The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-11-29
THE RUNDOWN ORCHARD
Methods to Be Pursued In Bringing It
Into Good Shape.

A
Into Good Shape.
A fruit grower residing near Fern
dale, Whatcom county, Washington
recently informed the Washington
State Experiment station staff tina
his orchard was badly run down, anC
that he desired information which
would enable him to work systemati
cally and persistently until he had the
orchard in good shape. Considerable,
attention was given 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. Profes.
sor Melander's reply follows:
"To get rid Of the moss and lichens
on your trees, wash the tree trunks
with lye 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 the 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 codling
moth, spray with arsenate of lead, or
Paris green while the blossoms are fall
ing. Give a second spraying ten to
forty days later, according to the
weather, and spray again four 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
twie borer; green or black aphis; blis-
ter mite; leaf curl; peach mildew.
Find out exactly what each pest is that
you discover, and treat accordingly.
I'm preparing the kerosene emul-
sion, 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 TO
the kerosene, away from the fire. The
mixture is then to be agitated violent
lys peferably by pumping it back on
itself with force pump. After four
or five minutes the mixture suddenly
becomes creamy in consistence. If we'll
made, the cream will stand for long
time without free oil rising to the sur
face. Unless otherwise stated, use one
gallon of the emulsion to twelve gal
Ions of water, in spraying.
"In preparing the arsenate of lead
spray, use one pound of arsenate of lead
to forty gallons of water. 1t is unne-
cessary to use this stronger, and it is
more reliable than Paris green. 1t is
especially useful where there is much
rain, for it sticks we'll and does not
acorch the leaves"
Taking up the problems in horticul-
ture, Professor Thornber stated:
"The removal of all insects and dis
eases is of great importance, but do not
forget that careful tillage of the land.
then the removal of parts Of the tops
OF the trees, and careful thinning out
OF the fruit is of just as much import
ance. If the orchard has been in sod
for years, and the trees are not growing,
the only proper thing to do will be to
plow up the ground thoroughly and put
the soil in first class tillable condition.
To do this, advise you to give the
land thorough plowing in the fall,
leaving it more or less rough to wealth
er during the winter. In the spring,
as soon as the ground has dried out
sufficiently, work the soil carefully with
either disk, or a spring tooth, any
tool, in fact, that will cultivate the
ground thoroughly. Let the cultiva-
tion be continued throughout the next |
two or three years, till the soil is in
an active, virile condition.
1.-The pruning of your trees will be
another important phase. II the trees
are large, they will need more or less
topping, but do this gradually. Do not
remove the entire top at once, or you
will produce crop OF water sprouts,
and will retard the fruit scions from
one to FIVE years. So thin out the
limbs, topping back but portions of
them, and plan on doing summer as well
AZ winter pruning. II any large linn bs
are to be removed, the cut surfaces
should be painted over with some lead
paint Of almost any color. Do not use
wax nor coal tar The grating wax
will peel off during wet seasons, and
,he coal tar will injure the cambium,
u young growth, especially in fruit
:rees.
Determine what Varieties of fruit
you have, and their merits. Top-graft
he undesirable varieties in the spring,
md carefully eliminate all varieties
hat are not first class. Western Wash
ngton is we'll adapted to the growing
4 fruit, and none but the best should
'e grown there. If the trunks of your
rees are diseased, or decaying badly,
will not be possible for you to reju-
enate them, but they should be re-
moved, and young trees set In their
'laces."