The Question Box. 5 



Question. — "What is the best way to keep borers from injur- 

 ing young apple trees? 



Mr. Woodward. — The best plan is to watch the trees, and, if 

 borers are found in them, punch their heads off with a wire, by 

 pushing it into the hole where the borers are. 



Question. — Give the best method of treating apple trees after 

 being broken down by ice ? They are badly split. 



Mr. Woodward. — I could tell much better if I could see the 

 trees. If the body is broken, dig the tree out; if only the limbs, 

 if not too close to the body, saw them off square and graft them, 

 even if the same varieties have to be put in. But I should rather 

 have an ice storm come along than to have some men in my orchard 

 with a saw, trimming it. 



Question. — When and how shall I trim peach trees that have 

 received a great deal of attention and have made rapid growth ? 



A Farmer. — I should cut back last season's growth of leaders 

 about two-thirds, and, if there were inside shoots that crossed 

 and interfered, I should cut them out. 



Question. — "What catch crop is best to raise in a bearing apple 

 orchard; for the especial benefit of the apple trees? 



Mr. Rice. — Some of the legumes like the clovers. We sow 

 crimson clover and turnips. The former, beside making a clover 

 crop, adds nitrogen, which it takes from the atmosphere, and 

 returns to the soil. Then, too, it will grow to late in the fall, and 

 does not take moisture from the soil, needed by the trees. Wc 

 also sow turnips in the clover. They make a good catch crop. 

 We use them for feeding our hens later in the season. If crimson 

 clover does not grow, try the red clover, sowing it in August or 

 September first. It will make a sufficient growth before winter 

 begins to cover the ground. 



Question. — What would you do for an orchard of 500 tree^, 

 30 years old, that had been affected? 



Mr. Rice. — Affected with what? If it is the San Jose scale, 

 the onlv remedv is to cut the trees out and burn them. Such trees 

 arc too large to treat successfully. We have such an old af- 

 fected apple tree, standing near a plum orchard, which we shall 

 cut out. Smaller trees we can spray with crude petroleum. It 

 is a dirty job, but the most effective one I know. Xursery stock 

 may be fumigated with hydrocyanic gas, which kills all animal 

 life on it. 



Question. — Is the so-called Middleburg plum exempt from 

 black knot ? 



Mr. Mann. — Yes, sir; it is with me. 



