The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15


and the dry the elevated and the
low the sunshiny and the cloudy
the hot and the COOL and so on.
1t Is delightful to live in such country
but we must not forget that advice
adapted to one section will not neces-
sarily fit another. Any one will make
serious mistake unless he studies
his surroundings.
w. M. Scott, secretary of the Kiona
Fruit Growers Union, and a friend
from whom we are always glad to hear,
asks the following questions:
l have frequently contributed ques-
lions to your department, and with
your permission I come again with
two more:
Cd What is the best implement for
scraping the rough bark from the
trunks of apple trees? One neighbor
uses hoe. I have not kept my own
trees very well scraped, but what little
scraping I have done has usually
been done with the back of hand saw
But neither hoe nor hand saw seems
to me exactly the right tool for the
purpose.
(2) What is the most approved man
ner of labelling fruit packages-stencils
or printed labels? If the latter, what
kind of paste is usually used? Will
you kindly discuss the matter of la
being, as fully as you have space and
inclination, in the next Ranch?
I am not very we'll prepared to an
swer friend Scott's first question, for
we, like him, have not done very much
in the direction of keeping the rough
bark off our tree trunks. This has
not been wholly matter of neglect
The rough bark does not hurt the
health nor the growth of the tree. The
only objection I can see in allowing
this bark to remain on the trunks OF
our trees is that insects hide in such
places. l do not believe this is as Sc
rious matter as many suppose. The
only insect that is likely to hide un-
der this rough bark is the larva of the
codling moth. I am not sure but this
is an advantage. My observation is
that the most of these larvae that hide
in such places are caught by the birds.
I have seen the birds pick into the CO.
coons thus destroying the larbae. A
crack in a tree is bad place for the
larvae to hide, for nothing can get at
them. Would recommend the filling OF
all cracks with cement for that will
keep the worms" out effectively. II
they do not get under the rough bark
where the birds will catch many OF
them they are sure to find some place
70 hide, and that will generally be
in the ground where they are protect
- 4 io frnn
stirred with a harrow. Scale insects
and aphids will not seek the bodies of
our trees where the bark is rough, for
they can not reach the sap with their
probosces where the bark is thick.
know that some people think that
rough bark on trees impedes their
growth, but that is mistake. Ma
ture makes no such mistakes as that.
So upon the whole I am not certain
that we secure enough good to pay
for the removing of the rough bark. If
the rough bark is to be removed, the
hoe, the back of a handsaw or an
old-fashioned corn knife would do very
well.
l have never used printed labels
and l doubt if there is much, ii any,
advantage in their use. Till l can
see some advantage in the use OF
printed labels not now in evidence, |
shall not use them. Buyers do not
care very much for what is on the
outside of an apple box, they are more
concerned about what is inside and
it's appearance. 1t is true that box
containing fruit should not have a
slovenly appearance-it must be clean.
1t is surprising how careless some
growers are in this respect. have
seen apple boxes on Western Avenue
Seattle, that were repulsive on the
outside. Any one who is so careless