The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-03-03
Farm Bureau Notes
Spraying More Important This Year
Than Usual.

lHdH Obudts
Among other things Mr.. Cardinell,
horticulturist from the University,
brought out at the pruning demon
stration and community meetings last
week was the absolute Importance OF
spraying for sound fruit. Spraying IS
more necessary this year than usual.
Due to the freeze killing the fruit last
year, little spraying was practlced.
This has allowed the fruit insects a
chance to multiply greatly. In addl-
ton to this, the open winter weather
mas permitted many insects to go
thro,irh the winter uninjured. These
two facts make it highly. important
that spraying be practiced. Further
more, according to Mr.. Gardiner,
there is likely to be big fruit crop
this year due to the rest the trees had
last year. If there is a large crop, on
ly the best fruit will find a good mar
Eet. At least four applications should
be given. Five or six applications
should be made on commercial or
ctards.
Some important points on pruning
were pointed out by Mr.. Cardineill.
Some erroneous ideas were corrected.
Pruning is an exact science and rea-
son should be given for every cut.
The old belief that so-called "water-
sprouts" of the apple tree do not bear
fruit, is not based on facts. The rea-
son that this belief was common is
that these shoots grew up through
the center of the tree. and little, if
any sunshine ever touched them, un-
til they reached the top Of the trees.
BY this time they were no longer call
ed water sprouts and the fruit they
bore was classed as coming from a
limb of the tree. So-called water.
sprouts" will and do bear fruit if
sufficient sunshine is allowed to
reach them. Many old apple trees
have large numbers Of these shoots
removed. and their possibility of bear
ing fruit is cut down. Some of these
shoots should be left and if they are
clipped off seven or eight buds from
the tree, these buds will be stimulat-
ed and will bear good fruit if the top
of the tree is opened up to allow suf-
ficient sunshine to reach them. In
fact, these shoots and fruit spurs
should by all means be allowed to re-
main, as in a large percentage of the
orchards, including those where a
great deal of work has been done, too
much of the fruit is borne toward the
end of the limbs and too little near
the trunk. The fruit grown near the
trunk and center can be sprayed and
picked much cheaper than that up in
the top. The growing of the fruit
near the center instead of toward the
end of the limbs; will prevent the
breaking off of the limbs. The old
"rnule tail' style of pruning should be
gotten away from as quickly as pos
sible.
No cuts of growing limbs should be
made that will not heal over in one
season. The thinning out should he
done by the removal of many small
limbs in different parts of the tree
By making many small cuts, large
numbers Of buds will be stimulated
enough to produce good sized fruit
while if few big cuts are made, g
few buds will be stimulated to make
enormous growth, thus causing large
amount of wood growth. Furthermore
the making of large cuts will permit
the enterance of the BLISTER Canker'
disease to which the following apples
are especially susceptible: Ben Davis
Gano, Yellow Transparent, and Stark
Delicious.