The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-12-03
,
: WENATCHEE VALLEY
ORCHARD CONDITIONS,

Echo, Leavenworth, Wash:
A short article relating to the fruit
industry at this time of the wear
might be of interest to some of your
readers.
This is favorable time to take
stock, compare notes with your more
successful neighbors and to arrange
for the next years crop. This indus
try is deep study as one has to learn
the characteristics of the different
varieties of fruit and to give them the
| attention required 1t is only as the
many little details are observed and
the proper attention given them, that
the growers will have success.
would like to point out briefly
three of the most important and also
most neglected features of fruit in
dustry:-0 Pruning of the orchard;
t2) thinning the fruit and (3) fer
| tlilizng of the orchard land.
Many of the orchards in the valley
are so dense with brush and overbur-
dened with apples, and the soil is so
impoverished with successive crop
pings, that they are unable to produce
aples either of size or color. 1t is
the producing Of the apple seed which
i.' the drain on the tree. Do not use
up the vitality of the tree by raising
lot of Gull apples. Many of the
growers whose land has become i'm
poverished are resorting to Nitrate
of Soda, which is not a fertilizer, but
stimulant, the after effect of which
is harmful. But it might be used
successfully and proftably to flush
some kind of crop, such as vetches or
alfalfa.
The belief that there is nothing to
pruning, and not knowing what a
properly trained tree should look like,
or its capabilities, is responsible for
so much poor work done in the prun-
ing. To be successful in training an
orchard. one must keep in view the
maturity of the orchard. Many
of the growers only prune for the
good of the orchard from year to year.
Heavy pruning means wasted vital
ity Cut off all superfiuous growths
when young and let the vitality of
the root go in permanent wood If
the growers would do more summer
pruning they would have less brush
and would be able to produce apples
of better quality. A good many of
the young trees go to pieces the first
heavy load they bear. The reason
fol this is that the trees have not
been pruned to carry load and the
wood not seasoned. If the trees are
properly trained and the wood allow
ed to become seasoned they will carry
a full load without the aid of props.
If you care to see lot of broken
down dilapidated trees, go into an or
chard where they resort to propping.
| would like to mention perhaps the
most important and the least under
stood art in the fruit industry, which
is the propagation of nursery stock.
In going through an orchard we find
great variations in trees. They vary
in size, some fruit natures much ear
lier than others; some are more pro
life than others and some of the So
called colored apples do not color.
while others attain the highest state
OF perfection. There is reason and
also remedy for this.
One cannot expect tree to be more
hardy, more prolific or to produce bet
ter fruit than the parent tree. or in
other words, like begets like. There
is a tremendous lot in blood. both in
human beings and in animals. The
same principal equally applies in the
propagation of nursery stock. Many
believe that it is very important to
get scions of high grade tree to put
into the root, but give the root no
consideration. But as | say, the
precious seed which forms the root.
is the formation, yes. the very life
and vitality of the tree. If you want
highly colored apples fake the .eed
of highly colored tree for the root
and take the scons of the same kind
OF tree to put in the root and YOU will
get highly colored apples. Go fur
ther. take the seed from some prolific
high grade tree for the root. also
Scions from the same tree and vou
would have an orchard of fine bred
stock and tere would be very little
variation in the fruit.
| know that it is hard for people to
Relieve in that which they cannct nm
derstand. An old adage SAYS "Truth
stranger than fiction"
could 90 deeper into this slbiect
make c0rnpariSons ard draw illustre-
ticns. ! ask those who are intereste
in this subject and who disaeree with
me. to give your thoughts to this suh-
iect. As 7 90 through this valley and
view the beautiful specimens Of an
rles | am impressed with the
thoughts of the wonderful nossibili-
ties of the fruit industry. but the
great need of this valley is moro sci
entific and up-to-date methods to
make il the most famous on tho Am