Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-04-14
jealous effort with one common in
terest to produce high-grade fruit.
Pruning Is Important

Two grades OF pruning may be con-
sidered The first is usually of a
heavy character in which the tree,
after period of rest from it's bear
ing stage, is stripped of its heavy
growth and superfluous limbs. Such
pruning reduces the tree to a sym
metrical figure that protects its
fruit and makes it bear with rela-
ton to quantity and quality.
: The light pruning comes from
oversight by inexperienced laborers,
early growth Of suckers and the gen.
eral growth Of the tree when it is
needed to be toned down. Next to
cultivation pruning is the most es-
sential, and unless good sense is ex-
ercised there will be an over produc-
tion of scrubby fruit not fit to be
offered for sale and of very little val
ue for home use.
| Most of the orchardists have an i'm
proved method of pruning that adds
lasting charm and beauty to the
long rows of trees; the two best
methods employed in Rogue River
Valley may be found In what are
| termed an open center head and the
center stalk tree.
! That best results may be obtained,
every county has a fruit inspector,
who is familiar with spraying, prun-
] ing and cultivating of fruit trees.
The duties of the inspector are var
led and range from the inspection
Of scale to the packing and shipping
of fruit. If the orders of the inspec-
tor are not promptly obeyed the law
steps in and DEGREES that the remedy
be applied at the expense of the own
or, giving the county lien upon the
property.
The heavy winter spraying con-
sists of lime-sulphur which must be
applied to the trees while they are
dormant, and to miss even small
sprig may mean that the tree will be
slightly infected from the seemingly
small neglect. Scale increases or de-
creases according to the vigilant work
done by che owners, but sometimes
weak or impure spray is dealt out
which creates considerable extra trou-
BILE and cost. The same thing may
happen from the use of a weak So
luton.
Fruit scale Is considered of heady
disposition and will at normal
stage of life attack the tree when In
virtually a normal condition. The
lime-sulphur spraying is concluded
generally before fruit trees begin to
bloom. At the time of the blooming
period light spray Of different
chemicals Is cast upon the trees to
drive away the codin moth, which
has strong inclination to play havoc
with the fruit II not kept under re-
straint. AS soon as the spraying has
been thoroughly performed common
laborers, with teams and tools, drive
through the orchards to gather up all
the cuttings beneath the well-rounded
out trees. These clippings are imme-
diately removed to quarters beyond
the orchard, heaped in high piles and
there destroyed by fire. The destruc-
tion by fire of the waste is required
by law, as a preventative to the fu-
ture spreading Of the scale or pests
that may be thriving upon the sew
cred limbs.
The Northwest has become filled
with commercial orchards. Section
al exploitation, coupled with individ-
ual efforts and commercial organiza-
tions, has made prominent some parts
Of this vast territory that loom far
above others.
The fruit industry requires both
capital and labor and denotes rich
community with well-to-do citizens,
who have owners of commodious
homes having many Of the modern
comforts, such as hot and cold water,
, electric lights and many other con-
} veniences that make five and ten
J acre tracts Of fruit land inviting and
J remunerative.
, All the leading orchardists have
, for pleasure and use automobiles
! The valley is well supplied with tele-
= phones and a system OF electric light.
/ ing. The rich bottom land, yielding
: good returns, makes liberal income
for the college graduate, the retired
| capitalist or the literary genius who
! has become interested in one OF the
) most profitable industries in the
} country.
/ Climate Makes Country Ideal
II is these classes OF people thai
, have settled In the Rogue River Val