The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-12-05
POINTERSON
APPLES
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
.PROPOUNDED BY
FARMERS.
Replies Given By w. S. Thomber,
Horticultural at the State Col
le9e atPullman-Interest Shown
in National Apple Show at
Spokane.

Spokane.
State College, Pullman, Nov. 28.-
Inquiries concerning apple grow ing in
various parts of Washington have been
prominent during the past fortnight in
the correspondence of the station staff.
Many of the inquiries contain refer
ences to the National Apple Show,
which is to occur at Spokane Decem-
Der to IL, and exhibit an increased
interest in apple growing among the
orchardists of the state. Following
are some of the letters of inquiry, and
the answers, which were given by
Prof. w. S. Thornber, horticulturist
of the station.
Seattle: "What sections of Washing
ton are best for the production of win
ter apples?
"F. E. w."
''There are many sections in the
state that are good for the production
of winter apples. For raising long
keeping winter apples, however, I
prefer the Eastern Washington uplands
district. The irrigated valleys are
excellent for color, but on account of
their warm seasons they do not pro-
duce as long keeping apple"
Alfalfa: ''My apples which are
mostly of the red checked varieties are
affected with bitter rot. What should
I do for them? ''E. G. S."
''You must follow up this disease at
once or you will have serious dicffulty
in the future with your crops. I ad-
noting the tops very carefully, and see
if you discover any cankered places.
Remove them at once, and just before
the trees come into leaf, or as soon as
you can do SO, spray with a good So
luton of Bordeaux mixture.
| Doty: II have an orchard of apple,
plum and pear trees, which I had
plowed last April I fear that I plow-
ed too close to the trees, however, for
good results. What is the extent of
the danger that may arise from this
source? ''F. A. D."
''There is no danger of injuring the
kind of fruit trees you mention by
blowing too close unless you cut off or
break the large roots. Ordinarily these
roots are deep enough so that the pillow
will not touch them. We, therefore,
pillow just as close as we can get with
out hitting the trunk of the tree with
the single-tree or any other part of the
pillow or harness. At the station we
usually urge the workmen to pillow
from three to four inches deep close
to the tree and from six to eight inches
deep close to the rows. It is seldom,
if ever, that we strike root"
Blaine: "What can you tell me
concerning the value of the Delicious
variety of apple? 81. J. P"
| "The question you ask relative to
the Delicious apple is one that we are
meeting every day, and while we have
grown it at the station for some time,
I am not in position yet to thoroughly
recommend it for all parts of the state.
This apple is a splendid one, but is not
generally known. We, therefore, hes
itate about recommending it until we
can get chance to introduce it better. I"
Lakeside: II have an apple orchard
which is doing very we'll, despite that
I am little uncertain concerning sew
eral problems which have arisen in my
orchard work. What kind of crops
should grow among my young trees,
if any? 80 W."
"Grow nothing but cultivated crops
among the young trees. You will no.
tice that this eliminates grains and
grasses of all kinds. Second, grow
nothing closer than four feet of the
trees the first year after planting; and
with only one or two exceptions you
will experience no difficulty by follow
ing these rules: Do not grow potatoes
close to peaches, that is closer than
four feet of the trees; grow no crop
among your fruit trees that will neces-
state late irrigation, as this will COM
pei your trees to grow later in the year
than you desire. The first of these con-
ditions is made necessary by the fact
that potatoes seem to give off secre-
ton which is injurious to peaches.
| Valley: ''What can you tell me of
the value of the Rome Beauty apple
for this district? Should I plant it
alone or with other varieties of apples :?
| &c. P. B."
"You will make no mistake in
planting the Rome Beauty apple. It
would not be advisable so plant it
alone. Plant it with the Jonathan or
Wagner, preferably the latter, in order
to inure perfects polarization. -
/ EldOra: II have an orchard of
young apple trees and the rabbits are
injuring the trees. How can prevent
the ravages aof the pest? 81. w. d."