The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-09-15
HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT


M. Irvine, the editor of the Fruit
Grower, st. Joseph, Mo. Mr.. Stark
is one of the firm of Stark Brothers,
Louisiana, Pike County, Mo-, the
noted nurserymen who raise and sell
more fruit trees than any other firm
in the United States. Mr.. Irvine is
the editor of the best strictly fruit
journal in the world. 1t was my priv
ilege to take Mr.. Irvine in my buggy
and ride with him for miles. To say
that conversation did not lag is draw
ing the matter mildly. The writer
will ever cherish the memory of that
delightful ride. Mr.. Stark rode with
A. w. Mcdonald, of Toppenish, Wash,
who is the head of the Washington
Nursery Company, located at that
place. Many people ask me from time
to time about a reliable nursery in
central Washington, l never hest
tate to recommend the Washington
Nursery Company, of Toppenish, as
a reliable concern. The men at the
head of that company are careful,
Conscientious and honorable men with
whim it is pleasure to deal. The
Stark Brothers Nursery Company has
always been reliable with me. I re-
peat what l have before said in these
columns, that as a rule the large nur-
sery companies make fewer mistakes
than the smaller concerns. This is
owing to the fact that they have their
work systematized
When we reached our packing house
one of our teams arrived from the
f01I xx,;t R,,o Of VIII
peaches as l ever saw. Many of
them packed forty to the box, and
peach men in the Northwest know
that such peaches must be over 3
inches in diameter. 1t was my priv
ilege as well as delight to present to
these distinguished visitors box of
my peaches which packed just thirty
five peaches to the box. Besides visit
ing the packing house we drove along
the side of my experimental apple
orchard where l am testing something
like eighty varietie of the apple,
and then we drove out into our COM
mercial orchard, where some of the
trees, notably the Arkansas Black,
were bending down under their loads
of fine fruit. One thing that par
ticularly interested these visitors was
some of the top-worked trees. They
were top-grafted to Newtown Pippins
five years ago last spring. The union
between the scion and stock is per-
feet in nearly all cases. I expressed
the opinion that the union was so COM
p1ete that the limbs would break
easier anywhere else than at the point
of junction. These men seemed to
think | am right about this.
My fruit ranch has been visited from
time to time by some distinguished
men, especially railroad men, and
some very prominent horticulturists,
but l confess that | have never felt
more honored by such visits than was
when these men informed me that
they planned from the start of their
Northwest trip to visit the walden
Ranch" They promised to come
again.
Prof. Henry G. Cox, Congress Park,
ILL.,, under date of August IS, asks
this question: Twill you please to tell
through The Ranch what, if anything,
can be done to break up nest of ants
On our ranch near Kennewick, Wash,
nest of these pests killed three
year-old grapevine, leaving bare
canes, dead as though burnt by fire.
Another vine equally near was I'M
touched. A peach tree and also two
or three young grapevines have been
killed by them.
II thank you heartily for your ar
ticles in The Ranch, and hope, in the
future, to do nothing to add to your
burden in the way of answering let
ters. My trip West was delightful
one and have just returned home.
was in Seattle and felt strongly i'm
Iii L., anll hl1f L 1.OAciot0d