Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-05-15

Interesting Talks and Experiments r
the Stewart Orchards at Tao
ler's Station.

The first outdoor meeting of inv
Berkeley County Horticultural society
Friday afternoon was a marked sne.
cess notwithstanding the shower .,
rain that came up between 3 and 4
O'Clock. About seyentynye nen a.
tended the meeting which was held
in Mr.. j. w. Stewards large orchard
at Tablsrs Sta ION. Among them
were a number OF the most progress.
sive farmers and fruit growers Of
| Berkeley county, while quite few
came from Jefferson. Frederick and
Morgan counties.
There was an interesting test inside
OF a compressed air sprayer and its
qualities were disguised in comparison
with othsr powesS sprayers. The con.
census Of opinion was that the com
pressed air system is the best to SPRAY
fruit trees. "a
Representative of an engine com
pany in ShippeEsburg. Pa, were pres
ent and gave demonstration of their
gasoline power sprayer which met
with much favor.
| Mr. j. H. Stewart, director o. the
state Horticultural experiment station
az Morgantown, and Professors Brooks
and Rumsey of the same institution
were among those from a distance al
| the meeting Mr.. Stewart was one Of
| the principal speakers. He talked on
thorough cultivation and the necessity
| of protecting fruit trees against scale
and the codling moth. which latter
pest, he said. is doing far more harm
! to fruit trees than any disease or par
/ asite in existence today. He further
said that in the West fruit has been
/ brought UP to nearly 80 per cent. per.
4 feet, and that we are Just beginning
/ to improve the fruit Of West Virginia
which, in value, would be classed the
/ sect imperfec-ions, especially that oil
i the cooling moth.
| Mr.. Stewart believes that in the near
/ future we will be able to furnish all
the fruit and vegetables having them
/ shipped into the state. He urged the
/ farmers and fruit growers present tC
exercise more judgement and care in
packing their fruit and not try to de-
| ceive the buyers and dealers by plac
| ing best fruit in the ends of the bar
rel and inferior grades in the middle
He spoke highly OF the advancement
made in West Virginia in the past ten
years in agriculture and horticulture
Prof. Brooks talked chiefly about the
cooling moth and the disastrous eff
fects that it had brought on fruit. He
crop Of West Virginia is destroyed
every year by this little insect. This
moth flies only at night and deposits
| its eggs on the leaves of the trees
/ When the eggs hatch they enter as
/ little worms into the fruit at the bios
som end. Prof Brooks suggested thai
! the fruit trees be sprayed while II
/ blossom so that the poison will iemair
| in the blossom end of the apple and
kill the worm as it enters the fruit
/ Fle also suggested light spray after
! the fruit has formed and during the
Matching time OF the worms.
The farm of j. VIM. Stewart at Tab
! ler's where the meeting was held con
/ tains 200 acres and his orchard con
! sists OF 10000 trees. The orchard
greatly interested all who attended
the meeting as it is one of the finest
! in Berkeley coun'y.
The next outdoor meeting will be
held in June in some orchard yet tc
be selected by President Alex. Clohar
and the committee of arrangements.