The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-05-02
lot been SPRAYED more than once a


and was banded in order to get the
worms down to number where it
would be safe to stop with one spray
ing. Any method of spraying which
reduces the number of worms in the
orchard each year below that which &C.
CURED there the previous year is sue
cessful. Any method of spraying which
allows the worms to Increase in an CT
chard or which only holds them
stationary when they are destroying.
from 10 to 20 per cent of the apples
is failure as far as Western condi-
tons are concerned, because that 10
or 20 per cent that is destroyed will
be the largest, finest, and most highly
colored fruit on the tree, while the lit
tie, inferior, uncolored, nubbins that
grow down underneath will be the
ones that will be free from worms.
In a good many sections in this
state considerable trouble was expert
enced this past season with the worms
and many an orchardist that felt that
he had solved a problem with spraying
before this season is alarmed at the
number Of worms in his crop this year
and is looking around for reason for
the increase Most Of them, however,
are looking in the wrong direction for
the cause. Some think the pump was
no good, others are. sure the poison
was no good, but have discovered no
one as yet that has even suggested
that the man was deteriorating, and
yet the fact remains, that very large
percentage of our growers have be-
come over-confident in the past two
or three years.
The cooling moth runs in cycles of
acknowledgements do all other insects
Some years it will be worse-a good
deal worse than others. Eisht or
nine years ago the average of the or
chards of the State was two to three
worms to an apple. Two or three
years ago, as the result of combina-
ton of almost universal spraying and
certain unfavorable climatic conditions,
that number was reduced to the ninim-
UNI. At the same time, the number of
sprayings was also reduced the bands
were left off, the cooling moth began
to increase in numbers, and an excep-
tiOnally favorable season for their null
tiplication resulted in a heavy damage
last year And yet, last year there were
dozens Of orchards in the State Of
Utah that went through the seas-n
with single spraying and one would
have to search sometime for a wormy
apple in the orchards. | think, how.
ever, that this lesson will have a good
effect in the end-better put on an
extra spray and work on the bands
when they do not appear to be doing
much good than to repeat the expert
ence CT the past season. There is no
profit in wormy apples and there is no
satisfaction in them either.
Pruning is just as essent al as spray
ing and another two or three cents a
bushel spent on the care Of the tree
will yield big returns. One of the chief
reasons why we are able to raise high
priced apples is because of our long
days of summer sunshine, and yet if
we allow the wood growth of our trees
to become so thick as t. shade a crop
Of apples, we might as well plant our
trees in Ohio and be done with it. The
cpen-headed tree with plenty of sun
Ii ght plenty Of air circulation carrying
a small enough crop of apples so that
the tree can produce them to the stand
ARD size, is the efficient tree. There
are almost as many methods of prun-
ing as there are men who prune, and
yet they all practically agree in re-
gard t. the object sought The major
portion of the experienced western or
chardists, however, agree that after
he tree has been grrwn and the head
formed and spread out, as has
oeen described to you by Secretary Nc
Pherson, one should tie careful W, tn tie
knife IA the winter time until
tne tree is in full bearing, And, above
ILL., other things, after the 4th CT 9Th,
year, the tops of the branches should
not be cut hack unless there is to be
a heavy crop of apples the next sea-
son, and even in that case, it is far
better to leave them on until the crcp
OF apples is set and assured and then
reduce their length by summer pruning
work. There are thousands of orch
ards in this intermountain reagion in
which an original branch has been
headed back only to start three more
long water growths which have again
been headed back, each one starting
two or three more, and so on, until the
top of the tree is miniature broom,
and witch's broom at that A tree
in that shape can only be cured by long
and tedious effort One-third of this
energy, however, expended in starting
the tree right will prevent all this. The