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About Gresham outlook. (Gresham, Multnomah County, Or.) 1911-1991 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 1914)
13 ROME ANT) FARM MAGAZINE SECTION Washington State College is the Friend of the Farmer Bulletins and News Notes From the Staff at Pullman. View of Washington Agricultural College, Pullman, Washington, the Sole A..m of Which Is to Aid Agriculturists PREPARING FRUIT EXHIBITS. dueing lig h t crops of small fru it. P run N a short tim e now, sta te s It. X ing is usually described as lig h t when H arn ett, Pomcilogist o f th e W ash only the very weak or dead tw igs and By O. II. Mo.s, Horticulturist. ington A gricultural S tatio n at Pull the crossing and in te rfe rin g branches H IS bulletin discusses the cause of man, an in terestin g p a rt of the fru it are rem oved. tho freq u en t fa ilu re of the prune g ro w er’s m ail will consist of the pre Tillage. crop iu a le v localities in South- The most common p ractice of tillage mium lists issued by the various fa ir w estern W ashington am i suggests some is th a t of plowing the land in the spring asoseiations. A careful stu d y of these chang s in orchard m anagem ent for the w ith a tu rn in g plow and im m ediately will prove of value to all, b u t more im provem ent of these conditions. There w orking it down into a fin e level con especially to prospective exhibitors, as are many o rchar.'s th a t have each year dition and continuing clean shallow till- a thorough knowledge of th e en try re produ • I n.e filial h avy crops of good ago through the summer. The best prac quirem ents and prem ium classes is neeea- fru it: but each y e a r th ere are many tiee, and one commonly followed by sary in m aking up a successful e x h ib it orchards th a t produce little or no fru it. F ru it f it to be tak en to the fa ir m ust many of the successful prune grow ers is T h e 'c ro p failures of any one y ear are to follow the above system of spring have been well grown. I t is possible usual.y prcval nt in soma p a rticu lar and early summer tillage, and iu late for a poorly eared for orchard to pro local)! es; and only rn rare occasions summer to seed the orchard down to duce a w inning plate, b u t it is a rare nra the ir.iith s or b arren orchards sur vetch. This crop grows on the land d u r thing, and, when it comes to the larger rounded bv p roductive ones. It is com- ing th e fall, w inter and e arly spring, box classes, p ractically iuqxwsihle. Well moil to fii d one p a rt of th e orchard and a fte r it has developed a good m at grown fr u it has been properly sprayed, more pr> l . - 'i v e t h a t : other parts. This of green m aterial it is plowed under cu ltiv ated , pruned, thinned and h ar unevi n pr duel on is most noticeable late in A pril or early M ay. Clean tillage vested. in orchard ; b arin g a lig h t crop, and Too g re a t em phasis is usually pnt oa the- ; o rch ard , have in creas'd iu num is then continued as in the previous sea ber in the last le v yi-rrs. son. Some grow ers m ake th e m istake of the m a tte r of size by both th e m anage Tho crop c "id l. "i ■ durin g 1912 and plowing before a good crop is developed m ent of th e fa ir and the e n tra n t. Tho 1913 have Ix-i • s t c lied very closely. A to plow under, and fail to obtain the abnorm al, w hether it bo an apple tbe survey of the soil and orchard condi most possible fe rtilizin g value from the size of a pum pkin or a fiv e legged calf crop. The opposite tendency is to let is of in terest, but should never be m ade tio::» and a study of th e w a th r r records seem to j i - t i f y . sonic conclusions th a t the cover crop stan d u n til it has taken even an im portant featu re and could may lie helpful to th e prune grow ers from the soil a p a rt of th e moisture well be le ft out entirely. of the region. T his bulletin is only a th a t should be saved for th e use of the F ru it fo r exhibit should be selected prelim inary report and may be followed trees. The aim should be to let the from a large q u an tity and iu good day by others based oa more d efin ite e x p eri vetch develop to th e larg est size possi lig h t, should show the proper form , size ble w ith o u t robbing the soil of moisture aud color for the v ariety and the in d i m ental data. th a t will be g reatly needed by the trees viduals should be uniform in th e above The Ita lia n P rune. before the close o f tho season. ch aracteristics. I t should not be neeea- The Ita lia n prune has been planted The system of tillage generally is sary to say th a t show fr u it m ust be in grcati r q u a n tity than all o th er quite good, b u t com paratively few of wholly free from in ju ry or blem ish of varieties. The o th er v arieties have not tho orchards are so m anaged th a t this any kind, not even a limb ru b or brok proved to be its equal iu vigor of tree, soil fe rtility is m aintained or unproved en stem. productiveness, sine and q u ality of fru it. from y ear to year. The soil fe rtility If th e fa ir is placing em phasis on the It grows and fru its best ou a deep fe r should be im proved as th e orchards comm ercial side of the fr u it industry, tile loam or clay loam soil. The tree grow older. The trees are larger and pack becomes im p o rtan t an d should is vigorous and hardy, b u t is liable to are capable of b earing more fru it. Tbe have eareful study, especially when tb s show w eakness in resistan ce to disease orchards on th e poorest soil have been fru it is apples or pears. mid insect a tta c k s when grow n on soil fa ilin g in crop production most fre Proper packing presupposes co rrect to which it is not adapted. 'I his weak quently, th e trees m aking less grow th, grading, which should have been dona ness is also o ften in dicated by the loss th e leaves being sm aller and showing in good light and w ith a large q u a n tity of crop during inclem ent w eather. The a g reater tendency to curl and expose of fru it a t hand. I t ia th e custom te tree has a stro n g tendency to produce the under side, giving the tree a light give equal value to bulge, a lig n m e n t more tw igs and sm all branches th an it gray ap pearance when seen from a dis height of ends, com pactness and a ttra c t can continue in grow th. It is' subject tanee. Some o f th is soil is so im pover iveness. In a comm ercial w ay, however, to over production o f fru it also and will is lied th a t it will not produce a good tho am ount o f bulge and tho compact- not th in its fru it b y dropping tho sur crop o f vetch or weeds and grass. The ness are m ore im portant th an th e other plus or overload like some o th er vari fe r tility of such soils m ust be increased feature*. Most of tho packed apple« eties o f pruns. This over production of before th e trees ran be expected to pro which win prizes have been p u t up by fr u it and wood w eaker» the e n tire tree. duee satisfa c to ry crops. The application expert packers. I t blossoms about th s middle o f the o f decaying v egetation in tbe form of plum blossoming season. For the earlier shows th e pen «-lies, b arn y ard m anure will be the best and The French Prune. surest m ethod where this m aterial is plums, gra|«'S and other so ft fruit» should be made morn im portant part* o f The French prune w as planted to some available. Tbe application of comm er the ex h ib its aud the requirem eate of e x te n t about tw elve to eighteen y ears cial fertilizers in su fficien t q u an tity to An Annual Operation. perfection fo r them more rigidly en ago. The tree is vigorous and p ro d u ct give a cover crop a good vigorons Btart P ru n in g should be an annual o p era forced. W ith them condition, including ive. I t is less popular th an th e Ita lia n in th e fall and early spring would prob because o f th e sm all size of its fru it, tion and should be considered as one ably be of value. The lim ited tests th a t freedom from blem ishes an d th e physi and because of its d isfav o r in th e m ar o f the cu ltu ral lines of work to be con have been m ade indicate th a t n itra te cal condition of the fru it, is of prim ary ket. T here are very few localities, if tinued th roughout th e life of th e orch of soda or some form of nitrogen f e r im portance and m ust be carefully rea- sid errd in choosing tbe »how fru it. any, where th is v ariety should be p lan t ard. The height of th e tru n k is larg e tiliz e r will give best results. O versize in thia close is nearly alw ays ed in comm ercial orchards in C larke ly a m a tte r of personal preference, b u t Orchard Conditions. th ere seems to be a stro n g tendency to accom panied by defect e f o th er kinds County. The orch ard s v ary g reatly in vigor and w h at th e ex h ib it m ight gain for go to th e extrem e and have th e tru n k s The Sugar Plum. fiv e fe e t or more in height. A tru n k and re g u larity o f crop production, and being quite large is likely to be lost bo- A few trees o f th e sugar plum have th ree fe e t tall will o rd in arily be satis these tw o qualities seem to be so close cause of split stone, cracked akin us been p lan ted in several orchards. The faejo ry for th e developm ent of good ly related th a t the second is in direct sim ilar defects. trees b ear young and heavily. The trees. The young trees should be cut proportion to th e first. A few orch D istrict displays arc of value fu r ink fr u it is of good size and appearance, but back each y ear un til th ey have reached ards located on good soil th a t is espe v ertisin g purposes and prove o n r of the does not dry so well as th e Ita lia n v a b earin g age. This will develop large, eially su b ject to la te spring frosts have most a ttra c tiv e fe a tu re s of m any f a in t rie ty and is o ften severely criticised stocky tru n k s and branches and w ith rep eated ly failed to produce good crops. on th a t account. U n til it has been b e t th e new grow th properly th in n ed th e I .and in such locations should be de The whole d is tric t should jo ia in pre paring th a n , under th e direction of « te r tested and its Talue more folly b est form ed trees ean be developed. voted to o th er crops. The orchards on com m ittee, and each c o n trib u te aceord- proven, it can not be recom mended fo r The fram e work o f th e tree m ust be thin , lig h t soil need all th e help in iag to his ability. eomm ereial planting. so arran g ed th a t th e fru itin g wood of im proving th e fe rtility of the land th a t The experim ent statio n o f th e W ash The blossoms, leaves and fr u it o f the th e b earin g tree will be evenly d is can be given. The trees on th is soil also ington H tate College has now in presa prunes are fro st ten d er and escape se trib u te d thro u g h o u t th e e n tire spaee require more earefnl pruning and thin a popular bullstia treating much mors vere in ju ry when fro sts occur, only by th a t the top o f the tre e oeenpies. The ning o f th e erop. One or tw o crop fail th e existence of an especially fav o rab le to p should be so th in n ed th a t some of ares have d isheartened tho owner», fully e f th is subject. T his b u lletin will be sent to those applying fo r it. condition of th e soil and a ir preceding th e d ireet rays of the son will reach orchards have been neglected to th eir and im m ediately follow ing th e frost. th e c en te r o f th e tree or even the perm an en t in ju ry and some made ea H a n ts th a t are vigorous are most able Wo Excasn fo r Obolera. tirely w orthless. Tbe poor or u n p ro fit ground ben eath . to resist u n fav o rab ie w eather condi H eavy and light pru n in g are re la tiv e able orchards should be im proved by I f it were not for hog cholera p ir t tien f. term s -n d are need a rb itra rily . P ru n in g ad o p tin g a b e tte r system of tillage, fo r raisers won Id be living n tb e lap 1 S o li .e may be said to be heavy when it causes tilizin g , pru n in g and spraying or should luxury. Tho tim e will come when there The orchards of Clarke County have th e trees to send up * larg e num ber of bo cut out a t once. Orchard» never ns will be no morn excuse for liog c h o le r a been planted on every variety of soil w ater sprouts and ia too severe fo r prove by neglect. th an for tbe human cholera th a t u a til a available. One extreme type is repre vigorous trees th a t a re fru itin g regu een tn ry or so ago periodically d evas Germany, *00 W arkm o sented by the heavy loam and clay soils larly , b u t it ie often th e best th a t caa srs In am Wsrcmherc, plej-4 is a s s iu g ‘ ssJ soldier» sud ta te d Europe and America. B oth are With deep clay subsoil. This is common be given old or weak trues th a t are pro lead toys. essentially filth diseases. PR U N E GROW ING IN SOUTHW EST E R N W ASHINGTON. T ▼ * along th e edge of th e plateau running north from Vancouver. A nother type is represented by thin , lig h t, gravelly soil, usually u n d erlaid w ith coarse, open gravel subsoil. T his is found in the cen tra l p a rt of the county. All slopes and exposures of soil have been planted and a rem arkable num ber of the p lantings have been pro fitab le. The heavy and medium deep soils have a good w ater holding cap acity and a re generally well ad ap ted to orchard production. The lightest soils are not capable of c a rry ing u h eavy stan d of fru itin g trees throughout th e sum m er, and could p ro b ably be m ade more p ro fitab le if devoted to o th er crops. F la n tin g . The trees arc usually set about 18 to 22 feet a p a rt each w ay and grown to the larg est size possible while young. In many orchards th e trees are too close and the tops are crowded and the roots cannot o b tain su fficien t p lant food to keep the trees in full vigor. Overcrowd ing lowers th e productive capacity and shortens the lile of tho tree. C utting out some of tin trees in some of the orchards would bo b eneficial, but in vi ry few cases ore tho p lan tin g plaus sa tisfa c to ry for such work. P runing. The pru n in g system s adopted by the d iffe re n t grow ers v ary from th a t of careful, system atic shaping of the tree top, to tho oth er extrem e of en tire neg leet. The fram e work o f th e tree should consist o f throe to fiv e large branches so d istrib u ted as to m ake a well b a l anced tre e top. These large branches should send out sm aller ones n ear th e base, and higher np should g rad u ally divide into a largo num ber of limbs. The fru itin g wood should be well d is trib u te d from center to circum ference o f the top. As th e trees advance in age th e fru itin g wood will be fa rth e r from th e tru n k . The norm al tendency is to form a dense canopy o f tw igs and foliage around tlie outside o f tho top and shads to death all tw igs inside. T his lias not been ap p reciated by m any grow ers, and th ey have attem p ted to do all necessary pruning by cu ttin g out a few large limbs. The sm all branches become very th iek and th e foliage so dense th a t d irect su n lig h t can n o t reach th e inner p art o f th e tree. The tw igs become w eak, slender and p en d an t in form and a large num ber o f them die each year. J
