Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1908-10-02

Use Cover Crops.
Query What green crops are we'll
suited to improve the quality of land =?
Ans. Canadian peas are valuable
for this purpose, since they my be
sown late in the summer, and left in
the ground until the following spring,
and then plowed under. In this way
you do not interfere with growing
trees, or the maturing crop. If you
can secure good mammoth red clover
or, in fact, any clover, without check
ing the growth Of the trees, it is ad-
visable to do it. However in the ex-
perience of the Station, we have found
it necessary to grow this crop for at
least year to get the desired cover.
If your land does not require nitrogen,
you will not care to grow nitrogen
gathering plants, such as clovers,
vetches, etc. Hairy vetch is also
recommended for this purpose.
A Bad Practice.
Query Would it be advisable to
plant pear trees as filters for apple
trees? l would be glad to receive
your suggestions on the question of
filters for an orchard.
Ans. II would not plant pear trees
as filters for apple trees. Nothing
can be gained by this at all, since the
pears do not come into bearing any
earlier than the apples, nor can you
remove them from the orchard very
much earlier than you can the apple
trees. The purpose of a filler is to
secure tree of fruit that will come
into bearing quickly; bear full and
heavy crops for some ten or twelve
years, and then be ready to be taken
out in order to leave more room for
the permanent trees. If you desire
to use apples as filters in an apple
orchard, plant Wagner, or Winesap,
as filters. If you care to plant a fall
variety. the Wealthy is a good filler,
These three varieties come into bear
ing and readily pay for themselves
before the orchard reaches the age
where the other trees need the room.
This can be worked out very nicely
with peaches, and where peaches can
be satisfactorily grown, would use
peaches as filters for my apple orch
ard.
To Reiuvenate An Orchard
Query have an orchard that has
been somewhat neglected, and would
like for you to tell me how / may get
it in shape again.
Ans.-If your orchard has been
nelected for as many as five or six
years, | am satisfied that it will need
systematic mad careful pruning for a
few years in order to remove the sur
plus wood. Do not remove this wood
all at one time, but during the coming
winter take off from one third to
one-half as much of the extra wood as
should be removed. Then, a year
from next winter, remove another one
remove the wood gradually in the way
suggested in order that the trees may
not be thrown out of balance. By the
latter, | mean that the trees would
throw back large amount of water
sprouts, and fail to produce any fruit.
Trees that are matured should produce
fruit every year, even though you are
removing lots of wood If it is pos
sible, thin the tops and keep the trees
as near to the ground as possible. In
other words, do not prune them too
high. If the limbs are not covered
with lichens, and similar material. |
would thoroughly spray them some
time during the winter with solution
of common I've and water. If the
trunks of the trees are rough and the
bark is peeling off more or less, it
would be very helpful to have them
scraped with some sort of blunt in
strument in order to remove the hiding
places of the common insect pests.
Nothing but thorough cultivation
should be considered for a moment in
the orchard, until it gets into first
class condition. Then it should be
seeded down to clover, or grass.
Potato Growing Where 1t Ia Dry.
Query-Will you inform me of the
best plan for potato culture in this
part of the country?
Ans. Pillow the land in the fall. or.
if this is not possible, pillow very early
in the spring, and work the ground
down in frst-class shape with a har-
row, or similar tool. When the proper
season comes for planting the pota-
toes, furrow your land out in rows from
three to four feet apart and from four
to six inches deep. Drop the potatoes
into these burrows, and close them