The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-04-28
Field and
Orchard
Regarding the First Cover Spray for
+ Apples and Pears
IF. E. Bailey. Dist. Hort

| passes the winter in the mature larvae
or worm stage, enclosed in spun silk
sovering or cocoon. During the spring
the worm changes to moth within
the cocoon and finally energies from
the cocoon some time in late April or
the early part of May in the lower
Yakima and Columbia river country.
The date of moth emergence varies
some with the season and can best be
determined by observing the emery
ence of moths which have previously
been caught and Gagged while in the
cocoon stage.
| The adult of moth stage is active
chiefly in the evening just about sun
set. 1t has recently been discovered
by observers in Oregon and Wash
ington that the female moths do not
deposit eggs until the temperature
at twilight is 60 degrees or warmer.
After being deposited, the eggs hatch
in an average period of seven to ten
days. .....
The horticultural department has
twenty-five moth cages placed in or
chards in different parts of Benton
county. The department will keep the
growers advised of the emergence of
the moths by means of the newspa-
pers. 49,. .. ......
The department will also have some
thermometers placed in orchards in
various sections and by means of these
will set dates for the first cover spray.
However, it is further suggested that
each grower provide himself with a
fairly accurate thermometer and sus-
pend it from the branch of tree in
the orchard and away from the protec-
ton Of buildings. When the evening
temperature during May at twilight
or approximately p. m. is 60 degrees
F. or above, the moths will deposit
eggs and it is time to apply the first
cover spray or "thirty day spray" as
it is sometimes called.
The first cover spray which is dis
cussed above should not be confused
with the calyx spray. The calyx spray
is applied Immediately after the pet
ais fall from the blossoms; it is timed
solely by the blossom and fruit de-
velopment. The first cover spray is
usually three or four weeks after the
calyx spray and is timed solely by the
worm development.
w. S. Smith, phone 2521, is the dep
uty horticultural inspector stationed
at Kennewick. Mr.. Smith will person
ally assist anyone in the Kennewick,
Richland, Finley and Hover sections
in determining spray dates or in hand
ling any other horticultural problems
Suggestions for Increasing the Size
of Fruit
/ The growth of large size apples and
pears is one of the problems to which
fruit-growers must give some thought
during the season now opening. Last
year the per cent of small size or five
tier fruit in the apple crop was more
than double that of the previous year.
This condition was in part due to
the injury of the previous winter and
impossible to prevent. In order to
get better fruit this year, wood growth
must be stimulated. Trees make their
most abundant wood growth during
late spring and early summer before
the hot weather. To accelerate the
early wood growth the water should be
put onto the trees as soon as avail
able and the soil kept well supplied
with moisture from that time through
the summer months. With plenty of
moisture during the early part of the
growing season, thick annual ring
of wood will be formed over the entire
frame of the tree, along with a vigor-
Gus new ring of bark. These new
rings of wood and bark are needed to
carry sap to and from the fruit and
leaves as well as to replace the in
jured tissues on the trunks and the
branches.
The fruit, like the wood and bark,
makes it's most rapid growth during
the spring and early summer. In or
der to supply the plant foods neces-
sary for one pound of fresh apple a
tree must take from the soil and
transpire or give out to the atmos-
phere through its leaves between fiji
teen and twenty gallons Of water.
Each forty pound box of apples then
represents a water consumption of six
to eight hundred gallons in a season.
These general figures which are given
to convey some idea of the water re-
quirement of fruit trees do not include
that required for wood, bark and leaf
formation which is considerably great
er. EE f. IL go
| 1~,1o-J $50 hos