The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1907-10-26
the Rundown ORCHARD


Wethoos 10 Be Pursueo IN Bringing II
into Good Shape.
A fruit grower residing near Fern
dale, Whatcom county, Washington,
recently informed the Washington
State Experiment station staff that
his orchard was badly run down, and
that he desired information which
would enable him to work systemati-
ally and persistently until he had the
orchard in good shape. Considerable
attention WIS gwen to this inquiry,
Professor A. L. Melander. entomolo
gist, taking care Of the problems of in
sect pests, and Professor W. s. Thorn
Der, horticultural, advising relative
to the treatment Of the trees. PROBES
sor Melander's reply follows:
ITO get rid Of the moss and lichens
on your trees, wash the tree trunks
with I've in solution, one pound to ten
gallons Of water. To kill the red spi-
ders, apply the sulphur lime wash
when the leaves are off the tree. This
will kill the winter eggs. II tho mite
appear in the summer, use kerosene
emulsion, and in this case it will be
better to add one ounce Of sulphur to
each gallon Of spray. For the cooling
moth, spray with arsenate of lead, OF
Paris green while the blossoms are fall
ing. Give a second spraying ten to
forty days later, according to the
weather, and spray again forc weeks
after the first worms appear under the
bands. Give the fourth spraying four
weeks later. Get after the following
pests with the sulphur-lime wash:
Oyster shell lark louise; peach worm or
twig borer; green OF black aphis; Bills
ter mite; leaf curl; peach mildew.
Find out exactly what each pest is that
you discover, and treat accordingly.
"In preparing the kerosene emul-
zion, use two gallons of kerosene
whale oil soap Cor one quart OF soft
soap, one half pound; water, one gal
lon. Dissolve the soap In water, but
boiling, and add the suds boiling hot tc
the kerosene, away from the fire. The
mixture is then to be agitated violent
ly, peferably by pumping 1t back on
itself with force pump. After foul
or FIVE minutes the mixture suddenly
becomes creamy in consistence. II vel
made, the cream will stand for Ions
time without free oil rising to the sur
face. Unless otherwise stated, use ons
gallon of the emulsion to twelve gal
Ions of water, In spraying.
''In preparing the arsenate Of leac
spray, use one pound of arsenate Of leae
to forty gallons of water. 1t is unne
cessary to use this stronger, and it il
more reliable than Paris green. 1t il
ESPECIALLY useful where there is mucl
rain, for it sticks we'll and does no
scorch the leaves"
Taking up the problems in horticul
ture, Professor Thornber stated:
1.-The removal of all insects and dis
eases is of great importance, but do no
forget that careful tillage Of the land
then the removal of parts CT the top
of the trees, and careful thinning GU
of the fruit is OF just as much import
ance. II the orchard has been in 80
for years, and the trees are not growing
the only proper thing to do will be
pillow up the ground thoroughly and pu
the soil in first class tillable condition
To do this, l advise you to give th
land thorough blowing in the fal
leaving it more or less rough to weatt
er during the winter, In the spring
as soon as the ground has dried OIL
sufficiently, work the soil carefully wit
either a disk, or a spring tooth, an
tool, in fact, that will cultivate til
ground thoroughly. Let the cultiv,
ton be continued throughout the ne,
two or three years, till the soil is
an active, virile condition.
1.-THE pruning of your trees will |
another important phase. II the tre'
are large. they will need more or lie.
topping, but do this gradually. Do nj
remove the entire top at once, or yc
will produce crop of water sprout
and will Ietard the fruit scions fro
one to five years. So thin out tn
limbs, topping back but portions
them, and plan on doing summer as we
as winter pruning. II any large liml
are to be removed, the cut surface
should be painted over with some les
paint of almost any color. Do not III
wax nor coal tar. The grating wa
will peel off during wet seasons, al
the coal tar will injure the cambiun
or young growth, especially in fru
trees.
II Determine what varieties of fru
you have, and their merits. Top-grs
! the undesirable varieties in the sprin
and carefully eliminate all varieti
that are not first class. Western Was
ington lie we'll adapted to the grown
Of fruit, and none but the best shou
be grown there. II the trunks of 20
trees are diseased. or decaying badl
it will not be possible for you to rel
venate them, but they should be I
1 moved, and young trees set In the
= placegn