The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-07-16
Fruit Growers Meet in Monroe.

N JOURNAL. ETHURSDA All III
Fruit Growers Meet in Monroe
State Officials Present and Timely Cues
lions Discussed.
At the fruit growers meeting held If
Bangor last February, c. c. Clements Of
Winterport and Harry Littletield Of
Brooks used their influence to hold q
similar meeting in Waldo county some
time in the early summer. Monroe was
chosen for the place and June 25th fol-
the day. The members OF Morning
i;oht took the matter in hand and the
meeting was held under their auspices.
The following State officials and or
chardists were the speakers: A. X. Gard.
ner. State horticulturist: H. P. Sweetsir,
assistant horticulturist; w. H. Ccnant,
nTesident of the Maine Pathological
society: E. E. Conant. salesman for the
Oxford Bear association; Bliss S. Brown,
nrofessor of horticulture at the State
University: George Yeaton, orchard
demonstration for Oxford county.
PRUNING AND FERTILIZATION.
The meeting was opened at 10 O'Clock
and w. H. Conant presided. The firs.
speaker was George Yeaton and his sub
ject was Pruning. He said. generally
speaking, trees should not be pruned
from Nov. l to April l and laid great
stress upon the removal and destroying
of brush after trimming, for injurious
insects and disease lurk in the severed
limbs. He also explained the method of
cutting away the diseased part caused
by canker, saying that it is better to cut
too deeply than to leave any diseased
wood to communicate infection to the
surrounding parts. After this is done a
disinfectant should be applied
TIE next speaker was W. II. Conant
and he spoke upon, Cultivation and Fer
tilization. 1--WE cultivate for two pur-
poses; to make available plant food and
to conserve moisture" said Mr.. Conant.
at is not realized how much water is
consumed by a growing tree and there
must be some way to store it for use as
needed, and we do this by filling the sub
soil. Harrow until July to maintain a
dust mulch on the surface. If allowed to
form crust the moisture is lost. Har-
rowing also tends to liberate plant food.
The dryer the soil the more it needs work.
ing. Cultivate for both young and bearing
trees. Strive to get an annual bearing
of your trees. In a bearing orchard
work as early as possible. Good apples
depend upon the kind of fertilizer used
and it should be used annually, not once
in five years. A 1858 or 1855 combina-
ton, about 500 lbs, to the acre, makes a
balanced ration for your orchard under
ordinary conditions.
Barn dressing works all right in some
cases, but 1t is not balanced ration for
trees, as the nitrogen is too available.
The Northern Spy especially does not like
it. The 3-G-6 when used lets three per
cent, of nitrogen work at once and the
balance comes as needed from the blood
and tankage. Some varieties will stand
forcing, so we must study our trees.
eff moist, stop narrowing July 1st, for
the trees have then made their annual
growth and cover crop should be sowed.
By Sept. 1st the tips are red and ready
for hard winter, and the tree puts all of
its energy into developing and ripening its
fruits. This controlling of the wood growth
is most important. Oats are not good for
cover-crop; they consume too much nj
trogen. Buckwheat, clover and vetch
are all good and create humus in the soil. "
MARKETING THE APPLE.
A. K. Gardiner was introduced and
talked briefly on marketing the apple.
He said in part:
''The outlook is not bright for high
prices next fall and to get the best out OF
your product you must put it up in an at
tractive form and put good article up
on the market. do not think after look
ing over orchards in many parts of the
State that over SO per cent. of the fruit
crop this year will be saved, owing to the
ravages of the tent-caterpillar and other
pests. Some Gregory orchards have
been completely ruined.
1--WE have to watch the south, for many
thousand acres have been planted tc
orchards and they are cared for more
faithfully than we care for ours and it is
bound to increase the production and in.
lure our market. We need to understand
the difference between table apples anc
those for cooking and plan to raise &
cheaper apple for the latter purpose, not
a poor apple, but cheaper to produce. Sci
these for cooking purposes instead of culls
and lowest grade. Commission men de-
serve some blame, but at the present time
are indispensable to fruit growers; they
are part of the system, as is also the re-
taller, for the producer cannot under
stand the need of the customer as the re-
taller does. The only way to realize {
good profit is to send good article. Ii
any product as perishable as the apple the
middlemen must have profit.
At this point W. H. Conant said: "Adver.
tise like the west. Let people know wha1
you have to sell and it will sell better
We do not boost Maine enough. b
careful what kind of fruit you put {
stamp on" This referred to the stamps
placed on the packages by some associa
lions and individuals.
ORCHARD PESTS
II. P. Sweetsir talked about orchard
pests. He said in part: 'Many omitted
the dormant spray and are now paying
for it in the abundance of tent cater
pillars. This spray will do much to con
troll this pest and it is serious mistake
to omit it. The pink bud spray is alst
very important, but it must be appliec
at the right time to be effective. Have
seen this spray applied after the blossom
was open which does no good and may
do much harm. There are two kinds Of
sprays, stomach poisons and fungicides
The fungicides help destroy life by clos
ing pores and destroying eggclusters
The oyster-sheli bark louise may be killee
with soluble sulphur and the aphis by {