The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-04-25

know this by experiment. Or
chardists have come to accept it
as final. The writer has observed
those conditions as he has travel
ed over these counties, namely :
Clearwater, Lewis and Idaho
counties. This new-found process
Is the foundation of a new era in
agriculture and horticulture. II
is the horticultural application
that this article aims to empha-
size. AT the present time many
thousands of trees are being set
IN young orchards all over the
above named counties. Such a
boom in apple planting was neter
before known. 1t is a logical ans
wer to an unsupplied demand.
The question is, will these or
chards endure-will they pay
The answer rests largely with the
mode of setting.
In orchard setting, the use of
dynamite is advised in practical
ly all soils. 1t is imperative that
We dynamite as an artificial
means of conserving the moisture.
Uulike all other fruit, the apple
grows on the end of a twig of
new wood, twig which bears no
more. The apple being bi-an-
nual, sets its fruit bud for the
next year during July and Aug
ust of this year. So we see this
hard condition imposed; win
ter apple must make it's new
growth of wood, hold its foliage,
mature its present crop of fruit,
and, if it is to produce again next
year, the little tender twig bear
ing an apple must mature a new
fruit spur or twig along side of
it to bring forth a healthy fruit
bud next year. And all this dur
ing long, hot summer or autumn.
The demand for moisture is enor-
NOUS. So much said for the
young trees bearing but few
years.
Now taking up the question of
the old orchards. From obser-
walton very important question
is presented both on the rivers
and on the prairie. "What can
do to improve the condition of
my old Orchard?" Most of them
are in sod. They have not been
they are planted too
close and the limbs are interwov-
en- so it is impossible to cultivate
with team or even. a single horse.
1t seems to me the only thing
that cam be done is to give them
sub-cultivation by discharging
small cartridges of dynamite be-
tween every row of trees each
way. The reason why blasting
between the rows benefits the
trees is that it is at ends of roots
trees take up moisture and plant
food. No moisture; no food. Dur
ing summer little moisture reaches
ground around trees within the
foliage area; the foliage defects
It to edge of foliage line, hence,
trees do not get the moisture they
should. Naturally the earth un-
der the foliage protected area
absorbs it away from end of |
roots. Hence, extra valuable re-
suits accrue from sub-soiling be-
tween rows. The phosphate, nj
rate and potash salts if permit
ted to lie in the soil insoluble, due
TO lack of moisture, cannot be
made use of by the tree; but
when the ground is loosened I'D
20 permit of the free passage of |
moisture through it, these salts
become soluble and are then TAX
IN up by the roots of the tree.
'ent to the fruit, and acting in
with the suns rays.
he fruit is then turned to the |
tesired high coloring. An orchard
which lacks moisture will produce
'ruit of pale color.
Not all of this article is origin
Il with me. Some of it comes
rom the writings of older, bright
r and more experienced men
han l ever expect to be and
hall be a student as long as Ill
i've. However / have given this
natter considerable study in the
'ast and will go into it farther
n the future.
HENRY T. MURRAY. II
State Deputy Horticulturist