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About The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933 | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1903)
THE INSTITUTE. An Interesting Cathering of Fruit Growers in Hood River. (Continued from second page.) Dr. Withycombe How much do you put on? Chas. Chandler About 50 to 75 pounds to the ncro. Dr. Withycombe Yes, that ig the amount we uge, and land plaster is jimt what we need. Prof. Kniaely When a man plants red clover Is there not a tendency to run out? He will get a pretty good crop the first year, a fine crop the second year, and then the clover will fail. How long can you keep clover in before you plow it up? Dr. Withycombe It depends a great deal upon the land. Here they can grow longer than I hey can with us. We cannot let clover go over two years, but here you can let it stand four or five years. I think the root borer will be in troduced here sooner or later, then in two or three years vour clover fields will have to be plowed and renewed. Chas. Chandler With me the timo thy crowds the clover out. i)r. Withycombe Yes, that's true. I will tell you how it is in the valley. In the early days we could not grow timo thy hay satisfactorily. But we began sowing timothy with clover, the first year the timothy and clover wore nearly equal, the second year it was about two thirds timothy, and the third year it was almost all timothy. K. L. tiurith Is not the timothy a poorer hay than any of the clovers? Dr. Withycombe Yes, sir, but it is a good hay for horses subject to hard work, feeding it with heavy rations of grain. Chas. Chandler I would always rather have clover and timothy mixed than clear clover. F. P. Friday What do you use for fertilizer on your lawns? Prof. Knisely They use wood ashes. Dr. Withycombe Do they not use a combination? Prof. Knisely Yes, sir, but I don't know just what it is. Dr. Withycombe Nitrate of soda would be better than that 1 think. Prof. Knisely A good fertilizer is wood ashes, but should be put on thinly, if you put it on in shovelfulls you will kill your grass. Dr. Withycombe You must be care ful in the use of commercial fertilizers, very careful or you will kill your plants. One of our citizens at Cor vllissowed guano on his grass very generously and killed every spear of it. Here during a breathing tpell B. It. Tucker brought up to the chairman's stand some fine samples of Arkansaw Blacks and Yellow Newtowns, which were admired and commented on by those near at hand and led to some gen eral conversation respecting the com parative merits of the Oregon and the Michigan apple. Prof. Knisely being a native of Michigan, thought the apples grown there now are not so good as were those he ate there when a boy. It was intimated that he had been eating a better quality of fruit here, perhaps, was what caused the change; but the general opinion was that a quarter to a half a century's experience in the world lias a tendency to clear away the glam our that hovered over and surrounded us in the days of our youth, and we now see things as the are. Speaking of the apple called to the chairman's mind a little incident that occurred atthe world's fair ut Buffalo. The Michigan fruit ex hibit was arranged along side the Oregon show, and the chairman, w ho was visiting the fruit displays, remarked to the gen ial attendant in charge of the Michigan apples, "I don't understand how you can enjoy such a reputation for fine apples, w hen they are evidently so very much inferior to our Oregon fruit." The attendant's eyes twinkled as he solemnly replied: "He who whispers down a well About the things he has to sell, Will never reap bright, golden dollars Like he who climbs a tree and hollers." Kesuming, Professor Knisely spoke of the Texture of the Soil J he said : We hear more orleasaboutthetexture of the soil and I will tell you something about what it means. We know what will make up the eoil with reference to making it loose or friable, when I tell about its having a fine texture or a coarse texture. In the department of agriculture at Washington there is one bureau that devotes all its time to the study of the soil. They are making hundreds of experiments and analyses of the soil and by these analyses of it they can sort out the different kinds of soil. They take a cample of the soil and see how much of it will go through a coarse sieve, then they S' how much w ill go through a finer sieve, and so on. In this way they learn how much coarse gravel there is in a given sample, then how much fine gravel, then how much coarse tand, then fine sand, and then very fine sand, and then sand that is still liner that they call silt, and then finer still that they call clay. This has all been brought about within the past few years. Before that time every thing that was done was accomplished by chemical analysis; but it was found that these analyses did not tell all about the soil. For instance, you will take a chemical analvsis and find one sample of soil rich in plant food, and another sample comparatively poor in its supply of plant food, then w hen the crops are grown on thee two soils, the one having cmallest amount of plant food produced a more abundant crop than that with the greater si.pply. So there they found something they did not know about the soil. To illustrate further, a gentleman took a hammer and knocked a chunk off of a rock from the corner of liia house, then he went out in the road and picked up some hard cloddy clay, and then again soil from the very best land he had, of the very best text ure. These he had analysed and found that the rock had more "plant food in it than either of tiie other two "sam ples, but the rock did not produce any ihing, and the clay contained the next highest supply of plant food, but pro duced no more than the nick, w hile the soil of line texture, although poorest in its supply of plant food raised an abund ant crop. The rock, of course, had no texture, no humus in it, and it proves that no matter how rich your soil may may be in plant food the soil must be m m condition to make that plant fovd available or it will lie worthless. From au examination of the soils around Hood Kiver amoug the straw txrries, I think the textur cannot be improved very much, but it can lie in jured a great deal. I want to try and explain to you some things that influ ence the texture. For instance if a piece of low moist land be well drained it will help the' texture. If the soil is heavy and has not good drainage w ill te greatlv improved by artificial drain age. What we must guard against here in Hood Kiver is rubbing the soil of its humus. In the orchards here the text ure el the huI is almost jverlect. I think that this can lie kept up in this way: I would advocate, eurly in the fall pulling in a cover crop. 1 would put on a mixture of several kinds, fail rye, vetches a little barley, and a lilUe outs. Kme of the things will grow through the winter. The rye and the vetches will live through the winter. In the winter while the ground is covered with snow the roots of the plants are growing and by the time spring comes the soil will be a mass of roots a foot deep. In the spring the rye will start very early. I would not wait until It wag very high abont eight inches and then turn the whole thing right under. The soil is just one mass of the finest of roots. The rye will add humus and the vetches nitrogen to the soil. Whatever plants are growing, these rootlets are taking up the potash and putting it in condition so that it will be available, and when these roois decay there you will have more plant food- for your trees than ever before. I took 1& acres of land and a part of it I had sowed to rye, barley and vetch, very early last fall, and there is a mass of living green all over It and the roots of the plants are down a foot deep and the soil is of the finest texture, while right beside this, where there Is no cover crop, it is solid and the texture is not in good condition. In the spring it is not necessary to plow it 12 or 15 inches deep, but if he can get that crop turned under just a little so as to incorporate it with the soil it is going to add humus to the soil that will keep it in good tillh.all summer. I ain just as sure as can be that with such tillage there is lots of these soils that do not need irrigation at all. Of course, the very top soil will be dry and dusty, but just beneath it will be moist. The more humus you have in the soil the easier it is to keep it moist. If you will just cultivate through the summer you will oxidize that humus and each year you will have less of it and as the texture becomes less the dryer you will find the soil, and the more humus you have in 'lie soil the more moisture you will find there. There is another thing that will influ ence the texture of the orchard soil, that is the time yon work it. 4fybu have a rather heavy orchard soil with consid erable clay, if you work it too wet you will make it cloddy, and it will take you three or four years to work those lumps out of that soil. If you had waited two or three days the soil would not have become cloddy. In these sandy soils you will have not so much danger of working them too wet. One cultivation too wet will so destroy the texture that it will take years to over come, therefore do not work a clay soil too wet. I think you will do well to have a little discussion on this subject. Some of the soils in Michigan, the apple lands are similar to yours. Dr. Withycombe Tell us about the capacity of the soil for holding water. , Prof. Knisely There is quite a dif ference 1q the capacity of soils to hold moisture, we found in our experimental work. ' We took a samplefroin Sherman county, volcanic silt, that would hold up to 60 per cent of its weight in water. We had other soils that would not hold over 30 to 40 per cont. Wo had a .gravel soil that held but 20 per cent. We added 5 per cent of humus and then tested its water holding capacity and found that it increased its water-holding capacity 8 per cent. The soils also differ greatly in their ability to draw up water from beneath. That sample of soil from Sherman county would draw it up far ther than any other sample -we had. We had some from right at home that went a little over four feet, while the soil from Sherman county drew the water up over five feet. If the soil has a good supply of humus in it in the spring it is more capable of holding the water necessary to carry it through the dry season. The way ' the' teat is made is to take a number of glass tubes six feet in length and fill them with dry soil from the different samples and place the totter end in a vessel sup plied with water and note the height to which it draws the moisture. In the case of the Sherman county soli it drew it up over five feet.," F. P. Friday I would like to have the professor tell us how to plow so as to retain this moisture. Prof. Knisely I presume Dr. Withy combe on Bubsoiling is better informed than I am. 1 think it depends a great deal upon the kind of soil you have. At home iu Michigan where the rich black soil reaches down five or six feet deep, I don't think it does a bit of good. Dr. Withycombe If you have a hard pan you have to break that hard pan iu order to cause capillary action. We de pend upon clover to do t his in the valley. Here, if you have a hard pan, I think Bubsoiling would be all right F. C. Sherrieb Would you ever sub soil new land? Dr. Withycombe It depends upon the kind of 'soil it is. If it has hard pan under it I would certainly subsoil it, F. P. Friday I started in to harrow my orchard and my harrow teeth went in 5 inches, and I made a slick or drag to follow. Dr. Withycombe Don't confound subsoiling with deep plowing. Suhsoil ing means to have a plow that ruus down deep and stirs the ground without turning it up, with deep plowing yon bring up the cold soil, and it does little or no good. Chas. Chandler Up on my place it is a heavy clay soil and I think in plowing it a number of times it forma a crust and so I got a subsoiling plow and I think it did good. I like to run it just behind the stirring plow. I put in my potatoes in that way and find it does well. i " Prof Knisely I will say that there is a great deal about surface tillage that we do not know anything about.' I do not think we know which is the best way. About four years ago the Cornell university laid out a number of plats. One plat was left fallow, another was cultivated once a week, another one twice a week, and they had a plat culti vated with level culture and another that received ridge culture. Of course, it was a foregone conclusion that the plat receiving the ridge culture would have the the least moisture as there was more surface exposure. The cultures were made and the records carefully kept and at the end of the season com parisons were made. Every one thought the plat having the rid,;e culture would be the drye-t, but that ridge culture had the highest percentage of moisture all the wav through. I do not understand it. I do not know yet what caused it. 1 know the records were accurately kept and that was the result. I do not think we have yet gotten at the secret of sur face tillage. Dr. Withycombe Do you remember the results of the tests last summer on the JSbermau county sample? Prof Knisely We got pa m pies yes, the plat that was cultivated was some thing like 6 to 11 per ceut and the others 5, 6 and 7 in the early part of the season, but later .hey came nearer together, the 10 and U dropped down U 5 or 7 per cent and the others dropped a little lower. F. C. Sherrieb Ridge cultivation will not do 4.re. Prof. Knisely I would not recommend ridge culture. It may be that they cultivated t-etter iu that ridge culture. If we have a crop of clover in Jlje or chard and let it grow in the spring it will be a benefit, because it w ill lake np the superabundant supply -of waur iu the soil and put the ground in condi tion favorable for the tree, but later von will have to plow it under or it will 'rob the trees of the water you ish to leave there. N. C. Kvans How do you find that out? , ' Prof. Knisely There have - been ex periments conducted like this: A plant is taken and placed in a vessel w here no moisture can reach it except through the' roots, and when it is grown to the proper stage it is taken and weighed and then every particle of moisture dried out of it, and it is weighed again, the difference in the weight being the weight of water taken up through its roots. Unknown Would not it be a good plan to cultivate early in the spring cultivate deep say, five or six inches and get it as fine as possible and after that cultivate only about two inches deep on top of this soil? Would it not conserve the moisture better than just to cultivate the top? Prof. Knisely No, I would not culti vate deep to bring up the moist soil on top, as'it would have the effect to hasten the evaporation of the moisture in the soil. F. W. Angus What kind of tool do you like best for orchard cultivation? Prof. Knisely I do not know. Every one has his favorite tool. I used to like the light harrow and then the Planet Junior. But if you use a tool like the smoothing harrow it is not to dig up the big weeds but just to keep the ground stirred. I suppose every one here has a tool he thinks is better than any other. . II. T. Williams I saw a tool in Texas that was about as nearly perfect as any I know of. It was a home made affair. The owner took a beam something like a plow beam and bent a saw blade down and out so that it would skin the surface and leave it soft and kill the weeds. Dr, Withycombe We have a machine like a harrow with cutters, three on a side, and they run two inches deep. It does not turn over the soil but just cuts the top. : F. W. Angus Something similar to the Acme harrow? - . ' Dr. Withvcombe Yes, something like it I think. F. W. Angus The Acme harrow is in tended to lift the eoil on the surface, but not to turn it. Dr. Withycombe Yes, something like that I think. I found it- loft our orchard In fine condition. Prof. Knisely That reaches out fur ther than where the horses walk? Dr. Withycombe Yes, sir. E. L. Smith I find nothing so satis factory as the springtooth harrow with the rake attachment. I cultivate deep iu the spring, but after that not more than two inches deep. Prof. Knisely How often do yon cul tivate? E. L. Smith Ten times. Prof. Knisely All summer? E. L. Smith Yes, sir, and there is never a time that you cannot reach moisture with your foot. Prof. Knisely There is one thing if you fractiee so rface irrigation the little feeding rootlets are going toward the water, if you irrigate, these little rootlets will come to the surface for that water, while if you give this surface cultiva tion and do not irrigate, they jwU go to the moisture and better w'htand the dry season. I'i E. L. Smith The apple roots'here always follow the plow on the hard ground beneath the soil you turnover in plowing. T. It. Coon It seems to me that the amount of rainfall cuts but a little figure as to the moisture condition in summer. If we should get 35 feet of rainfall it would all run of and the : amount of moisture would he the same in the sum mer. I think there is considerable do pending upon the way we cultivate as to how much water we get. 1 think we can cultivate all the time. I think we find a greater variety of soils here than in any other place I have ever seen. When you hear Mr. Chandler talk, the soil is like that iu the red hill country; when Mr. Sears talks it is a heavy clay soil, and it is a good fine soil. I am inter ested in this cultivation question. I find my orchard is pretty full of roots. I can't plow it. The deeper cultivation ought to he in the spring, I have no doubt. How about rolling? Prof. Knisely I would 6ay rolling de pends upon the condition of the soil at the time. I saw a field at one time greatly improved by rolling, and I saw the same field at another time greatly injured by rolling. If it is rolled just at the right time it will break up the little lumps and be very beneficial. Dr. Withycombe I think Mr. Coon is laboring under a wrong impression. You must meet the conditions that sur round you. You must cultivate to meet those conditions. The conditions here are the same, if your laud is solid and compact, you must break it up by the subsoil plow or alfalfa or clover, and your loose, porous soil you must use the roller to Compact the 4and. We had some land so filled w ith humus it was so loose it was not capable of holding moist ure. We advised pasturing it in order to compact the soil and put it in condi tion to hold moisture. So the farmer must use the cultivator to meet the condition of the soil (The principle i6 the same in all places.- T. K. Coon I don't know as to that, I know the conditions are not the same. I notice one farmer work early and late, and all the time and cultivate about as good as it could be done and never make a success of it, w hile his neighbor right beside him hustles in his crops, gets in a buggy and goes off fishing, never is so painstaking as his less successful neigh bor, yet his efforts seem almost always to meet with abundant success. Dr. Withycombe You must use both brain and muscle. You know as well as I do that you can go out in the valley ay, four miles and find a dozen different kinds of soil. The fact remains, you must study the conditions of the soils in order to adopt that mtthod of cultiva tion which will bring to you the highest degree of success. - Here Dr. Withycombe 'launched out in an enthusiastic and eloquent disser tation on the importance of a scientific technical traiuing for the farmer of the future, w hich was clearly, forcibly and logically delivered, carrying conviction to all w ho heard him, that the farmer more than all others requires an edu cation of a high order so as to enable him to successfully . meet the varying intricacies of moisture, soil conditions, cultivation, plant growth, helps and hindrances, animate and inanimate that bo has to deal w ith in some measure every day of his life. He said the old regime, under which the bright, quick witted boys were given the best educa tion and placed in the law ollices, the hanks or the ministry, while just plain John, who only knew enough to pail the cow and plow hay was lcll at home to drudge . on the farm, was being relegated to the past, and that the farm of today demands that the strong est minds, the brightest intellects, and the highest degree of education should lie devoted to the development and ad vancenn nt of its interests. It is regret able that every .farmer and every farm er's son could not have heard the doctor. Meeting adjoumdt to 1 :30 p. m. AFT&RNOOS KF.S8IOV, MAKl H 3. Prof.l'ordley When it comes to telling about how to kill pests, I discover that I have come to Hood Kiver to lake les sons rather than to tell you how to do this, and I wish to say that there is no place in the world w here that art is better know n than right here. In .regard to mixtures for sprays, I presume there is no mixture in the world that is UMd at extensively as the Bordeaux mixture. In fact, I presume the Bordeaux mixture is used more extensively than all other In ix't urea combined. Tha ordinary metallic copper is one of the most active fungicides known, that is, in solution. Only one or two other metals, possibly murcury, has a greater effect on insect life than copper. We use the copper salts for spraying for fungicides. Of the various salts formed from copper, copper sulphate is used almost entirely,' Copper is largely' used as vitrol in wheat, and is also used for spraying plants. We have to combine copper sulphate with various agents that have a tendency to neutralize it so it will not injure the foliage, and so it will stick upon the foliage longer. Al though a great deal of chemistry work has been done on Bordeaux mixtures, only enough has been done to teach as that we know but very little about it. . The professor gave an interesting ex hibition of different methods of prepar ing the Bordeaux mixture, allowing the solutions to develope during the follow ing discussion, thus demonstrating to the audience the best way of making the preparation for use in the spraying pumps. The discussion following was largely of a technical nature, and many formulas were given for making spraying preparations for use in destroying differ ent pests. The beet method of prepar ing the Bordeaux mixture Is to dissolve equal quantities of the milk of lime and copper sulphate separately and then pour into the spraying tank at the same time, making the material ready for use. G. R. Castner I would like to ask about using copper sulphate in the place of salt in the lime, sulphur and salt spray for San Jose scale. Prof. Cordley There is practically no difference. Some experiments indicate that neither one is necessary. We think it is safer to use one of the two until more data can be obtained. So far as scale ia concerned, you might get better results from the copper sulphate, al though I doubt it very much. G. It. Castner How would it be for apple fungus? ' Prof. Cordley I think it would be all right. As a matter of fact, I am very doubtful of the ellicacy of early spraying for apple scab. J. L. Carter I would like to ask a question as to how to get a good milk of lime, a good, smooth preparation. Prof. Cordley It depends somewhat upon the lime. Under all circumstances only enough water should be added to keep the lime slacking fast. We should not Hood the lime; should not nearly cover it. Keep it moist and generating heat. " J. L. Carter Suppose you are using 100 gallons of water and 33W pounds of lime ; it is pretty hard to keep it from packing. . Prof. Cordley I think it would be bet ter to have it in a larger box, with the largest surface possible exposed. T. R. Coon What ia the best way to prevent or kill aphis, and when? Prof. Cordley The best time is just as the eggs are beginning to hatch. Whale oil and soap solution, or kerosene emulsion are the best things to use. T. R. Coon How about concentrated lve? Prof. Cordley This will kill aphis, but I don't like to use it on the trees. It will injure the trees. T. R. Coon What is the matter with salt, sulphur and lime; it will kill them. Prof. Cordley It is all right; the others are cheaper. Mr. Sproatr I would like to call Prof. Cordley's attention to the orchard of E. Locke. This gentleman has used con centrated lye for five or six years. His apples are practically free from scab, the skin of the apples is as bright as though polished. He is recommending it highly. He uses 6 lbs. Babbitt's double strength lye to 100 lbs. of water and 10 lbs. sul phate of copper. He is recommending this spray to the growers of the valley. Prof. Cordley As an inseticide, it is valuable ; as a fungicide it is of little value. T. R. Coou In what proportion should concentrated lye be mixed iu order to kill aphis? 1 have used lye made from oak ashes, which kills all the aphis. Prof. Cordley I can't tell you; I have not used it enough to know. I would not want to advise. Mr. Mohr (Peter Moor's son) We have used concentrated lye for aphis, but it did not kill them for us without killing the foliage also. We used whale oil soap and kerosene emulsion, and it killed them on two applications. T. R. Coon Did you ever put lye on before the buds swelled? Peter Mohr We never put it on be fore the buds swelled; we put it on when the trees were In full leaf. I E. L. Smith The lime, sulphur and salt solution is what Is known as the California wash. The lime, sulphur and blue vitriol Is known as the Oregon wash. Iu southern Oregon they have never used anything but lime, sulphur and blue vitriol. Prof. Forbes, one of the greatest entomologists in the United States, has made extensive experiments with these two mixtures, with the re sult that one is as effective as the other. In either case 99.02 .per cent of the scales on which the applications were made were killed. Less than 1 per cent were left alive, and this was pro bably due to their being concealed under the bark. In regard to leaving out the salt in these two sprays, the Agricultural College has made ex teusive experiments with the result that the conclusion is reached that the salt does no good. The sprays were equally effective without salt. A solu tion of 1 pound of sulphur, 1 pound of lime to 4 gallons of water did the work thoroughly. For San Jose scale it did the work perfectly. There is no ques tion that the salt is useless. In southern Oregon they never use It. Mr.Mohr Will sulphur and lime kill the oyster shell scale? Prof. Cordley Not likely, as the oys ter shell scale is then in the egg, and the eggs are protected. The best time to kill this scale is when the eggs are hatching. The oyster shell scale is not important enough to consider at all in the Willamette valley; don't know w hether it is here or not. O. L. Carter What is the remedy for brown aphis? Prof. Cordley The same remedy. W. A. Sliugerland You would not, then, recommend spraying for fungus, or apple scale. Prof. Cordley For apple scale alone, I would defer all spraying until the fruit buds start; any time between the time the leaf buds start and the time they open. fc,. L. Smith Western Oregon has considerable fruit badly affected with apple canker. There is some of it in Hood River valley. Mr. Smith cited an instance where the trees were in ex tremely bad condition and the fruit worthless. The remedy used was, as aoon as the fruit was off In the fall the trees were nprayed with Bordeaux mix ture of doublestrength. This was done twice, aud the jpores were all killed, the trees were renewed in vigor, and were as healthy and full of vigor as though never affected with pet, and the fruit waa perfect. The foliage was strong and healthy, and the orchard attracted general attention on account of Us healthful, vigorous growth. Prof. Cordley It ti quite probable that the full application of Bordeaux after the crop ia off would be the best meant of fighting the apple scab itself. If I were going to make a winter spray ing, I would make it in the fall liefore the leaves were off, and make it heavy. O.L. Carter I notice that the spray gradually reduced in strength. Prof. Cordley It has been found that milder sprays are just as effective an strong ones In a great majority of oases, hence the change. Mr. Sproatr What causes rust on the apples? is it a disease, or the result of Bordeaux spray? Some of us think that it is the result of using the Bordeaux mixture. Prof. Cordley It can be so formed, but I have also seen rust in many or chards that have never been sprayed. It may also be caused by frost. There are two ways in which rust may be formed, strong spray and frost. . L. Smith It is a disease, and not a condition caused by Bordeaux mix ture. I have seen orchards that had not beeu sprayed for three years which had the disease just the same as those which had been sprayed. H. F. Davidson bought apples from a party last full and ohjected to the rust, and he said that he had never used spray at all. Prof. Cordley I have seen several orchards that had scab, and had never been sprayed. T. R. Coon We are in danger of loss by strawberry rust perhaps as much as by apple tree rust. We have several hundred acres of strawberries, all of which are more or less affected by this rust. Is it any use to do any work after the crop is off. Prof. Cordley Would there be any objection to mowing aud burning the plants. T. It. Coon It is commonly prac tised here. Prof. Cordley It isa fungus disease, and I would be williug to tuke oath that it can be controlled by spray. If you keep the plants covered with a solution of Bordeuux mixture up to about the time the fruit is ready to pack, I am positive it can be cured by spraying. H. F. Davidson I would like to ask about when to commence spraying, and how strong a spray to use. Prof. Cordley I should use the 4-4-50 Bordeaux mixture, and commence putting it on the new leaves as soon as they begin to start, and keep the plant covered as long as possible without dis figuring the berries. After the fruit Is off, continue to use the mixture. Do not use it when the plants are in bloom; it would be apt to blast the blossom. H. F. Davidson I would like to ask Mr. Coon if there has been any experi menting done on the Butts place. Mr. Coon I sprayed five acres there one year, but it was done so late that I did not consider it a fair test. The re sults were not so notieable to a degree that I would want to say very much in favor of it. A later experiment was weak, and did uotamount to anything. H. F. Davidson It is a very serious matter, fcseven or eight years ago niy attention was called to the same thing. I noticed where the land bad beeii fer tilized by manure, giving the foliage a very heavy growth there was consider able rust. I noticed several patches last season where the berries were fine except for that one thing, and It near ly ruined them. They had bad odor, and were bad in appearance; it is a very serious matter. Prof. Cordley I believe strawberries can be sprayed very easily by having pipes extend down behind the wagon, with pressure applied, covering several rows at once. T. R. Coon Has Irrigation any ef fect in reducing cod 1 in moth; several parties have irrigated their orchards and thought there was fewer cod I in moth. E. L. Brnith Up in Idaho they have thousands of codlin moth to our one, and they all irrigate their orchards. W. A. Sliugerland I would like to ask bow to treat seed peas to prevent their being eateu by pests. Prof. Cordley Fumigate the seed. Use 10 pounds of bl-sulphate ofcarbon to 10 bushels of seed. Mr. Willis I would like to ask how to prevent Blugs. Prof. Cordley If you have an a bundant supply of very flue road dust, dust thoroughly with this and it will kill them. Or, use a simple solution of Paris green; or white hellebore. Helle bore is expensive, however. Mr. Sproat How long would you recommend using summer spray? Prof. Cordley In the Willamette valley they spray after the first of July until ready to pick the fruit. Peter Mohr I believe that early spraying is the proper thing to prevent codlin moth. Mr. Paasch sprayed a week earlier than I did, and Mr. Win chell also sprayed a week earlier than L did, and they had a very small per centage of bad apples compared to my apples. I believe an orchard should be sprayed every week or ten days. I had some codlin moth shut up, and they hatched out in about nine days, and when a codlin moth hatches out it Is ready for business. D. H. Sears If you want to spray effectually and kill aphis, spruy thor oughly with salt, sulphur unci lime. Kill the eggs aud clean up the trees be fore the leaves start, and I guarantee that you will not be bothered with aphis. It is a mere waste of time to treat the eggs when the tree is in full leaf. Peter Mohr I had one year lots of aphis ou my young trees. I don't know how I got it. Anyhow, I got a remedy. It is: 1 pound genuine whale oil soap, i pound tobacco, 2 table spoon fulls kerosene to 2'a' gallons oj water. This will kill the aphis with out fail; it is as good as snuff. After some further discussion, the audience was treated to a soul inspiring speech from Dr. Withycombe. The doctor is an earnest worker and thor oughly in love with his work, and no one can bear him talk without feeling Tike taking up his vocation again with renewed vigor, fully convinced that the farmer, and especially a Hood River farmer, is the most fortunate being ou earth. H. F. Davidson then read a paper on Successful! Commercial Apple Growing as follows: It is comparatively a simple mutter to grow apples for one's own family use, for each one for himself can select an assortment to suit his fancy, and it is not material whether they are of good yielding varieties, or whether they are peculiarly adapted to the loca tion, for if the crop is short there are onley less apples for winter use thau when the crop is heavy, and the other business of the farm is li'tle affected; but successfull commercial apple grow ing is an investment for an income, aud the success of the enterprise de pends upon manv important features, among which are the selection of the varieties, the selection of soil adapted to the varieties you want to grow, securing stock true to name as repre sented, the selection of proper varieties for polleuiziug, planting ttie trees the proper distance apart, whether or not to grow other orop between the rows, and if so, wbat? neccessary pruning and cultivating, and proper spraying for the young trees first, and the trull when the trees begin to bear, and the best method of changing varieties al ready planted that are not satisfactory; also the question of irrigating bearing orchards is becoming more important each season as the orchards grow oldt r. The above subjects cover enough matter to occupy several sessions of tne Institute, if discussed fully, but we can get a few ideas on each point that should be profitable. While Hood River valley, can truthfully claim the honor of producing the finest New towns and Spitzenbergs in the world, we have locations that are not adapted to these varieties for various reasons. The quality of the soil, the moisture iu the ground, the elevation, etc., all con tribute to the success or failure of these varieties, and while the time was that little waa definitely known of these in fluences, later years have proven where these varieties reach the highest state of perfection. Before locating an orchard, look over and see wbat tne man on the other side of the line fence has accomplished. True, he may not have secured the best possible results, but If this is a fault in the care of the trees it will show, and unless your location has considerable natural moisture in the ground, don't overlook the fact that you are apt to see the time when irrigation water will be of considerable value to your crop of apples. If a man had a piece of ground bear ing valuable deposits of placer gold, he would be considered a poor manager if be persisted In farming the land to wheat instead of mining the gold. So if a man has soil suitable for growing Newtowng and Spitzenbergs to perfec tion, why should he go ou producing corn fodder and Ben Davis and neglect the fruit for which his soil is the best In the world? The writer made a trip through the principal cities of the United States during the winter and did not see apples from any other sec tion that compared with these two varieties as grown here, but found that many other varieties do as well in many ot her sections as they do with us. The poinological world has been hunt ing for a place to grow better Newtown Pippins and Spitzenbergs for half a century, and if we can produce a su perior quality of these apples and get a good yield, why not do so and leave the common varieties to the other sec tions. In apple growing, It Is like Jim Hill says about railroading, when he started he found a great many people capable and willing to do the things he was doing, but the farther be gets up in the business the fewer his competi tors, and so our ambitious are to grow apples that places us above the great masses who grow ordinary fruit. The most interesting feature is that the class of people who are financially able to buy superior qualities at high prices is increasing faster than the supply, and they want only the best quality, quality, quality, no matter how good those a little under may be. It is unnecessary to say that it would be rather unfortunate If .all of the apple orchards in the future were to produce nothing but the two desir able varieties named, as other varieties will continue to be grown ou certain locations with more profit than either Newtownsor Spitzenbergs, but to the fortunate owner of soil capable of pro ducing the better varieties this lends no encouragement to plant common fruit. The growing of a commercial orchard is rather a dull proposition, for it is a long time before the first pay day comes around, and there Is a de sire to relieve the monotony of waiting for returns by growing something be tween the rows that will not Injure the trees, and yet compensate the farmer for his work. This is rather a delicate matter, for some crops need cultivation when trees need to be let alone, and vice versa, and we have orchards a round us which show the results of mistakes In this direction, whlleothers are apparently benefitted by the extra cultivation. The trees should be head ed the proper distance from the ground with sutlicient limbs to bear a full load of fruit, and pruned - sufficiently to keep the head of the trees well bal anced, and not too thick with wood. An apple tree deserves as much atten tion as a horse or a cow, aud if neg lected is equally, if not more, worth less; and when any disease or insect attacks the tree it must be doctored if it is expected to live and thrive. This means spruy ing whenever any disease or insect appears irom the time the trees are planted until they live out their full term of life. It has been a serious matter to or chardists to find too frequently that TESTIMONIALS. Hood River. Cten.. Jan. 25. 1903. David son Fruit Co. Gentle men: I bought a fo nioua Hpruy Pump from you three years ago, and 1 want, to nay t nit I think the I'oino.is Is all o. k. Ha e sprayed several orcl a us with It each year b -Hides my own, and it hag always given good aatlsfac- tion. ir l were Buy ing a dozen spray pumps today I would buy Pomona Htralght through. They can't be beat. Yours trulv, W. H. HEAIW. POMONA. Hood River, Ogn., Jan. 10, 1903. Davidson Fruit Co. Gentlemen: Aftr using four other makes of Hpray Pumps 1 bought a Pomona and found It a great suiwess. 1 sprayed 30 aerua of orchard with it for two seasons and it was still as new and had cont nothing for repairs. Last aeawn, for my Increasing business, I bought a Hentlnel Jr., and rind It equal to any de mands that I can make on IU It la powerful, durable, readily cleaned and easy to work, even at lou to 125 pounds pressure. I consider It unequaled. Yours truly, M M. KKXNKDY. We are agents for spray pumps and other things that the fruit growers need. Davidson Fruit Co., The Spot Cash Grocery DEALS IN Salt Salmon, Lard, Bacon, Hams, Dry Herring, Groceries, Flour, Feed, Hay, Grain, Buckwheat Flour, Vegetables, Butter, And all Country Produce taken in exchange for goods. J. E. HANNA. SEXTON & WALTHER, The Dalles. Oregon. Agents for the Celebrated Smith Grubbing Machines. We also carry the best Steel Wire Cable for Stump Pulling; Hope Shortened ; Sniiteh Block.; Grubbing Hooks and extra Rope Hook. Write for Prices. their trees do not turn out to be the varieties they thought they had plant ed ; but when one has a good root, trunk and head, it is possible to put the right varieties on the limbs by budding, or top grafting with compara tively little loss, if this is done before me trees grow too large, and we are glad to note that our orchardists are availing themselves of the opportunity to do this. The question of spraying is fully covered by Prof. Cordley, whose experiments and experiences have materially assisted in enubling the Hood River growers to save so large a percentage of their apples from the ravages of the dreaded codlin moth, and other insects and diseases. If the right varieties are planted in proper locations.and the trees well cared for up to the fruiting age, then the most Interesting and delicate part of the work of apple growing begins. There are three promiuent qualities that are against all apples, even of the best varieties, viz., wormy or infected fruit, poor color, aud undersize. The question of worms and diseases are covered by the operation of proper Q.1 ,,l ... I.. ..."., 1 f . . "i'j"is, mo K.nv- ib uuectea oy tue exposure of the orchard, the manner In w hich the tree has been pruned allows the sunshine to reach the fruit, or is prevented from reaching it on account of too much foliage, the quality of the soil and the moisture iu the ground, and the size is effected by the quantity the trees are allowed to bear. In this locality the general tend ency of the trees is to overbear, and if allowed to do so the crop Is reduced In value on account of undersize, aud the following seuson's crop is injured, if not ruined, by the I nubility of the trees to mature an overload and form fruit spurs for another crop. Ninety six large apples fills a standard box, and it takes from 175 to 250 i and 6 tr. apples to fill a box, besides, nobody wants to buy the latter size, and every body who handles apples wants to buy the former size. Then why grow 250 apples where 06 should have grown, when the latter are worth by far the most money, find ready sale, and allow your trees to mature buds for another season's crop. Yes, have your trees thined out if there are too many limbs and then hire somebody else to super intend the thinning of the apples, for it is truthfully said that no niun can prop erly thin his own fruit. There is an other anvantage lu thinning which is where two or more apples touch each other ou the tree, they are to provide a spot on each where the lurva of the codlin moth can enter without par taking of the ration provided for him through the spraying nozzle, and all of the apples touching each other are pretty sure to be wormy and not fit for market. The old theory that irrigated fruit will not ship has been proven er roneous, for it has been positively de monstrated in Hood River valley that the orchards and the fruit on some loca tions are benefitted to a very large ex tent by a reasonableamountof irrigation say once in July, twice in August and once in September, more or less accord ing to location. Troes that have not had sufficient moisture cannot mature as much fruit properly as they can if the moisture is supplied in the proper quantity. For the first few light crops trees do not need irrigation, but when the load runs up to five bqxes of apples or more to the tree, water must be ap plied to the top of the ground, unless there is a strong sub-irrigation. Sew Today. United States mail boxes at $1.50 while this lot lasts, the next lot will be $ 1,75 and $2.25 at Dallas' Just received a fine lot of up-to-date watches direct from the factory, and have now on hand 118 watches. I buy large stocks and Bell below all West ern prices. C. H. Temple. Just received a line of watches, clocks, jewelry and silverware, at F. W. Clarke's, opposite postoffice. If you want to file on timber land homesteads, call on George T. Prather, U. S. Commissioner, district of Oregon. It will pay you to get our prices before buying your winter supply of groceries. The Spot Cash Grocery. Mberty Home, Hood Kiver, Ogn., Jan. 5, 1113. Davidson Fruit Co. Gentlemen: A year ago I purchased from you one of the Uould Pump Co.'. Hentlnel Jr. Hpray Pumps. I have used ll one season in my 20 aere orchard, and can truthfully say that 1 am well pleaaed with the rexults obtained. For simplicity In con struction, durability 111 wear, convenience in cleaning and re pairing, easy opera tion and thorough work, it receives my hcitty commenda tion. Youin respect fully, A. I. MASON. Hominy, Fruit, " Eggs