The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-12-24

could doub the tborougbness end
genuineness of his discoveries. Ii lie
also apparent that lime and sulphur
as applied under bis direction means
a considerable saving in time, money
and labor. His statement that the
germs of fungus or apple scsb do not
originate in the trees but in the dead
leaves which have tsllen to the ground
and remain there during the winter
and do not get onto the tiee until
spring, would seem to bear out his
deduction that that is the proper time
to spray for this disease. 1t must be
admitted that having devoted bis
knowledge and many years experience
of tree diseases to this particular
affection his recommendation Of
lime aud sulphur IN preference to bor-
deaux should be given weighty con-
sideratioD. More especially as none
of the local growers had not used it
In accordance with the directions
specified by him. 1t is not unlikely
that 1t will be thoroughly tested by
local growers during the coming year,
and Its results will ba awaited with
interest.
In his address on "Cover Crops and
Irrigation" Prot. Lewis said In open
Ing that the cover crop was one Of his
hobbies. Testimony Is not lacking to
support Mr.. Lewis In bis statement as
be has been talking cover crops early
ana late for several years. There was
time when he talked about cover
crops when he didn't know las much
about them as he does now which is
saying a good deal. But then, be
wasn't the only one who didn't know
about them. No one who heard him
talk on this important subject here
has the slightest doubt that he knows
whole lot about them now aud told
of IL In right-from- the. shoulder
collar and elbow way that made bis
listeners sit up and take notice. His
studies on this subject which have
taken him we'll over greater part OF
the Northwest and other parts Of the
United States as well, show that the
cover crop is the saviour of the soii.
He told not only why they should be
used, but what kind to use and their
benefits. His observations 10 this re-
spect were not tased on piazza farm.
ing but from actual experiments.
When doubt seemed to linger in the
minds OF bis listeners he pulled statls-
tics out OF his sleeves and COMPOUNDED
them. His answers to questions came
back with the rapitity OF Gatling
gun and left no room for argument.
While bis talk on cover crops was
highly interesting his subsequent ad.
dress un irrigation was perhaps more
so. Cover crops may be the pIotes.
sor's hobby but irrigation is the bone
of contention and. the piece de resist
anoe OF all conversations started
about apple growing by your Hood
River grower. "To iriigate, or not
to irrigate, with the local grower is
as serious question as was .the "ro
he or not to be" with the late lament.
ed Hamlet. AS the address progress.
cd the irrigationists were huggiug
themselves with joy one moment and
10 the depths Of despair the next and
the non irfigationists we're experienc.
ing the same sensations. However
there Is an end to sensations as we'll
as all other things and the deductions
OF Mr.. Lewis are to the effect that
what the grover wants to know 10 not
how much water to use but how little,
which after all is the milk Of the CO.
ooanut. lie found, he said, that trees
that had been experimental on in the
Rogue River Valley showed groat
absence Of fruit, where kthey we're not
irrigated and plenty where they we're.
Too much water was an injury, too
little not enough. Some soils weie
like sponge, others apparently made
Of rubber, some "mejum," as the
lrishman says and that until the
snies Of experiments which were in
toto oouldaEe completed no definite
action could be outlined.