The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-03-25

county but have covered a wide
range and / know whereof / speak
when l say that very large per cent
of our orchards are old, say from
fifty to seventy-five years of age, but
there are thousands of trees that are
being set out annually.
This brings an instance TO my
mind where l recently saw an Or
chard of about one hundred trees
that were planted last spring in a
stiff, heavy sod. Holes were dug
and the trees, one year old, were set
in them. 1t was pitiful sight to
behold No pruning whatever had
been done, many of the trees were
dead, and those that had survived
the trying ordeal simply stood there
awaiting the fate of those that had
already gone. They had failed to
make any growth. Why? For vari-
| Gus reasons. First, because the
heads were not cut back to CORES
pond with the cutting or breaking
of the roots when taken out of the
nursery row.
! Second. There are always more
or less broken and bruised roots on
trees when they come from the nur-
| SeIy. "A DOJ VI JllC VI OhCh OhuS,
also bruised roots, should invariably
be cut off and always cut from the
under side at an angle so the roots
will have a proper bearing when set
in the excavation that is made to re-
ceive them.
Third. Trees set out in sod and
grass with weeds allowed to grow
around them is a great detriment as
| ~ Ar4 80 t1n AiC
ture that rightfully belongs to it and
of which it is in urgent need in order
| to grow, especially in a dry season,
such as we have been having.
find oyster shell scale common
in all of our apple orchards and not
only in the orchards but in many
other places. Along the road side,
in country and town, trees are badly
| injured or dying from the effects of
| this scale, and Notwithstanding the
| frequency of this scale, do not
think one-fourth of the orchard own
ers are able to determine what it is.
The San Jose scale has invaded our
county seat that we justly feel proud
! Of and it has laid low some of the
trees and shrubs that were the pride
of their owners. / am sorry to say
| has only been arrested here and
there, Notwithstanding we have been
continually warning the people and
advocating the use of the celebrated
| lime sulphur wash which we know
will kill scale if properly made and
properly applied at the right
strength while the trees are in the
dormant stage.
/ have FOUND several orchards in
the country (some of them large)
that were badly infested with the
San Jose scale and on the verge of
destruction. I also found other kinds
of scale but not plentiful enough to
do serious injury.
l wish to mention one more seri-
Gus pest, the round-headed apple tree
borer. This is one of the worst enc
mics of the apple tree. The larva is
cylindrical in shape, and first bores
into the soft sap wood by making a
circular tunnel, when it works into
the harder wood, and after nearly
three years it emerges usually sever
al inches above the point of entrance.
These insects destroy hundreds and
probably thousands of apple trees in
Wayne County annually.
The Green Aphis or plant lice was
unusually plentiful in many Or
chards last summer and did consid-
cradle injury to the fruit and foliage,
causing the curling or crumpling of
the leaves and the clustering of
small, deformed fruit.
Several other injurious insects
might be mentioned, such as black or
brown aphis, seed chalcis, leaf roller
and fruit worm, etc., but I think this
will suffice for the present"
Experience in Fruit Growing.
Mr.. Bullock was followed by J. w.
Lewis, who occupied a period on
Experience in Fruit Growing" He
said he was exceedingly glad to be
here. He called attention to the pos
sibilities of raising apples in Wayne
county and what could be accom-
plished by cooperation. He told of
how he first heard a lecture given by
George T. Powell in 1898, in New
York City. After this he read farm
| journals and then went on fathers
farm, it being his start as fruit
grower. The following year Mr..
Lewis said he set out 40 trees of 10
varieties, planting a few trees each
| year. In 1904 he joined the Wyo-
ming horticultural Society. In 1919
| first saw San Jose scale and in the
following year it was discovered in
our orchard. Was the first to use a
traction sprayer. Sprayed for cod
ling moth and scale in 1907. The
inventory at that time showed a to-
tai of 457 trees with an average age
of about IA years. They occupied
about II acres of ground and pro-
duced 2,177 bushels of apples which
sold at an average of .757 per bushel,
or $1,64S.65. During that year
cherry, plum and pear fruit, repre-
senting 225 trees and occupying two
acres of ground sold for $49S.2S,
making a total of $2,146.93 for the
year. In 1908 the sprayer was out
of order, consequently Mr.. Lewis
said he sold all the fruit for the year
| for S725.S5. Set out 600 apple trees,
making a total cost of 81 ,S20.S0. The