The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-06-01

Yakima Valley. The chief object of
my visit at this time was to see that
the spraying for the control of the
codling moth was properly done. AS
| have stated before, we begin the
first spraying as soon as the petals
have fallen and before the calyX cups
have closed. This allows us only about
a week to go over our entire orchard.
Some days are too windy to spray
so the time is lessened by windy
days In order to get over our en-
tire orchard we have to use two gas
oline outfits. These two outfits cost
us over $500.
We began our first spraying this
year May 8. This was a few days
later than last year, which goes to
show that the season is later than
one year ago. In fact, 1 do not now
call to mind that we ever began to
spray as late as this year. These
things must be understood, and we
must be prepared to do the work
when the bloom is in the right con-
dition. 1t takes three men to run
one of our outfits. We use three
strands of hose, two men being on
the ground and one on an elevated
platform above the spray tank. The
person on this elevated platform
drives the team and sprays the tops
of the trees. Each one is expected
to drive the spray into the open ends
of the young apples. The ends of
the rods are so bent that by turning
the rods in their hands the spray can
be shot in all directions. The pres
sure is kept up to $50 to 200, so that
the material may be forced into the
open calyx cups.
AS soon as the whole orchard has
been gone over we take off one o. the
outfits, but keep the other one going
till the whole orchard has been gone
over again. This is done that late
buds that were not open at the time
of the first spraying may be reached.
1t would be a serious mistake to over
look these delayed buds, for in that
event they would not be filled at all.
1t requires vigilance and tact to prop
erly spray for the codling moth.
was surprised at the havoc
wrought in the peach orchards by the
freeze of last January. | was not
expecting to find but few live peaches,
but not one could l find on all OF
our trees. We have thirty-five acres
in peaches, and if there is one peach
on all our trees I do not know it. We
had similar experience in 1897. Such
a "freeze out" may be expected oc-
casionally, and the man who can be
driven out of the business by such a
calamity would better never begin.
The question to be considered by the
person who is about to embark in
the peach business is not whether he
can have paying crop every year,
for this cannot be secured, but can
he, in the long rum make money by
raising peaches? l have made money
raising peaches during the past IA
years, Notwithstanding that in one
winter we lost our entire crop, and by
frosts at blooming time our crops in
part in other years. But / am in the
business to stay. | have a better To-
cation for my new peach orchard of
4,400 trees than I had for my old or
chard, and expect to escape the spring
frosts better than I did with my old
orchard. But when it comes to win
ter freeze in which the thermometer
drops to 20 degrees below zero there
is no help for us.
The thing that surprised me most of
all is the damage done to the peach
trees. | saw thousands of trees that
are killed back to two and three feet
from the ground, and some that are
killed back to the snow line. My own
trees do not show any damage. We
have cut out the centers, but they are
all leafed out and are growing finely.
The same is true of the peach or
chards belonging to my neighbors, who
are on equally high ground. But not
ho1f