Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-04-06

young insect before it has eaten I'M
der the skin of the apple or the poi
son will miss him and there will be
worm in the apple that may not
show a sign on the surface. but if
the apple fall and the worm eats
its way out it is on the ground and
will safely pass the winter to be rea-
dy in the spring to be one of the
most vigorous of his tribe. When the
spraying is well done at exactly the
right time the pest may be complete
~ stamped out of the orchard and
here comes a good excuse for a man
to look after his neighbors business.
He should see that his neighbor is
prompt in his part of the fight.
Here too, is the call for the law that
requires every man to do his part in
the war for the determination Of
these pests. But it is not alone in
spraying that promptness is requir-
ed and is the most valuable part of
the care. In pruning it is the same.
The trees that have been APPARENTLY
idle all winter have not been so by
any means 1t has the sap ready to
begin growth just as soon as the air
and the earth begin the degree of
warmth permitting it to go to the
Spring work in real earnest. Have
the winter pruning done properly so
that the tree will waste none of its
energy growing wood that you know
will be in the way of successful fruit
ing. We prune because our wiser
mind can gui lie the tree to a better
fruiting 1t is a matter Of selfishness
upon our part but that is not the on
~ selfishness in the world. The tree
simply makes all of its efforts in
the natural way to reproduce itself.
We want it to make less seed and
surround that seed with a heavier
and richer envelope for our use. So
we get at it at the right time in
the winter or ealry spring to guide
the tree in is work and in he sum-
mer when we have produced all the
bearing wood needed we should again
be at the pruning at the right time
to give the idea that it had better
not grow more wood but prepare to
fill the wood we have left it with good
strong buds for the fruit and seeds
for the year to come and the tree
still intent upon reproduction decid-
es to take the hint given and sarts
at once to build the buds to use the
following spring. Now here is where
the skill Of the horticulturist must
supplement manual labor and be
ready to tell when to begin that sum-
mer pruning. Too late and the work
will merely stop of the work of the
tree in making buds and put 1t to
hardening up the wood and change
its idea to see if it can make lit
tie stronger bud for the next years
production. There is the argument
for promptness and better results
] IN elIncI case ~ w lAO WIZ O. JN'e
the right time. Again when the fruit
is grown promptness in harvesting at
Just the right stage of ripeness means
the saving of more of the fruit al
ready grown ut also the saving of it
i'm its best condition. Let the har-
vesting be late enough to give the
fruit full growth but it must be
early enough to save the firmness OF
the fruit and to be sure that the
fruit is not injured by the cold
weather. Now l trust that l have
hammered this idea of promptness
into the minds of all our orchard
growers whether men or women tC
do the proper work at the proper
time If so and action is accorded tC
the idea l know that the reward viii
come for the labor.