The Nevada County picayune., 1921-12-01

trees. During the past several years the home orchard has been sadly ne. glectcd in this community. and as the situation stands today. most of tha home orchards are in n state of decay: our local supply of good, fresh fruit is rapidly diminishing, and unless pre- per remedial measures are undertaken by our farmers and city-dWellers. the time will soon come when we will hVae no more fruit. This is also true of many of our shade trees in town and country places.
 This condition is due almost entirely to the ravagcs of insect enemies c>- peciaIly the San Jose scale. This is the most deadly enemy known to the culture of orchard fruits, particularly the apple. peach. plum, pear and cherry: in fact. about the only fruit we have of importance that is not sub ject to it's attacks. iS the grape The Can Jose scale has a very wide and general distribution. and it iS now abundant in practically every orchard in this sect on. and fl has been here for years. doing a great deal of dam age that has been attributed to other causes If left uncontrolled. it will kill completely every tree in the or chard subject to it's attack, within two years
 When We consider how easy il 'S to rid our orchards of this pest, and to keep them free of it, and likewise our shade trees the naples, which are subject to it's attack), We cannot help but wonder at the indifference and carelcsSncss of our farmers in regard to this, and other matetrs vital to the well being of our rural and urban interests. Many of our people have either treated with indifference. who'll ly neglected or entirely failed to take advantage of the absolutely reliable and free results of the work of our agricultural experiment stations and agricultural colleges As far back as 20 years ago. the San Jose scale was the subject of exhaustive investigation and complete and reliable methods for it's control were worked out and dis trihutCd broadcast to our farming population, yet today we find many people entirely ignorant of the means of combating it. and many others who seemingly do not care whether il Kills their fruit trees or not Yet everybody wants fruit. and we cannot very well get along without supply of fresh fruits, especially during summer time. Good fruit iS something worth while. if is one of the luXuries that everybody on the farm and in the city can enjoy at q very moderate cost. yet like all good things if does not come to Us without any effort on our part. and We might just aS well make up our minds that if we ever enjoy good fruit. N emuSt pay the price for il. but un- like many other things we buy, the price is not very expensive
 The time to rid our orchards of this pest is during the winter ScaSon from about the first of December to Feb ruary 15th, when the trees are almost completely dormant and bare of fol- iage. The standard treatment for our trees to destroy the san Jose scale. and the one almost universally em- ployed, is the lime sulphur wash. AS stated above this k applied while the trees are dormant, for the reason that q strength sufficient to kill the scale cannot be used while the trees are in a tender and growing condition with out causing very great injury. if not death. to the trees. However, no harm results to the trees when dormant. even though the wash should he ap- piled at stronger ratio than usf- ficient only to kill the scale.
 The lime-Sulphur wash is now a commercial product, put up in con venient packages. according to the strictcst government standards. and it may be purchased through local drug giStS or direct from wholesale dealers in any quantity desired or il may be prepared at home. Ii is just n little difficult. however, to prepare an abso- the owners of small orchards will find