The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-17
MONEY SAVED TO
fruit GROWERS
Methods of Handling and
Packing Apples Demon
strated by Specialists

ers Of the Eastern Panhandle of
this state have been made through
the service offered by horticu ltur5
al extension specialists CONNECTED
with the Inwood packing plant in
Berkeley County, not only through
teaching the best methods OF
handling and packing apples but
in the spray service which has
Eeen offered.
For example, prominent fruit
grower OF Berkeley County with
an orchard of twenty acres close
ly followed the advice of these
extension experts. He had COM
pleted mis- first four sprays when
he found some apples which he
thought had scab. Determined
to have control of scab or other
orchard enemies at any cost, he
again prepared to spray put re
fore doing so had one of the hor-
ticultural experts examine his
orchard. A careful examina alton
showed an almost perfect crop,
not more than two per cent, being
injured, and even this injury was
not due to a new outbreak of
scab, but to an older injury. This
advice alone saved him from S400
to $500.
Another grower failed to fol-
low the instructions as to the use
of properly prepared lime-su1phur
and other sprays, depending en-
tirely upon a commercial sprepara-
ton. He thought he was getting
good control with it, but when
he packed his apples last year
only % per cent packed out as
first grade apples. Following in
structions would have saved him
several hundred dollars.
This is an apple grower in
Hardy County who has one, of the
heaviest crops of Rome Beauties
in the state. He put on the dor
mant and coddling moth sprays
but missed the pink bud" spray.
Extension specialists showed his
that 80 per cent of his apples are
so badly affected with scab that
they will never reach marketable
size.
One orchard was found with
such heavy cedar rust infection
that the leaves are falling from
the trees The owner was shown
that he should have cut down
some cedar trees a short distance
away.
Some particularly effective
work has also been done in show
ing orchadists how to distinguish
between diseases on apples, parti-
cuIarIy at early stages of develop
ment. AZ collection of diseased
apples found in Eastern Pan
handle orchards was made by the
extension field men and exhibited
at the Peoples Trust Company at
Martinsburg. For example this
year, frost injury or russetiug is
often mistaken for scab. 1t is i'm
portant that orchard men be edu-
Gated to know the common dis
eases or injuries, and for that
reason the exhibit has been at
tracing much interest.
Another common erroneous
idea which is being dispelled by
this educational field work is that
Yorks and Grimes are scab proof.
While these apples are quite re-
sistant to scab, they will scab I'M
der certain conditions, as the ex-
hibit at Martinsburg showed.
The difference between the
damage of aphis and red bug is
also Shown, so fruit growers may
identity them and thus use the
spray necessary to control them
properly.
~ I'm plaS1S is UeluS pldCed Oh
the fact that sprays are not dis
infectants but preventions. They
must be put on before the fruit is
attacked. This usually means be-
fore rainy periods. It is often not
convenient to spray at the right
time owing to lack of equipment.
etc, but the proper time of spray
ing is one of the deciding factors
lin getting results.
The relative value OF spraying
depends largely upon seasonal
conditions. Some times the petal
fall or the coddling moth spray
may be most important. Other
years, these may he less danger
Gus periods. The pink bud spray
for scab, If possible, should be
put on within three-day period.
When put on at the wrong time,
sprays are often almost worth
less.
The value of thorough spraying
lis also being shown. The use of
the old spray rod instead Of the