19 1 5 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 2 J 



Controlling the Apple-Borer 



"Worniing" and painting tlie trunks 

 of the trees are recommended to own- 

 ers of apple orchards as ellicicnt meth- 

 ods of dealing with the roundheaded 

 apple-tree borer, in a new Farmers' 

 Bulletin, No. 675, of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. A heavy 

 apijlication of some paint that will not 

 injure the trees l)ut will remain in an 

 unhidken coat on the bark for two or 

 three months, is effective in preventing 

 the female from laying her eggs in the 

 tree, and greatly reduces the amount 

 of worming, or the removal of the in- 

 sects with a knife and wire, that must 

 be (lone. 



The roundheaded apple-tree borer, 

 the most destructive of a number of 

 similar pests, lays its eggs in or under 

 the bark and wood to such an extent 

 that the tree is seriously weakened or 

 killed. The pest is found over the 

 whole of the eastern portion of the 

 United States and as far west as Ne- 

 braska, Kansas and New Mexico. In 

 addition to fruit trees, it feeds on ser- 

 vice, wild crab and mountain ash trees, 

 wliich makes it advisable for orchard- 

 ists to remove these varieties for a dis- 

 tance of at least one hundred yards 

 from their orchards. 



The female lays her eggs, one at a 

 time, in an incision she has made in 

 the bark, usually just above the sur- 

 face of the ground, .\bout 15 or 20 days 

 later the eggs hatch and the larvae ap- 

 pear. When full grown these are near- 

 ly an inch and a half in length. They 

 first attack the inner bark, eating out 

 broad, more or less circular galleries 

 and thrusting out through small holes 

 and the insect pulled out. If made 

 in the bark castings which form little 

 heaps of reddish wood fragments 

 around the base of the tree. During 

 the winter the borers are quiescent, but 

 early in the following spring they 

 attack the solid wood, while some of 

 them work their way up the trunk. 

 These last S])end one more winter in 

 the tree and then having passed 

 through the pupae stage, dig their way 

 out and emerge as adult beetles. Three 

 years are required for the insect to 

 complete its develo|)ment from egg to 

 adult. 



beetle lives al)out 41) 



d)out three-fourths of 



light bi'own in color 



bi-oad white banils, 



extending the full 



the underparts and 



Ordinarily, the 

 or 50 days. It is : 

 an inch in length, 

 above, with two 

 joined in front, 

 length of the back; 



front of the head are white. The fe- 

 males rarely (ly any considerable dis- 

 tance, so that if the immediate vicinity 

 of an orchard can be kept free from 

 them, tliere is little danger of a serious 

 infestation. 



The most common method of ridding 

 an orchard of these pests is to cut 

 away the bark suHiciently to trace the 

 burrows made by the borer. A hooked 

 wire is then inserted into the burrow 

 with care, the wound in the tree caused 

 by this process will heal readily. The 

 castings at the base of the tree serve 

 as an indication of the presence of the 

 borers. Where the burrows are curved 



Vertical Farming 



PROVED 



BY 



Effects of ^; 

 Orchard 

 Blasting 



with 



RED CROSS 



FARM POWDER ^- 



These culs are made from photos 

 showing comparative growth of pear 

 trees from Spring of 1913 / E / 



U'. .Orchards, be, Norfolk, Va. -^^'--Kltf IftV^..^" 



IN BLASTED GROUND 



A LL progressive farmers and orchardists know that trees planted 

 -^^- in blasted ground grow much faster than those planted in the 

 old way and bear fruit earlier. 



This proves the truth of the principles of Vertical Farming, which 

 aims to cultivate downward as well as to till the top soil. 



Three years ago tree planting in blasted holes was experimental — 

 now millions of trees are set out by the Vertical Farming method 

 every spring and fall. 



In like manner, blasting the subsoil to increase general crop yields, 

 now regarded as experimental, will in a few years, be common. 



To learn how and why Vertical Farming may double the yields 

 of your farm, get the Free Reading Course in Vertical Farming, by 

 Dr. G. E. Bailey, one of the best works on soils and soil culture 

 ever published. Sent free with every request for our Farmer's 

 Handbook N. F-338. Write now. 



DU PONT POWDER CO., Wilmington, Delaware 



Establistied 1802 



) RHODES DOUBLE OCT 

 PRUNING SHEAR 



RHODES MFG. CO., 

 ••0 3. DIVISION AVE . GRAND RAPIDS. niCH. 



■yHE only 

 prunei 

 made mat cuU 

 from both sides o( 

 the limb and does not 

 bruise the bark. Made in 

 all styles and sizes. We 

 pay Elxpress charges 

 on all orders. 

 Write for 

 circular and 

 prices. 



Washington State Fair 



NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON 



September 20th to 25th, 1915 



$20,000 in Premiums and Purses ^^Sf^^^^^. fL""^^^ ^^^- 



ti'Mis anil Other .\miisements. A whole week of pleasure and protit. 



COME AND ENJOY YOURSELVES 



Keduced Rates on all Lines. Special invitation tci automobile tourists. 



For Premium List and Information Address 

 FRANK MEREDITH, Secretary, North Yakima, Wash. 



\\ HFN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRfIT 



