The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1911-08-18
where APPLES
GROW IN CAR LOTS
BURRELL ORCHARDS C0kTAIL 22O
ACRES OF WINTER KEEPERS
Zine WATER SYSTEM.


little station of Diamond is located
the best commercial apple orchard
in this part of the country This is a
decidedly off year for apples in the
northwest yet many carloads will be
shipped from the BuTrell orchards,
owned by the Burren Investment
company.
The first apple trees on the place
were put out by Quinland Dimond
on his homestead more than 80 years
ago and have completed their use
fulness. The real service which
they performed was to demonstrate
that apples could be grown profit
ably at this point. Mr.. Dimond ad-
ded to his land possessions until he
had several hundred acres, but in
1893 he was caught in the hard
times and never regained his finan-
cial standing. Sometime later 45v
acres of the DimOnd farm came into
the possession of the Burrell COM
pany and in 1899, under the super
vision of r. H. Lacey, local manager
for the company, an orchard of near
ly so acres was planted. Other
paintings have been made at different
times until now 220 acres are in ap-
pie orchards. Only the first
orchard of 60 acres may be said to
be in full bearing but the others are
coming on rapidly and will be at
their best within three or four years
The main part of the orchard is a
quarter of mile wide and extends
over the hill to the north for more
than mile. This is the long part
of the Il" shaped farm. Over in
the other extremity is another orch
ard of Ga acres.
j. n. PocOck, Jr., the farm super
intendent, lives on the place with his
family and thoroughly enjoys his
work in the orchards. Their boys
are manly little fellows and even
BILLY" the youngest, makes deS-
perate effort to point out the beau
ties of the place to the visitor.
Summer spraying was in progress
when a Gazette representative visit
ed the orchards a few days ago. The
Goblin moth is the only pest that has
found its way into the orchard and
thorough spraying in the spring
just as the blossoms are falling and
another in the middle of the summer
is all that is required TO keep the
moth subdued The mixture for the
spray is made of a pound and half
of arsenate of lead 10 so gallons of
water. The principal cost of the
spraying is in the labor for a 200
gallon tank of the solution costs only
55 cents. In the spring it is neces-
saTy TO rush the work in order to get
through while the blossoms are fall
ing. Three large power sprayers are
used at that time and the solution is
forced through the nozzles by a pres
sure of from $50 to 200 pounds. The
summer spraying is done un-
der pressure of about 100
pounds and the solution is
thrown onto the apples in the form
of fine mist The sprayers in use
hold 200 gallons and are operated
by 3-horSe power gasoline engine.
One man drives the team between the
rows and looks after the machine
while two others carry the bamboo
poles, which serve as nozZles for the
two lines of hose connected with the
pump, and sprinkle every apple as
they pass the trees.
Summer pruning has been done to
some extent and the trees are kept
low as ii is much more economical
to handle the fruit when much of it
can be reached from the ground.
No irrigation is used in the orch
ards, but fine water system sup
plies all the buildings and irrigates
the garden. Springs supply the wat
er and tank with 5000 gallons ca
pacity has been constructed above
the house. The dwelling house, mess
n
supplied with the running water and
an underground system of tiling car
ries all the waste water TO the hog
yard
Mr.. Lacey is conducting expert
ments with a soy bean as cover
crop, but its worth has not been dem
onstrated This fall the orchards
will be sowed to wheat and the crop
will be plowed under in the
spring. An experiment is also
being carried on with sui
phate of iron to improve the
coloring of the apples The sulphate
is sprinkled on the ground under the
trees and worked into the soil.
To prevent crowding under ground
as we'll as above only 40 trees are set
to the acre.
Nothing but apples are grown in
the orchards and these are limited to
eight varieties of good shippers. The
Yellow Bell Flower is the earliest.
Other varieties are Rome Beauty,
Ben Davis, Yellow Newtown, York
Imperials, Jonathans, Arkansas and
WAGNER.
During the summer pruning and
spraying only four men are employ
ed on the place but from the time
picking begins until packing is fin
ished, period of from 60 to 70 days,
there will be from SO to 20 people at
work. Ample buildings are provided
to take care of the large crowd dur
ing the busy season. The bunk
houses are provided with bath rooms
and everything is arranged for the
convenience and comfort of the work
men. Picking will begin about the
second week in September.
Everything as far as possible for