The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-30
BIRDS HELP CROP.
Fruit Men Rejoice Over Increase
of Feathered Tribe.
Reports on Conditions Show
Shortage This Year.
MEETING ADJOURNS.
Horticultural Society Closes
With Election of Trustees.
j. F. Cecil of Topeka Represents
First District.
MEETING ADJOURNS.


I'd trustees from four districts to serve
he next year as follows:
First district, ]. F. Cecil, Topeka;
Third district, E. L. Kenoyer. Indepepd-
ence: Fifth district. Albert Dickens,
Manhattan; Seventh district. c. A
Blackmore, Medicine Lodge.
The society adjourned at noon today
after listening to the reports of the
fruit situation by the eight trustees by
congressional districts as follows:
F. w. Dixon. First district-Fruit
trees are not in good condition to yield
full crop next season. Scab and other
fungus diseases are hurting trees. This
years crop averaged for the district:
Apples, IL per cent; pears. 30; 10
peaches; plums, II; cherries, 65; black
berries, 60; raspberries, SO; strawber-
ries, 40; grapes, So Very few new or
chards are being planted.
Birds Help Crop.
a. V. Wilson. Second district-The
weather was to blame for the fruit crop
failure Orchard planting is at a stand
still Cutting down is increasing. The
acreage of small fruits is decreasing.
Wyandotte growers are making war on
the scale. Every Kansas farm should
have at least a two acre orchard. Birds
are increasing in number, which is a
good thing
F. L. Kenoyer, Third district-Apples,
pears peaches, plums cherries ana
grapes yielded less than fourth of 4
crop. Quality inferior. People lost in
terest in orcharding on account of sue
ceSSive failures Strawberries are a
very profitable crop in this district.
Only few localities where commercial
orchards will pay. Prospects for
fruit crop next season are not f1atter-
ing.
n l, t,-ia ooHP
were killed III the bud. Apples were
nearly all killed by late freeze. Crop
matured apples per cent, cherries
so per cent, blackberries 40, raspber-
ries 25, strawberries so, currants so,
grapes so. Recommended York I'm
perial and Jonathan as best apples to
plant. The cooling moth is doing much
damage. Many apple trees are being
dug up. Commercial orchards are
disappearing.
Fight Frost With Fire.
Albert Dickens, Fifth district
There was a wider variation in re-
ports received from over the Fifth dis
trict than in any preceding year. Men
in the same county saw things with
different hued glasses. There were
some who reported good crops Of fruit
and a profitable season, while others
had the blue rays exclusively and had
little to report but loss. Upon inves-
tigation the difference was found to be
due in large measure to location and
topograph-- of the vicinity. The coun-
ties of Cloud, Clay. Washington and
Marshall have growers who made
money in 1909. These men, without
exception, had orchards upon slopes
or hillsides Every orchard in = pock-
ct that had no outlet for cold air lost
heavily from frost. Some few with
heavy fires and smudges saved some
fruit One with 100 firepots per acre
saved 40 per cent. Yor-: Imperial is
evidently increasing in favor. Few
large orchards are settling. Many
small ones are being grown and in
terest in the farm orchard is increas-
ing. Better interest is reported in or
namental horticulture, and lawns and
gardens are receiving more attention.
Better shade trees are being set on
city streets. Many towns are doing
real work in park Improvement. Post
plantations are being set. not large
ones but a few acres. and the aggre-
gate area is large. Small fruit plant
ings for local markets are increasing.
The markets are improving. Interest
in spraying is on the increase. Some
plan of cooperation in buying spray
materials is needed to insure good ma
terials at reasonable price.
J. J. Alexander. Sixth district-F'ruit
crop nearly failure this year Few ar
pies grown. No peaches. Considera Bile
small fruit harvested for home con-
sumpti IN. Not many new orchards be
ing planned.
Insect Pests Wiped Out.
c. A. Blackmore. Seventh d district
No fruit hung on the trees to maturity
worth mentioning. The crop failure.
however. wiped out the insect pests.
Small fruits yielded about rs per cent
of a crop in Rice county, 45 in Reno.
25 to so in Barber and Harper, and 10
to 20 in the rest of the districts. Grapes
did fairly well everywhere. Scale has
been reported in Reno. Rot. blight and
other fungus diseases have made their
appearance over the district. Fruit
trees are not being planted to any
great extent Forest trees are being
planted in considerable numbers.
George A. Blair. Eighth district-The
yield averaged half crop of plums,
fifth of cherries, SO per cent blackber-
ries, GO raspberries. As grapes and there
were no apples nor peaches to speak of.
The scale is reported around Wichita
Blight is reported over the district.
Fruit trees are not being planted to
any extent. Birds are charged with
eating up all the fruit this year.