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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (June 13, 1884)
VOL. XVI. "orUcnlhiral. , SCALE INSECTS. A correspondent of the California Rural Press gives a remedy for this pest, which is the very worst enemy to the California horticulturist. The codlin moth ents the apple but leaves the tree healthy; the aphis destroys root and branch, but the scale bug destroys the tree entirely. It is certain that one va riety of this scale bug is in Oregon. A friend sent a fow limbs to this office that were covered close with a variety called "oyster shell louse." Tho smfaco of the tendor bark was rough and wrinkled liko in appearance, each tiny protuber ance wns of a peculiar shapo as the name wonld signify. By tho help of a pen knife the blade would lift tho top of this blister so that a row of eggs might bo seen with the naked eye. There must have been thousands on the few twigs sent to us. Crude petroleum was used, killing the trcos as well as bugs, but "kerosene butter" was successful, iz : One gallon of kerosene, three quarts of sweot milk and three quarts of water, churned to gether. It would seem almost a matter of impossibility to destroy insects in this way where there was n largo orchard, yet it is true that California oichardists did it successfully. Our wot winters might bo somo hin drance to such great multiplication, but in California whore the climate is so favorable, there nothing caiTTJeTioiJcd for without a continual warfaro from day to day. Hero tho birds can help us out by eating these insects while in some form, either as bug of crysalK If wo aro not mistaken in our own obser vations there aro fow birds in California. We have been told of sections of coun try in Western States where tho prairie chickons had not been protected, and where a famino was caused by tho grass hoppers, which had multiplied to a pro digious extent after tho prairio chickons had disappeared. Ono of our neighbors complains that the robins carry off his cherries, but ho should watch as wo have dono and see how many worms and grubs they destroyed beforo the cherries were ripe. A nc-t of young robins close by kept tho old pair busy filling their capacious craws, and so closo did thoy come to tho window that wo could iden tify good big grub worms, such as de stroy lawn-grass roots. Now who could begrudge a bird a handful of fruit as a sort of desert after such a diet on worms. Depend upon it, anyone who kills a bird works against his own interest and de stroys tho equilibrium of nature's inten tions. The boy who shoots a wood-pecker ought to know that thero is a worm eat ing the life of that tree or the bird would not molest it; the bird instinctively knows there is something behind tho bark that would bo food. An entirely new pest has appeared in California among tho peach tree., and it is feared that we will have no peaches from there this coming season, which will bo a bad thing for Oregon. Peculiarities of the Apple. 1 he earliest sorts, Juno and July ap ples, generally bear annually, or a full crop ono year and a fair to moderuto crop tho next. Having delivered their crops early, they have August and Sep tember for continued growth and recu peration, and aro enabled to form ma ture fruit buds for the next season. We have a etriied Juno apple tree that has seldom or never failed to givo a good crop every year. The late winter sorts havo not this ad vantage, as growth for the season hover after the fruit is gathered, and the na tural consequence is that tbcro aro few or no bud for the next rear. Late sum mer and early fall apple tree saajr be induced to give fair crops aleaoat every Tear if they have' ceaeroui toll, with boadaat nukittea; otherwise, like tbe( lTTrnsr!rrr''"" . jSC2HTNl ojJ'"' cfitfP 5?s SALEM, late winter sorts, the nest season is re quired to form fruit buds, and their bear ing is restricted to every other year. So it pays to feed and take car of the trees. The apple tree requires good, rich s"il and plenty of it to ensure annual crops and hoalfhy growth. The soil naturally is never too rich, and the trees are rarely surfeited or injured by heavy manuring but this is 'sometimes the case. As a rule orchards mo grievously misman aged or neglected. The cultivation of young trees should bo as regularly and carefully done as for corn or vegetable crops. Tho surface needs Troquont but shallow stirring, especially under the branches if Inch-topped. If low, which is best, especially for southern orchards, no plowing shuii'd bo attempted immo diately under tho trees to bruise tho fruit and branches. We believe low-branched trees aro bet ter for bcveral reasons. No sun-scald can affect the trunks; no suckers arc produced from torn torn roots; fowling roots and trunks nro protected from tho II o'clock sun. Tho best fruit is alw ays on tho middle or lower branches, and the convenience of gathering tho fruit without bruising is far greater with low-headed trees. The windfalls nro but little injuted. If straw or soft litter is spread beneath tho apples can be shaken off with little or no bruising, but it is best to hand gather. With these advantages low heads must be tho most profitable as well as natural. Small Fruits-Do Tbey Fay ? Tho expressions one hears concerning tho growing of "small'fruits" for market or even homo use, are, indeed, astonish ing. A large proportion of our well-to-do farmors deprive themselves tho pleas ure of having an abundance of small fruit. In fact many of these have none at all, and depend wholly upon tho hedge rows and sido hills for their supply of raspberries, strawberries and blackbor ries. It is no more troublo to grow small fruitB for one's tablo than it is to grow corn and potatoes. Havo tho ground in as good condition as you do for corn or wheat, and I will guarantee you will grow fruits. Just set apart a small picee ot your best ground lor a iruit garden, then set out your raspberries, currants, etc., iu rows four feet apart (if you have tho ground to spare), and have the plants two feet apart in rows, you can then easily work between tho rows with a horse and cultivator and not injure your plants. And then don't be afraid that you will hoc them too often or keep the ground too much worked. Of course city pcoplo will havo to crowd their plants a little, as thoir grounds and yards aro usually limited. Now, it will really surprise ono who knows nothing about it how fow plants of each separate kind will produce sufficient fruit for a large family. Two hundrod strawberry plants, (say four kinds), if well cared for will yield all tho luscious strawberries a family can use. Thoy should yield two bushels of berries. Three dozen rasplier ry plants (three kinds), red, black and yellow, will give an abundance of rasp berries. Currants and gooseberries will grow where there is considerable shade. Xow, as far as profits of small fruit growing are concerned, I am satisfied that a smart man who goe to work care fully and intelligently, and knows just what to plant out and where to plant it, and how to take care of tho plants after he has planted them, can make more money from five acres of small fruits than from fifty acres growing general farm crops. Husbandman. The North American Review for June opens with an articlo on " Harbor ing Conspiracy," by Prof. Henry Wado Rogers, who examines, in the light of in ternational law, the diplomatic history of the United States and tho national constitution, the question as to how far our government may and must go in suppressing plots against governments with which wo aro at ieace. Henry D. Lloyd, in tho same number of tho Review shows how every branch of production is coming under tho control of "'Lords of Industry." corporations and monopolies Elizabeth Stuart Phelps has an article marked by rare philosophic force upon the "Strugglo for Immortality." Other articles ol not less importance aro : "So ciological Fallacies," by lrof. W. (J. Snmucr;"Theiiso and Pali of Authori ty," by President J. C. Welling; "Walt Whitman," by Walker Kennedy; and a symposium on "Expert Testimony," by Koesitcr Johnson. Dr. W. W. Goddimr. T. O'Connor Sloane and lr, Chariot L. Dana. J 1 See (be ad. of a red bill farm for lie. is aaotaar eowaaa. Toelowaarl mast mH'mi MMB'itatsfekMi&Jtal caBBgjagsmnririTOTwiBnniTTfrtt OREGON, FRIDAY, Laying after Removal. Almost every ono who has kept poultry of any .or no variety has noticed a fact which has not probably licen understood or has been passed- over as something that would not repay investigation. This fact is simply that fowls purchased from a neighbor or brought from a distanco will lay nicely for a day or two after their arrival in their new quarters and will then "take u loafing spell" of con siderable length. This has been so generally tho rulo that!, the occurrence has been passed by tho familiar comment, "they always do so," and no effort has been made to find a cause for the failure to lay or to trace tho process by which tho hen is enabled to retain hor eggs at will. Xow there is a reason for everything, as much in the poultry business as in any other, and there is a definite rauso for this action on tho part of tho fowls. It must bo remembered first that tho hen is a sensitivo creature. An utter change of surrondings is ascomploto an upset to her staid, methodical hfoastho burning of her house and tho loss of nil her household goods would bo to a house keeper. Could thero be an exact repro duction in the new poultry house of tho familiar scenes of the old ono tho hen would doubtless be contented and go on laying without a break, provided tho operation of moving was accomplished gently. The new house, however, can nl be exactly liko the old one, and we can only approximate as closely as possible to familiar conpitious, not leaving tho new arrivals to stand for a day or two on a bare floor in a room destitute of proper nests and other fix tures, but putting them at onco in t'io best portion of a well appointed house. With such treatment th'-y wilj not make a serious break in tho work of egg pro duction. So much for tho prnrlic.il work to bo dono. Now for tlio theoiy in tho matter. The body of a lien in laying condition cont'iiin :t larger number of eggs iu a condition of gi cater or less development. Koine are so far advanced that no shock will prevent thoir being laid ; others are not. .the former will bo laid under any circumstances; honco the hens aftor transfer to a now housn lay a few eggs. But here cornea in tho wonderful powor of stopping tho production of the un formed eggs, and tho hen which has u willingly deposited a fow eggs evinces, her perturbed state by ceasing to lay until, in tho language of tho Down Easter, ''She's got a good ready." The only way to avoid this hiatus in lying is tho ono already noted a simple remedy but like innny others effective in direct proportion to its simplicity. ' Inbreettnr. There has boon a great deal written on tho subject of inbreeding and just as some advocati of tho theory that it is in jurious has thought his position socuro, some ono has brought up an example seeming to prove that inbreeding was harmless. Too frequently the opponent of inbreeding has not had the knowledge or grit to hold his own. And yet ho is in the , right. Inbreed ing is simply incestuous breeding and can havo but one result. The temptation to inbrecd is very strong when a fancier has a noble cock at the head of his flock. It seems hardly possible that the chicks of such a siro and the fine fowls which make up tho breeding pen can bo valueless. Just here is where the mistake comos in. Tho first generation will not indeed bo valueless nor will tho second nor prob ably tho third. But the stock is de generating all tho time and each year shows a decrease in tho percentage of chicks hatched and also in tho numlor that come to a suitablo maturity. Woro inbreeding pursued to its legiti mate result the end would be the com plete extinction of the flock. This doctrine is already, wo aro glad to say, pretty woll known and believed, yetevory little whilo some comparatively now hand at the business comes out with tho declaration (houcs'ly enough Iks lieved) that inbreeding docs not injure in any way. His support in this is the examplo of a dunghill flock of some fanner which has been inbred for year be says, and is still hardy, or tlio astwr tioa that wild nllutaceouM birds inbreod coatiBMlJr. . ., For we im of the) prupc miom then jp01ll yfi;. 'p JUNG 13. 1884. is the easy explanation that a dunghill iloci contains very possibly one hundred different bloods and might bo inbred for fifty years beforo it would becomo what could bo called a variety. Or in other words reach tho point from which thoroughbred breeding begins. On tho second head there is an equally easy solution, suppose a Hock ot wild fowls or, if you will, a herd of wild cattle or wild horses, seonestored from all others of their kind and necessarily in breeding. What would bo the result? Simply a running down of the tribe until some lino day a male from tho outer world would find his wnv in, easily destroy or drivo oil' the enfeebled males of theeii'ctotiibc.undstait a fresh strain. And so tho wholo round would bo re peated and tho weak yielding to tho strong, by tho great, unalterable law of tho survival of tlio fittest, tho breed would 1)0 perpetuated. Inbreeding is bimply incestuous and a violation of thaso grout natural laws winch nothing living can with impunity break. a Oood Dramatic company. During tho past week tho Kendall Comedy Co. havo been entertaining Salem audiences. Wo pronounco them good and say bo sure and go. The plays performed by Mr. Kendall and his lady, nro otundard. Monday they pre ecnted "lho Uonanza .King, and won their way into our theatre-goers' pockets for tho balance of tho week. Tuesday thoy rendered "Jane Eyre," founded on tho well-known work of fiction by Char lotto Bronte. Mrs. Kondall as Juno Eyre was tho best rendition ever given in this city. Every thought was seem ingly centered by the lady on her toxt. llio outburst of passion and denuncia tion heaped upon the aunt was perfect. The support was in keeping with tho loading parts and well sustained. Wed' ncsday night "Col. Sellers," by Mark Twain, was produced to a fair audionce and with thoir usual success. Thursday evening thoy favored us with "Kip van Winkle." On baturday afternoon there will bo a matinc, at which tho popular play of "Fancbon" will bo put on ttio boards, xnis will bo a splendid opportunity for tho country pooplo to cyme in, and notwithstanding tho many attractions of the past week, togethor with tho commencement exercises at the University, theio has been good audiences. - Tlie Oregon Pioneers. " Do not forget that tlii organization convenes Tuesday and Wednesday next at the stater air urouiius. The prom ises aro of a largo attendance und a gen eral good time. Ablo spcakors will do liver addro3.es. Arrangements havo been mado for a reduction of fares on tho railroads. H. Y. Thompson, of Port land, will givo tho annual address, and F. 0. McCowan, of Oregon City, tho oc casional address. Como ulong and bring your lunch basVot with you. For further particulars see largo posters. Kelly fe Underwood, of Salem, well known for many years as wagon and carriage builders, are agents for the sale of tho full lines of agricultural machin ery sold at Portland by Slaver fe Walker. The business of this firm is widespread, and will lose nothing by Kelly fc Underwood !cing associated with it. Both these men aro old-timo citizens, and thoy aro fortumito in possessing tho confidence and resjicct of all who know them. They havo con cluded to sell wagons and carriages as well as liuiko them. Staver it Walker can be found at the largo warehouse just adjoining Pacific whurf, Portland, where thoy do their full share of the business of tho great northern metropo lis. The wido extent of country that comos to Salem to trade will insure tho Salem agents a wide and reliable custom for Salem is tho heart of tho richest p6ition of Oregon. By the by, Salem Is uu independent point, nl its growth of all kinds is remurkable, even though times have been hard and, many new trading points havo sprung up on river and railroad. Remember Halem sluil colcbiuto the corning Fourth of July in a fitting and appropriate ins n nor. An old-timo cele bration will bo lho rulo. Muic, fire work! and artillery, together with sporti of all kinds, including a Lomj race, open to all engine companies in the Mute, and a rand ball in the evening will bo a few of the hundred or more attractions ob thatoccMioa. fjanu , -- -! NO. 18 THE POWER OF LIQUOR IN POLITICS. While tho Republican candidato for Congress is elected by 2,000 majority, tl: candidato for Supremo .Judge of tho same party, Mr. Flinn, of Albany, is de feated. Wo havo ever folt respoct for ex-Gov. Thayer, and, under ordinary cir cumstances, should conccdo tho propriety of ono of the threo Supremo Judges being of tho other pnrty. Tho judiciary should bo chosen without regard to party. But it seems that Judge Thnyer wns elected by tho special inllucnco of tho Liquor Dealers' Union of Oregon, if thero was nny result from their efforts. It is as sorted that tho following circular was bent broadcast whero it was thought it could havo influcnco : BT1UCTI.Y CONTIDHNTIAL. Poutlanii, Oregon, May 21th, 188-1 M Tho Liquor Doalers' Union of Oregon by a unanimous vote hereby invites your co-opeiutiou and through you, all your friends in your vicinity, engaged or in terested in tho liquor business towards socuring tho election jf W. W. Thayer and the defoat of L. Flinn for tho posi tion of Judge of tho Supremo Court of Oregon, for the reasons : First Because of Mr. Flinn's well known projudico against the liquor traffic. Secondly Ho is a strict prohibitionist, and as such his prejudice must necessarily affect his judicial opinion on tho bench, should questions involving tho liquor interest come beforo him. You are also hereby asked to excrciso your host endeavor to defeat nominees for Lvgisluturo in your county, who are prohibitionists (irrespective of party). It is only by a timely excrciso of our power that wo can prevent our onomics from absolutely destroying our business, by which we honestly support our fami lies, and which is taxed more heavily ami unjustly than any other business in tho Union. Yours truly, 1ISKY FlJ'.CSKXa'IUIN, John Bahuy, Bkn L. Noude.v, Cor. Com. L. D. Union of Oregon. We regret to bolicve that ex Gov. Thayor owes his election to the confi dence reposed in him by liquor dealeis that he will favor thoir interests. If this association intends to boldly interfere-in Oregon politics and bpoud its timo and monoy to defeat all men who are cuudidutos for ofllco not friendly to their daninablo trade, then it is well enough to know it and act accordingly. Gov. Thayer miry bo elected to the Su premo bench, and wo hopo ho will fill that high position ably and satisfactorily, but Mr. Flinn can afford to remain iu private life and pursuo the practico of his profession with his well earned rep utation for being an honest man as woll as a good lawyer, rather than wear judi cial honors at tho expense of tho sup port of liquor dealers, who by this traf fic aro enemies of law and order, and leagmod together for the destruction of human lifo and happiness. Ho will lose nothing in the minds of those whore respect is worth having. PATE OF THE AMEHDMEMT. It is impossible to tell yet the exact majority Against woman's suffrage, but it is beaten by a very heavy vote. The friends of the measure did not hope to surceod this time, but they IiojkxI to receive such a vote as would give them encouragement" to work for lho causo and to make another effort as soon us it could bo safely attempted, but tho cause is hi badly snowed under in Oregon that no hope rcmainH for its revival at any period wo can take action in. Thero is not merely indifference but it seonis that there is strong prejudice. Lot the women of our Statu now commence (o work among their own sex if lliey expect such a measure to pass, fur wo are satis fied that a great majority of tho women of our State aro opiiewod to having thu miffrago bestowed on them. Wo bollove that when they detire it and mako tho mutter known, the remit will to dif ferent. ,-l- What will cure that dull pain m aan vmA and body t Dr. Henley's dandelioy tonic. A 5 t -s i I Jl