The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-08-15

have shipped something like fifty car
loads of fruit to Seattle during the
past few years. We have dealt with
some eight or ten different firms and
| am free to say that l have no COM
plant. That mistakes have sometimes
been made, such as holding the fruit
too long or not long enough, is but to
say that these men are human. Com
mission men are not angels with their
wings cut off, but simply men, wide
awake in most cases and striving to
serve their customers who consign
them fruit, for in that way they can
best serve their own interests. IL
they were the scamps some would
have us believe they certainly would
ruin their business. l know many OF
them personally, know their methods
of doing business, and how they keep
their books for their books have been
open to me. Any one who ships to
them can have the same privilege.
am not the agent of these men nor
their tool, have not been asked to
write what is here presented, but l
would be ashamed to look at my face
in a mirror if did not say something
in defense of these maligned and mis-
represented men. I have no hesitancy
in saying that my dealings with these
men, which perhaps have not been sur
passed by any fruit grower in the
state, leads me to believe that they
compare favorably with any class of
business men of any calling or locality.
There would be in my judgment just
as much propriety in launching out
in abuse of the dry goods merchants,
the grocerymen and hardware men in
Seattle as there is in styling the whole
sale commission men of Western ave-
nue. a set of scamps and cut-throats.
+
have just spent over a week on
our ranch in the Yakima valley. The
BOYS were spraying for the cooling
moth the fourth time and finished the
last week in July. To say that | am
gratified with the results of fighting
this pestiferous insect is drawing the
matter mildly. I went into almost
every nook and corner of our apple
orchards and do not believe that one
apple in a thousand showed the at
tacks of the worms. That larger
per cent will show up later l fully eX-
pect, but we have never had as few
worms as late in the season since they
made their appearance in the orchard
as we now have. Why? Well, we are
making some advances and are learn
ing by experience. l trust we do not
wholly belong to that class OF whom
it is said fools learn in the school OF
experience and will learn nowhere
else" One of the things we have
learned is not to wait till all the bloom
has fallen before we begin to spray.
This at one time was our custom, but
it is not now. This year we began
to spray when about two-thirds of the
bloom were fallen. The reason for
this. as frequently stated in these col
umns, is to fill the calix, that is, the
blossom end, of the apple before 1t is
closed. | am more and more convinced
that this is very important matter.
Then we should be certain that the
work is thoroughly done. The spray
should be applied till the tree is wet
all over for only in this way can each
calix cup be filled. Here is where the
advantage of using arsenate of lead
comes in for it will not burn the foliage
however much is put on. Then, AFTER
this first spraying is completed, we go
over the entire orchard again and give
| it a second thorough spraying. Ihls
is done so as to catch any bloom that
may have opened after the first spray
ing. Then we sprayed for the third
time in June and the fourth time in
July. We may spray for the fifth time
in August. That we will settle after
seeing how the second brood of worms
come out.
+
In addition to the spraying we have
our trees banded and the bands are