The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-07-21
GROWERS ARE URGED .
TO APPLY BORDEAUX
(By NJ. d. Armstrong;


apple growers of Hood River valley
need to strengthen their ideals of
grading, increase their vigilance and
use added precautions in producing
clean fruit if the apples of this section
are to maintain their high place in the
markets of the world. Many reports
come from California by those who
visited there last winter that there
were many examples of not only
diseased fruit but of many apples
which were actually far under the
grade at which they were sold, and
this same condition is in the eastern
markets. This condition is of course
deplorable and cannot continue without
a tremendous loss to the valley in rep
utation, and the reputation of our ap-
| pies is dollars and cents to the growers
here. Moreover the loss is not CON
/ fined to the growers who are willing to
sacrifice their grade in order to get
few more boxes in the warehouse or
who are unwilling to use the proper
spraying precautions to insure sound
and bookkeeping apple, but is equally
shared by the growers who conscien-
tiously pack and insure their fruit
against rot in storage by anthracnose
and other diseases theirs, also after
/ they have gone to the expense of
spraying and careful grading. The
/ selling agencies generally are trying
to do theirs and the growers must keep
up their end.
There were several factors contrib
uting to the poor keeping quality of
the apples last winter but chief among
them was that of the anthracnose.
This must be eliminated but to be en-
tirely successful the cankers in the
trees must be either killed or cut out
and burned. This can not be done in a
season or in two seasons for the old
cankers give spores for three success
i've falls. The spring Bordeaux or the
Bordeaux-oil spray may be successful
in keeping the trees clean and so grad
ually kill out the disease as no new
cankers can start. Of this we will
know more next spring from the tests
of the Experiment Station and from
growers but in the mean time the fruit
and the trees must be kept clean this
summer and fall. If the spray is de-
layed until after harvest bad weather
may prevent getting on the spray at
all and early rains may cause much of
the fruit to be again infected. There
fore to insure a clean good keeping
crop of apples, summer Bordeaux
should be put on all orchards which are |
seriously infected. This should be
followed by an after harvest spray
also for the best results on the trees, |
but is quite effective in preventing in
fectional one.
Now what is a seriously infected |
orchard? Of coures any infection is
serious as it persists for so long. |
However, if there are but half dozen
or less trees infected to slight degree |
the fruit can be picked early and spray
applied at once, to the trees surround
ing. or a better way still is to care
fully go over these trees and cut out |
all cankers and burn the infected bark
at once. Where there is much more
than this amount, if not cut out, all
infected trees including several rows
around them should have the summer
Bordeaux. 1t should be remembered
also that though you do not have the
disease in your orchard, if your neigh
Dor has cankers in trees adjoining you
that you will have infected fruit un-
less you spray at least several rows
along the infected orchard. If the
disease is general in your orchard or in
the neighborhood by all means all of
the orchard should get the spray.
Many last year were disappointed
with the summer Bordeaux as much of
the red spot of the NewtoWns particu-
larly seemed to be due to the spray.
1t has been proved that this spotting
only comes when there is a great ex-
cess of rain and as such a season does
not come one year out of ten growers
can afford to take the risk for the ben
eft obtained. In some orchards much
red spotting occurred with the rain
though no Bordeaux was applied. In
all classes growers should get the fruit
)tf the trees as soon as it is ripe as the ,
alternate periods of dews, rains and
not sun tend to produce this condition. ,
Many of the best growers in the val
ey. ARE planning to use this spray this
year. H. f. Davidson, of the Hood
River Fruit Co., who has opportunity
% watch both the producing and the
telling end of the apple industry,
itates that this spray will be applied |.
o all of their orchards this wear.
They have found that it protects the !.
rec and also that the apples hold up :
much better in the late season. and
hat the possible loss is not to be com
Jared with the great gain in freedom
rom rot in the apple and in keeping .
Qualities. 1t is felt that growers had
etter take a little chance with the red 3
pot and color spotting than take the !,
ertain loss of many apples if any rain { :
ONES before they are picked. These
anne statements are made by promi-
ent members of the Apple Growers
association.
This spray can either be applied in I
he next or IN the August spray. If +
ut on in the next arsenate of lead 4
pray, the trees will not be so heavy .
nth fruit and a better job can be done .
n the tree. 1t is also probable that in !,
ase of rain in excessive amounts the a
amage would be less. 1t also has the T
dvantage that the spots Of the spray !,
ill be distributed more by the growth +
the apple and so would not cause n
he spotting or blotching in color.