The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-10-28
NEED OF LATE AUTUMN
IRRIGATION
Orchardists Should Water Their
Trees Before bitches
Are Closed.

Emmett orchardists should not for
get the damage done to trees last win
on account Of lack Of moisture. +. F
Stephens, the Nampa orchardist, is
sues timely warning to orchardist:
10 not neglect to provide sufficient
water to the trees to carry them thro
the winter. He says:
In 1914 we had an extra dry season.
We had a dry winter, dry March and
April Under such conditions mcat
orchardists began 10 irrigate in April,
with the idea Of supplying some por-
ton Of the needed soil moisture.
During the last days Of April end
the first half Of March nature gave us
about 4 inches of rainfall, with the
result that young orchard trees de-
veloped a vigorous flow Of sap and
created unusually strong receptive
conditions for blight spores during
the blooming period. Blight spores
are rapidly developed under humid
conditions. Warmth and moisture to-
gether create the conditions which
invite the reception of blight spores.
Under such conditions Jonathan
and Rome Beauty apple trees suffered
seriously from spur blight. Twig
blight does US but little harm. The
less Of the new growth at the ends
Of the limbs does little. damage to
an orchard. Ordinarily bighting
weather and highting conditions do
not come until early June, after the
blooming period has passed.
During the season Of 1915 the
warmth Of late April and early May,
coupled with an excessive flow Of sap
in the orchard trees, created condi-
tons favorable to the reception of /
blight spores through the bloom. !
Blight spores received through the |
bloom not only destroy the bloom, but
may travel down the spur to the sup
porting branch and cause that to
blight resulting in the loss Of the
greater portion of the present sea-
sons crop Of fruit and considerable
damage to the supporting branches.
In Colorado the orchardists have
learned 20 water IN late autumn and
allow trees to gognto the winter with
such an amount of soil moisture as
shall support the tree during the win-
ter evaporation which under our con-
dtions is usually much greater than
in Eastern states or the Central West.
We have not at this date had any
rain for four months in such quantity
as to be Of any assistance to an orch
ard, This dry autumn may be fol-
lowed by a dry winter Under such
conditions the orchardist should at
once water his orchard before the
down for the purpose Of
,leaning bitches and repair work.
Orchards suitably watcred at this time
lr the next two weeks should winter
safely and pass through the spring
'eason without additional irrigation !,
until after trees are out Of bloom
ay middle Of May. i
If our apple trees have only a mod !
rate flow Of sap during the blooming 4
'eriod they will not be receptive 70
light spores and would be quite like
y to pass through the blooming Pc Il
iod free from the blight which was q,
o destructive to the bloom Of certain a,
arieties during the spring Of 1915. !,
Apple trees are liable to blight only :,
then conditions favor strong flow Of !,
ap. We suffer less from blight in !
IDAHO than in some Of the rain belt n
tates, because we are largely depend
NJ upon the supply Of water by irri-
alton. BY Withholding water we O.,
realty lessen the liability to blight W
D rain belt states rainy weather is IN
kelly 70 come at inopportune times &c
I'D cause the orchard to suffer seri- n,
lsIy from blight n,
An illustration may be presented 2,
ere Some years AGO the Prairie to
afmer. an agricultural publication
Chicago, sent me over 10 Benton
.arbor. Mich, to visit some Of the Is
.ading orchardists in that district. 81
IN the goth Of May I called on Roland re
iorrin, leading peach grower Of that til