The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-03-19
DISCUSS HOOD
RIVER METHODS
ANNUAL HORTICULTURAL MEETING
Hood River Society Discuss Methods
and Valuable Information
Exchanged.

hiFer iortIculLural society was held
at the opera hou Ie Saturday morning
and afternoon, with fair attendance,
he meeting was called to order by
PRESIDENT Blythe, with Ii. Avery Sec
retary.
1he morning session was taken up
with talk on spraying by County
Fruit Inspector Castner, who had
samples OF the liquid sprays on the
Tnsrtet, both in full strength and as
diluted to proper strength for use
lie also had branches of apple tees
showing the effects of scale aud other
diseases.
AT the afternoon session the discus
sion was continued, the first talk be-
ing by A. |. Mason, who departed
from the topic assign d as it was the
same as had been given at other meet
ings, and addressed the assembly from
notes on different topics. Some of
the points touched upon we're:
How to select tree: Mr.. Mason
said that We we're for uuate in this
valley that we were not tortured with
horde of tree agents, as at some
other points, but that local nurseries
supplied the bulk of the trees, and
that not many outside nurseries had
representatives here, or at least unre-
liable ones. He preferred a yearling
tree and vas also in favor OF TAX ing
plenty Of time to set ont the tree,
digging deep hole, placing the
main roofs six to eight inches below
the surface. The best time to set
fRAn Inf hs saL 1
fered, but he preferred the fall.
The question of polIenization, he
said, was point which he would
leave to others to Discus, as il was
not fully known yet.
The cultivation of orchards was
most essential and was of far more
value than water to the growth If an
orchard.
Grating wax, instead of paint,
should be used to cover the end of
sawed off branches, az the paint crack
ed end allowed dry rot to start in
the branch.
The question of fertilization was
taken up. Mr.. Mason said that it
was impossible to get enough barn
yard manure to feritlize the orchar Dis
OF the valley, aud commercial fertil- |
izers we're expensive, and that it was
necessary to renew properties of the |
soil exhausted by tree growth. He
was now experimenting with several
kinds OF cover crops grown in his or
chard, and found the common vetch |
the best. Ii made the best growth.
Canadian peas and crimson clover
froZe down with the first frosts, while |
the vetoh was unharmed.
Mr.. Mason was opposed to irriga- |
tion in orchards and remarked that he
knew he differed from many In this
He cited as example OF too
much irrigation that the apples of all
tbe Washington irrigated districts
ELL down this year, and in fact all
apple districts except Hood River
lad the same trouble. There we're
40 records of Hood River apples rot.
ing after being sent to market.
The inspection of orchards should
% thorough and old, diseased trees in
reelected places should be removed.
lie cited instances of where @ few
rees near the main travelled road In
he valley, planted there as family
orchards and lett to decay, made a
,ad impression IN visitors and we're
| detriment to the whole valley.
The question of spray was discussed
It length by Mr.. Mason, who said
hat he was expei imenting along the
inc OF cooking his own spray, as a
natter OF economy, instead OF paying
round price for the prepared sprays.
lie stated that the ingredients In a
)arrel OF spray was not over s3 Is,
While the market price of the prepared
pray was from SO to S13. He said
hat he could save the cost of a steam
,ouking plant by cooking his own
pray and intended to experiment
long that line.
ion, Mr.. Mason claiming that he lost
more apples from this cause than from
he Goblin moth. The codlin moth is
% thoroughly under control in this
ALLEY that it is being almost exter-
minated with careful spraying, but
be brown aphis cannot be killed by
he common spray, as it works under
over.
The speaker stated that be intended
0 experiment with new spray for
he Goblin moth and lad been offered
0O pounds of lead by manufacture
ng concern for that purpose and he
honght he could reduce the cost of
pray considerable.
A numDer OF questions we're asked
dr. Mason and there was discussion
long several lines which brought out
al1able information, which was of
,enefit to apple growers
Il. L. Smith was the next speaker
10 the program and SPOKE along the
ines of polarization, toxic poison in
and and also what influence the stock
II tree has upon the grated scion.
DR.. Smith said that be had had ex-
'erience In cleared land. that he had
,urned logs, cleared the land and
ased bumper crop Of wheat the
Irst year, while sthe second crop was
lmost a failure on the same land. He
leo called attention to the fact that
'oung tree set In the place where an
I'D one had been taken out would not
10 we'll. The cause of this is toxic
'oison which all plants throw off and
which poisons the soil, requiring