The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-12-15
Edited by r. Walden

never allow his work to drive him
but he should drive the work.
If any grating is to be done next
spring it is imperative to cut your
scions on nice days in the winter
when the twigs are not frozen. Don't
throw these twigs down just in any old
place but put them where they will
not dry out too much and where they
will not be wet. | know of a case
where a man cut his sciOns and threw
them down on the north side of
building where they frOze hard and
where they were wet by the winter
rains. The result was that very few
of them grew. Think of the loss not
only in the labor of grating but the
damage to the trees. and the waiting
for year before the work could be
en- if he expects to be success as
fruit grower
During the winter a man should
study we'll what he has to do when
spring and summer comes. There is
pruning, grating and spraying of va
rious kinds that must be done and
done we'll and he must learn all he
can about these things. 1t is my in
tention to treat of all these matters
in The Ranch during the winter
months. Some of these things have
been presented in these columns be-
fore and more than once but | know
that we have many new readers and
then there are many people who are
good forgetters. l believe an editor
filling a place such as l do must be
patient and many things must be told
over and over am not out of themes
upon which to write, but l believe it
is my duty to consider the interests of
our patrons and try to teach what
they need to learn. There may be
some who do not need these Oft-re-
peated lessons but they must remem-
Der that there are many who do.
Another thing we want our patrons
to keep in mind and that is we well
come inquiries. Send in any question
that pertains to the practical side OF
fruit growing and I will give it atten-
ton. If / can not answer 1T properly
| will submit it to some one who can.
Some of our college men have been
very kind in helping me in such mat
ters. Then | have some friends In
Washington, D. c., in the Department
of Agriculture, who have been very
helpful in answering some of the hard
questions.
| wish to say, however, that l much
prefer to answer all inquiries through
The Ranch. | know sometimes per-
sons want answers Immediately. In
such cases | will break this rule and
write directly in reply. This kind OF
| work has become somewhat burden
r To q c
as possible If those desiring an an
swer by mail will kindly inclose
stamp, or better still, stamped ell
velope, | will consider it a favor.
Where persons do not want names to
appear in the paper, the questions can
be answered by emitting the name II
the letters are marked personal.
w. J. Dean, Talent, Oregon, writes
under date of Dec. 10, as follows:
81 have read with no little interest
your articles in The Ranch. About a
dozen farm papers come to my table
and not one is read with more eager
ness than The Ranch. And the artl-
cles on horticulture are turned to first
of ALL | should like to procure good
up-to-date work on plant physiology,
giving the latest facts on how plants
grow. Please refer me to one or two
and where obtained. Am now reaed-
ing "The SOIL" by King, for the sec
ond time, in which l am much inter.
ested."
The best work of the kind is plant
Physiology by DR.. Paul Sorauer." This
is a German work but is translated
into English by F. e. Weiss, professor
of botany at the Owens College, Man
chester So far as | know it is not
published in the United States but can
be secured by addressing Longmans,
Green and Company, Is East 10Th