Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-20
HOW T0CROW FRUIT
NEBRASKA CONGRESSMAN WILL
WRITE TREATISE ON lMPoR.
TANT SUBJECT

Representative Pollard Has Made
Careful Study of the Care Of Apple
Trees During Several Years, and
Will Give information to Others.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
Washington Bureau of the Courier,
Washington, D. c., Jan. 49,.
Secretary Wilson has requested
Congressman E. H. Pollard of Nebras-
ka man who has given much study
to the apple to prepare bulletin
dealing with the pests and insects
which have in the past made the ap-
pie crop precarious and uncertain
one MI. Pollard has complied with
the request and will prepare an ar.
tlcle in easily understood language,
devoid Of scientific terms and phrases
and this bulletin will be printed and
circulated by the department of agri-
culture.
Congressman Pollard, who repre-
sents the first district of Nebraska. is
thoroughly practical fruit grower.
he and his father at the present time
own one of the finest orchards-some
200 acres-in Nebraska, practically
the entire farm being In apple trees
MI Pollard senior, who is Vermont.
er, moved to Nebraska in 1856 and
began the raising of fruit. Today the
Pollards are regarded as among the
most successful apple growers in the
west and they have made the bust
ness pay handsomely.
III
ton concerning the codling moth and
the scab fungus-the arch enemies of
apple trees and which last year de-
stroyed $40,O00,00O worth of fruit and
which have caused many Iowa farm
ers to plow up their orchards and de-
clare apple raising impossible in our
latitude-Mr. Pollard discovered that
the department had never issued a
practical bulletin covering these mat
tiers and telling farmers how these
pests can be destroyed. He had some
conversation with Secretary Wilson
who naturally was very much inter-
ested in the subject, and at the con-
clusion of the interview, having noted
the fund of information possessed
by MI. Pollard, Secretary Wilson asked
the Nebraska congressman to write
an article dealing with the question in
detail
This bulletin will go to the root of
the subject, showing the life habits
OF the enemies of the apple trees, the
manner of their growth, propagation
and how they may be destroyed.
When placed In Secretary Wilson's
hands the bulletin will be Immediate
by farmers and fruit men for the ask
ing.
The last census showed that the
value of orchard products of the
United States were nearly ss4,0OO,OO0
annually. More than one-half of this
amount is represented by the products
OF the orchards of the northern Mis-
sissippi valley. In this area are more
than 92,000,000 apple trees. yielding
about 62,000,O00 bushels of fruit or
little over two-thirds of bushel per
tree. The ravages Of the codling moth
and the scab fungus are mainly re-
sponsible for this small yield. 1t is
said that scab destroys from Is to 90
per cent of the apple crop in the cen
trail Mississippi valley. In Iowa last
year it is estimated that the scab de-
stroyed fully rs per cent of the crop.
The injury in other states is fully as
great as in Iowa and Nebraska. the
loss in the latter state last year being
from rs to 40 per cent.
Congressman Pollard asserts that
by the proper use of spraying devices
known to the department of agricul-
ture, the small yield of apples now OBJ
tanned may be increased three fold on
an average. He declares that prop
erly cultivated, pruned and sprayed
apple tree should produce from seven
to ten bushels of fruit. Where spray
ing is not practiced the total yield is
not only greatly reduced on account of
the destruction wrought by the pests,
but the injury from disease. even
though it may not be apparent when
the fruit is taken from the orchard,
develops during the marketing or in
storage.
In the case of bitter-rot, which is
widely spread through the apple re-
gions, the loss in one year was esti-
mated in the Mississippi valley re-
gion to be over $10,0Oo,0O0 to the
packers, the fruit having decayed, not
only in the orchards but in storage. All
of this can now be controlled, due to
the indefatigable labors of experiment.
alists and the department of agricul-
ture.
What is now needed" declares Mr.
Pollard, Ito prevent the loss is prop
erly conducted demonstrations of the
methods of control. The department
of agriculture in cooperation with the
state authorities is now carrying on
work of this kind in the control of a
pear blight in California, and the bit
ter-rot in Virginia and West Virginia.
The work thus far has proved to be
very effective and beneficial. The
growers are shown by experts how to
treat these diseases in their own or
chards. The farmers can learn by
these demonstrations what they could
never comprehend from printed re-
ports and instructions. The cost in
volved is primarily for salary and
field expenses of experts and is worth
several times the cost +"