The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-09-19
Crowds Listened to Experts
From State College
Last Saturday.

That the people are vitality inter-
ested in the State College enterprise
of operating demonstration train
was made manifest by the crowd of
perhaps 700 spectators who gather
ed Saturday afternoon at the Great
Northern depot in this city. One
would expect to find only ranchers
present On such an occasion, but in
this instance, business men, many
ladies, boys and girls, came in num-
bers and We're attentive to all they
saw and heard.
the speaking began Immediately af-
ter the train came to stop and the
crowd settled r. c. Ashby, super
intendent of Farmers Institutes, set
forth the objects of the tour He
said the train will have travelled in
this state some 5000 miles on this
one trip, and that 10000 farmers
| will have attended the demonstra-
tions.
The railroads are interested to
| the extent of furnishing the trans
portation because they want the
country surrounding their lines de-
veloped. The more farms produce,
the more tonnage the roads get to
haul. When prosperity dwells among
the people of a district, other folks
are attracted to that district and
| the passenger business is stimulated
thereby.
The State College is interested be-
cause it is the business of this in
stitution to contribute in every pos
sible manner to the welfare of the
agricultural and horticultural inter-
ests of the state.
Prof. Thornber on Horticulture.
Prof. Thornber, of the horticul-
/ tural department, was then intro
duced. He said that all over the
state he had. been pointing to We
natchee and North Yakima as the
models of orchard perfection, but
that even in Wenatchee some errors
are quite common. The tendency in
this valley is over cultivation in the
late season. AS result winter
blight frequently follows. The saI
is brought up into the tree and the
first freeze causes much injury and
often kills the tree entirely.
A remedy was suggested in the
use of cover crops. Prof. Thornbel
is an enthusiastic believer in plant
ing Hairy Vetch or red clover, but
he is greatly opposed to alfalfa in
orchards.
The subject of pruning was thor
oughly discussed. 1t was shown
that the young tree should bs
pruned in the spring so as to give
chance for the development 81
wood. This is the very thing which
is to be avoided in the older tree
for then the aim is to concentrate
on the production of fruit. So the
pruning is done in August. Late
pruning for the bearing tree makes
fruit and early pruning of the youns
tree develops a strength for the flu
ture.
Il In regard to pears the professor
warned the growers of this vale.
that they cannot expect always Il
escape blight. They must prepar'
to contend with it by systematic
pruning and eternal vigilance.
Model Poultry Plant
H. L. Blanchard, assistant super
intendent of the Western Washing
| ton Experiment Station, had charg
of a car loaded with model build
ings for an up-to-date poultry plant
with exhibits of feeds, and severa
pens of good and undesirable fowls
Concerning the feeding of hen
for egg production he said that lay
ing hens should have variety @
grains, with meat scraps or milk
grit, shell or ground bone. and a