The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-07-15


control them. 1t must be remember
ed that the aphides plural of aphis)
are sucking insects and not biting
insects. They will, therefore, not eat
any poison placed on the leaves for
them. They do not eat anything;
they merely suck the juice from the
leaves by pushing their probosis down
through the outer coating of the
leaves and suck out the juice or sap.
Now the eating or biting insects, such
as caterpillars and canker worms, can
be killed by putting some kind of poi
son where they will eat it. But such
remedies will do no good in fighting
these aphides. The only successful
way to fight them is to spray with
some sticky substance that will close
up their breathing pores. They have
no lungs but breathe through little
holes along the sides of their bodies.
Take whale oil soap and make So
luton with one pound of soap to sew
en- gallons of water and spray them
thoroughly and they will die in
jiffy.
Kerosene emulsion will also kill
them. The trouble in this work of
of spraying is to reach these insects.
By their constant sucking of the juice
from the leaves they cause them to
curl up and thus the aphideS are
protected. In the case of the black
aphis on the cherry trees the best
plan is to prepare the soap suds or
emulsion and dip the tip ends of the
limbs, where the aphis is principally
found, into the solution. Nature comes
to our help in fighting these pests
for they can not stand real hot sun
shine When the thermometer gets
up to 80 or 100 the sun cooks these
insects and thus they are destroyed
In the Yakima valley these pests gen.
orally disappear after hot weather
comes on. The same is true of the
hop aphis But in the higher alti-
tudes and in the cool parts of the
Sound country the weather does not
get hot enough to kill these insects.
They are rarely in the hot sections
all killed, but their damage is greatly
lessened. If these insects are numer-
Gus and do much damage it is a good
plan to destroy their eggs early in
the spring by spraying with the sui
phur-lime wash. Kerosene will de-
stroy the fertility of the eggs also.
| see by the papers that a company
is forming in the Yakima valley to
grow peaches on a large scale. 1t is
said that this company will spend
100000 in growing peaches on the
Yakima Indian reservation. The
writer believes that peach-grOwing in
the northwest cannot be overdone and
that it will be profitable business
where the peaches can be successful
ly grown. But any fiat country will
not be a good peach country. The
frosts at blooming time will kill the
peaches too often to make the bust
ness profitable. From my experience
in peach growing I would never plant
a peach orchard about Toppenish or
Wapato on the Indian reservation.
| have been asked about the Bis
mark apple. In the valuable work,
"Apples of New York." second vol
ume. | find the following: "Bismark
is evidently related to the Aport
group of apples. In size and general
appearance it somewhat resembles the
Alexander. Fruit large, attractive in
color, suitable for kitchen and mar
ket purposes but inferior in dessert
qualities 1t ranks about with Alex
ander and Wolf River in quality. 1t
begins to ripen in October and it's sea-
son extends from October to early
winter. 1t has not been tested enough
in this country to demonstrate it's
market value. The tree is dwarfish,
healthy, hardy, comes into bearing
very young, is reliable crOpper and
very DrOductiVo Even when grown as
standards the trees may be planted
much closer than ordinary commercial
varieties. Originated in the province