple
trees. 1t is bacterial disease. 1t
does not run down the heart, as Mr..
Phillips supposes, but goes down just
under the bark. This question of
blight will be treated fully in The
Ranch during the coming spring.
A gentleman whose name l can not
quite make out, writes from British
Columbia and calls attention to an adj
vertisement appearing in eastern pa
pers in which it is claimed that
certain orchard cQmnanv in Oraoon