The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-09-28
WHENCECAAE INSECTS
Horticulturists Must Now Care for
Their Trees by Spraying
Ind Other
wise

TIE Indiana State horticultural
Society. promoting the mo. sment for
the apple show in Indianapolis.
opening Nov. 6. is one of the Oldest
and most substantial institutions in
the state, it having for - years
heen highly important factor in
the development Of tie Hoosier land.
Before Johnny Appleseed. the father
of Indiana apple orchards was in his
grave in 1S47, the society was at
its work of developing the state
fruit resources, and tie coming show
will really be in celebration CT its
diamond jubilee, with the most elab-
crate exposition it has ever held. In
promoting apple culture. the society
has as the years have gone by had
to contend with constantly increas-
ing odds in the way of orchard enc
mics. which have not only ravaeed
the orchards but discouraged the
growers until they learned how to
combat the evils.
Johnny Appleseed or John Chap
man. was tie first planter of orchard
n the middle West. He obtained
the seeds from the cider presses OF
Pennsylvania and scattered them
along the streams and through the
woods of tie Indiana wilderness
From bis day to this it has been evil
dent to the members of the society
that Indiana has both soil and eli
'rato fer truit culture. and what i
needed now is to revive the spirit
and determination of the pioneers
who brought the first orchards into
bearing This revival is expected
TO Gene through the apple show.
Henry Ward Reeelsar. then livino
in Indianapolis. in 1S43 stated that
there were IS nurseries N the state
selling apple tree at To cents eac5
and pear trees at 20 cents and do
ing a good business, while TIE Ions
summers. brilliantly clear atmos-
phere. great warmth and dryness
during the fall riDening months.
give our fruit great size. color and
flavor. When the society met in
1874. 80 varieties of Hoosier-grown
apples were exhibited.
Back in those days most of the
pests now contended with had not
appeared in the orchards. The
San Jose scale was still in Western
Asia. The codliag moth. while known
In eastern orchards, had not caught
up with the western march of the
apple and the virgin soil was I'M
depleted of its plant food. The
pioneer growers saw little and knew
less Of the fungus diseases. Appt
growing was apparently unhamper-
ed by the effort and scientific
thought that is necessary now. Per-
feet. ripened fruit. not dollars and
cents, brought the rewards the
pioneer sought.
As the state emerged from pioneer
conditions, as forest were cleared
and highways were built that settle
ments might be thicker, the codling
moth and tie curculio came over
the routes from the east that were
followed by the infowing popula-
tion, without doubt coming in fruit
and trees brought by settlers. AS
TIE distance between orchards be-
came less. the enemies cf fruit and
tree multiplied and found it pos
sihle to travel bv easy stages from
one part of the state to another,
leaving infested and diseased or
chards in their trail.
In recent years the apple grower
has found ways of fighting the
enemies of fruit and the past sea-
son has been unremitting warfare
waged in every county. Spraying,
careful observation and study have
gone far 10 give tire growers tie
upper hand against the pests. While
there is more fork and thought in
volved in apple cultivation today
than so wears ago. growers wto are
mastering horticulture are r,,'nniuc
a wealth Of satisfaction from per-
fected crops, and thisS satisfaction
will be strongly in evidence in tho
glowing arrays of apples which will
be spread before the public at the
coming show.
From G.. G.. WOODBURY..
Purdue Aer'cnltrrsl Experiment
Station, Lafayette, Ind.