The Delta independent., 1913-05-23
GREAT DISEASE IN
BEARING APPLE TREES

II. 10" lueT CNser-nS message Is
that the apple growing business will
not be overdone. He says: "Will the
apple business be overdone? l do not
think so, and believe this is a time
I to take an inventory of the reasons.
"First-There are nearly % per
cent less bearing trees now than there
Were ten years ago, or at the taking
of the 1900 census.
'Second-There are annually more
trees being dug up, in the United
States, than are being planted.
have recently been on a trip through
Arkansas. Missouri, Indiana, Kentuc-
ky. West Virginia. Pennsylvania and
part OF New York. | have been as
tonished at the number of old and de-
caying trees, as compared with the
trees recently planted. In Illinois,
for instance. counted eighty-three
orchards in the southern part of the
state. OF that number saw but one
that looked to be less than 3 years
old and two over three and under
ten years old. This is not apparently
true in the other sections in so great
degree; but in many OF the old fruit
growing sections 1t is an unusual thing
TO find a young orchard of any con-
siderable size.
why does this condition prevail?
As ! talked with old orchardists on
the subject, l found that when the
scale struck them several years ago it
was supposed to be incurable. The
trees were badly damaged before
remedy was discovered. Now that the
remedy is at hand the average small
orchardist will not spray. He has
farm on which he grows other crops
and is not depending wholly on fruits
for a living, he produces little, If any
commercial fruit, therefore, orchard
ing for him does not pay.
Then. too. the quality of apples
placed upon the markets from the Pa
cific coast states, has so raised the
standard that the careless orchardist
cannot compete successfully with
those who grow the best. The best
things are always in demand; it is the
cheap stuff that has to be sold at less
than the cost of production. There
have been few exceptions TO TINS,
but very few. The rule is that the
best can be sold at a profit
The accompanying table of statis-
tics. which / have compiled from the
census of 1900 and 1910, support my
contention. and show some surprising
facts in the decrease of the number
Of bearing apple trees for the period
named. We give four columns, one
showing the number of bearing trees
in 1910; another the states that count
ID a gain in 1910 as compared with
1900, and the last column the loss in
1910 as compared with 1900.
The figures of the last two years.
were they obtainable, would modify
the statistics in some degree. For in
stance. IL might be shown that Ore
gon, Washington and Nevada are max
ing rapid gains. 1t might be shown
that Virginia. West Virginia and Ohio
nave taken on new life in the plant
ing of orchards. However, II is GER
tain that upon the whole the tenden-
cy to decline in acreage still contin-
nes.
Last year there was an unusually
large crop in all parts of America ana
Europe. 1t found us unprepared 10
market our fruits to the best adNan'
tage, and some growers are diseour'
aged. The result will be TO weed out
those who will not grow good fruit
and some who are not able to tide
over the period OF low prices, but l
am sure II the growers of the Pacific
coast states stay with it they will sue
ceed."-So says DR.. Granville Lowther
of North Yakima.