The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1921-11-11
REVIEW OF PAST APPLE SEASON

]
prune our orchards but there was not
much done before Feb. 18th, which
believe is a good idea here in our dis
trict, as there have been cases where
winter injury followed fall pruning
The pruning in most cases was done
very carefully and thorough, as we
still had little apples on our minds
from the 1920 crop. In some instanc-
es we still have them on our hands.
We all know that little apples are not
a profitable thing to raise on high
priced land. Pruning can be owe,
Gone as well as under done, if large
timber is taken from the trees, that
is, any great amount of it. or the
tops cut back into large timber, then
we get water shoots all through the
framework of the tree, and the tree
tries to reproduce itself in wood
growth. This case is worse than no
pruning at all, as the tree is unbal-
arced with the root system. In Sc
we're cases of this kind of pruning sun
scald on the bark and sour-sap usual
ly follow, which makes a very un-
healthy tree, so it is best to try and
avoid very much saving out of large
limbs, esecially in any one year. r.
your leaders are too thick, then thin
them out by taking out as few as you
can each year, until the tree is car
rying the right amount of leaders to
let in proper air drainage and sun
light.
Avoid flag-poling your leaders by
cutting off all the laterals. Along the
large limbs should be left laterals.
that is smaller limbs coming out at
intervals from the large ones. These
leaders, and large timber, may grow
fruit spurs too, as in many instances
we find where the leaders are strip
ped of any leaf or fruit growing
spurs for distances of four and five
feet. This is not right, as sun scald
on the bark is usually noticeable in
such cases, which often is followed by
winter injury. Each variety should
be pruned according to the habits of
the tree, as the differing varieties
produce wood differently.
The Brush Picking.
This we won't say very much about
as we all like to keep in the best hu-
NOR possible. This operation is usu-
ally done mast successfully by a
strong back and short folks who are
built close to the ground.
Dormant Lime Sulphur Spray.
The lime sulphur spray is the most
commonly used spray for the early
spring work, but last spring more or
chards slipped by without this spray
than for any time in many years, and
the results of this condition have
showed very wildly all through our
growing season. This spray is our
best fungus spray as well as control
of San Jose scale and Blister Mite
There are several orchards from
Leavenworth to Dryden showing
limbs of scale. Scale spreads very
rapidly and fruit with scale on it can
rot be shipped out. only to by-product
factories. Scale can be controlled
with lime sulphur mixed to 10 parts.
Blister Mite has lost this district
thousands of dollars this season by
lowering our grades of fruit as well
as sapping the vitality of the tree
during the growing season, as in
many cases it was on the foliage so
thick that it destroyed the leaves and
made them fall to the ground earlier
than they should have fallen.
Blister Mite can be controlled by
spraying with lime sulphur mixed 10
to | and put on before the leaf bud,
open in the early spring. When the
leaf bud swells and shows any green
il is then too late to get perfect con-
troll as some of the mites which win
ter over under the bud scales, then en-
ter into the bud and the spray will
not reach these mites. There is a
general good feeling all over this up
per district to spray thoroughly with
lime-sulphur this coming spring, if
not yet this fall, should trees shed
their leaves. Our motto should be.
"Get the Blister Mite or it will get
us" These mites at present time are
gathered thickly around the buds and
are preparing to winter there. They
will do no particular harm from this
time on until spring. but in cases of
large orchards it is sometimes diff
ficult to get all the area covered be-
fore buds show green. In these cases
there might be some fall spraying
done. CaliX spray this past season
was done we'll all over the district
but the cover sprays which follow ca
liX arsenate lead spray, was done at
random. We should spray in thi,
district at least three times. with ar.
senate of lead. First in the calix
followed by date given by Hort. office
at Wenatchee for first cover spray
then about eighteen days later with
second cover spray. This should ex,
terminate the first brood of worm'