The independent., 1907-02-28
Garden and Fruit
(By l.. 0. WILLIAMS, University Place. Neb)


Even IL they were something especi-
ally desirable we would rather trust
to reliable scotsman to furnish what
was best for our locality. In this day
and age Of horticultural progress we
should encourage every effort for hon.
est seeds and honest seedsmen. Let the
department Of agriculture carry on its
work of introducing and testing new
varieties of horticultural products
aided by the numerous state expert
ment stations. Then let the profession
al seedsmen see that they keep in
touch with these stations and with
their aid distribute these new discov-
cries of positive merit out to the plant
ers.
Last of ali do we want our congress-
ment to resort to such questionable
means of obtaining votes or the "gOOd
Will of their constituents, as the
sending out Of penny seed packages.
Cherry Trees and Bull Snakes.
We met man a few days ago
who told us a snake story that has
good lesson in it for the fruit grower.
This farmer set out large orchard
three years ago. Included with other
trees were four hundred cherry trees.
SAID he, ''last summer, / noticed some
OF my best cherry trees were dying
Going to them | would find the leaves
falling away or turning kellow / took
hold of one and found the roots were
loose. Pulling on it the tree came up,
and I found the roots had been eaten
almost entirely away Gopher mounds
were numerous in this part of my
orchard and ] at once attributed the
dying condition of my trees to them
A lew days after discovering this dam
age 10 my cherry orchard, one of my
men while at work in the hay field
Iound a large bull snake. Don't kill
MN. l Will take care of him. said / to
the man. Putting MY foot on the neck
OF the snake | wrapped him, and car
Iled MIN over to my cherry orchard.
mere round an open gopher hole
Wnefe one OF my trees had been cut
OH ana into it l turned my snake.
dld not see any more fresh gopher
mounds in that locality, neither did I
miss any more of my cherry trees"
Ihe sequel was easy for us to guess.
Tor we had some positive experience
along this line many years ago One
day when working in the orchard a
young man who was helping us dis
covered large snake, which soon took
refuge in an opening that later proved
TO be gopher hole. Our natural anti
pathy Tor the snake tribe did not cause
US TO prevent the young man from
dlgglng into this mound with his hoe
ana killing the snake. In examining
the place of his hiding we soon dis
covered dead gopher, one that evil
IDENTIFY had been killed recently by the
snake. We said then, George, this is
too bad! we have killed one of our
best friends. If the bull snake will pro-
tect our trees and bushes by killing the
gophers, we must by. all means pro-
tect him."
/ We have never lifted a hand against
bull snake since that day, nor suf-
fered one to be killed without a pro-
test. The pocket gopher is the cause OF
much injury in the orchard and fruit
garden and should be persistently
! fought. If the bull snake is not at hand
] to do this fighting for us, we must use
other means Poison, in the form OF
arsenic or strychnine, when placed ir
a small potato or other root vegetable
can be used with good results wher
the bait is placed directly in their mair
run. Raisins, soaked for an hour or two
In warm arsenic water, are found tt
be very tempting bait for Turing this
underground pest to his destruction
| The steel trap is also useful agent
for ensnaring him.
|
a n