The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-05-15

ers sold their apple crop on the basis
of the previous years prices when they
might have received nearly, If not
quite. double for their crop.
It is too early yet to report accurate
" on this years crop. In Washington
the apple, pear, prune and peach crops
are good with few exceptions. This
may be very nearly said of the entire
United States The outlook is for a
large crop. What notifications may
occur in the next two or three months
I know not, but If any do occur
shall try to inform our readers. Fruit,
however, will not get ruinously low,
even if we do have a good crop. Times
are so good in the whole country that
the people can buy freely. Peaches
will sell we'll in the Pacific northwest.
Pears will be high for California Will
be short of a bumper crop on account
of the ravages of the blight. Apples
of a high grade can be sent across the
continent and to Europe and sold at a
good profit. Take good care of your
orchards and you will be happy when
the crop is Sold
Recently when quite sick some In
ouiries came in and I sent them to
Prof Melander, of the State College at
Pullman. | am glad to have such
thorough and reliable entomologist as
he is to whom | can refer matters too
deem for me. I am horticultur1st
and not an entomologist, except to a
very limited extent Melander is very
competent and our readers can rely on
his answers implicitly. His reply fol
lows:
Pullman Wash, April 27, 1905.
MY Dear Mr.. Walden: | was rather
grieved to hear that you are Ill. trust
that it is nothing serious; ,o..
Referring to Mr.. Harshman's letter:
White Hellebore is used for Few IN,
sects attacking such fruits as 1T would
because of the menace to human life !. IN
eating them 1t is comparatively little
used however. Hellebore may be en-
ploved either as a powder lightly dust t
ter as a spray In this case 1t is gen
orally employed one pound to twenty
course the poison should be applied as
soon as the insects are noticed WIN
most of the plant-poisons. such as helle-
bore or buhach. it is necessary to OBJ
strength very RAPIDLY. Fol-. the same
reason it is necessary to make. repeated
appications as the strength . d1 Isl haan
applied. Cabbage lice are abundant ev-
erywhere in washington. The main
standby is to spray with Kerosene emui-
sion as early after the lice appear as is
possible.
Referring to Mr. Axlings letter: i
imagine from the description that 1t is
the bud moth that is referred to. This
insect has made itself decidedly at home
in western Washington. during the last
two years. It's main injuries are caused
D11ri ,cr hn Wi n | l.
bernates on the bark of the trunk or
branches, but as soon as spring sets
in it comes forth as minute pinkish
worm to eat into the buds. If at this
time a spray of lead arsenate be given
great many of the. worms will be
killed. second spraying should follow
when the flower buds are beginning to
grow. 1t may be necessary to spray
again during the summer for the sec
ond brood. If not attended to early the
insect becomes one of the most serious
pests of the apple. Next year we intend
to take up the problem and see if there
isn't some easier way to handle the pest
ago to look over the situation, but found
the insects too far advanced in their
growth to spray with the sulphur-lime
wash, in which I place my hopes of
more effective treatment. Very sincere
ly yours. A. L. MELANDER.
wish to call special attention to
the very valuable article from Prof.
L. B. Judson, of the Idaho Experiment
Station, on Orchard Tillage and
Cover Crops" This is very timely
and able paper We must meet the
question of cover crops in our orch
ards. This paper is valuable in that
it is not theorizing but is based on ex-
perience. There is an idea prevalent
among many fruit growers that our
college professors are not practical
men, l doubt very much if there are
any just grounds for such a notion.
One thing is certain, that such judg-