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BETTER FRUIT 



Page 19 



Winter Injury of Fruit Trees More Common in Northwest 



By Profe 



WINTER injury of fruit trees has 

 been more common in the 

 Northwest than we are some- 

 times willing to nilmit. The orchards 

 as a whole have not suffered seriously, 

 but certain sections of fruit-growing 

 districts have been bothered with this 

 trouble in one form or another. This 

 trouble is not confined to any one dis- 

 trict or any one kind of climate. Win- 

 ter injury is very common on the west 

 side of the Cascades in Washington and 

 Oregon. It seems strange that locali- 

 ties with such mild winter climates 

 should have their trees seriously in- 

 jured by winter temperatures, but such 

 is the case. 



When we look about for a cause for 

 this winter injury, we should not forget 

 that our apple trees in particular come 

 from climates and sections that are al- 

 together different from the climate and 

 soil conditions existing in most of the 

 fruit-growing sections of the North- 

 west. Our apples are the direct 

 descendants of a fruit that has its 

 native habitat in central Europe and 

 west-central Asia. The climate there is 

 seldom severe, and while we may not 

 be able to point out particular charac- 

 teristics, in which it differs widely 

 from our climate, yet we know that it 

 is different, and that when the apples 

 were brought to the United States, the 

 first settlers placed them on the East- 

 ern coast witli a climate very different 

 from that of the Western coast regions, 

 and only a few of the varieties that 

 were brought from Europe direct are 

 still in cultivation. Most of them have 

 passed out of existence; not because 

 varieties that were larger or finer qual- 

 ities were discovered, but because 

 varieties were discovered that were in 

 many respects more satisfactory front 

 a cultural point of view. The list of 

 apples grown in Washington and Ore- 

 gon are practically all direct imiiorta- 

 tions from the extreme eastern part of 

 the United States. The Wealthy, De- 

 licious, Gano, Stayman Winesap are 

 varieties that have originated in the 

 central nart of the I'nited States, but 

 practically all of the others came from 

 the Eastern States. There is not, at 

 the present time, a varietv that has 

 found acceptance as a commercial fruit 

 that had its origin in the Northwest. 

 The native seedlings replaced the im- 

 ported varieties in Eastern States, and 

 it is not too much to expect that the 

 native seedlings will in lime supplant 

 in this district the imjjorted varieties. 

 The adaptation of any set of varieties 

 to local conditions is not measured so 

 much by their ability to grow and pro- 

 duce fruit under the most favorable 

 circumstnces that can be placed about 

 them, but to grow and produce a satis- 

 factory crop of fruit, and at the same 

 time withstand the attacks of pests and 

 unfavorable weather conditions. These 

 unfavorable conditions and extremes 

 are the limiting factors that cause us to 



ssor O. M. Morris, Washington Agricultui-al College, 



select carefully the variety that we 

 want to grow in any particular district. 

 Winter injury results from two ipiite 

 different sets of conditions. The first 

 is that of a continuous dry cold, result- 

 ing in the drying out of the branches 

 and body of the tree, and at the same 

 time exposing it to a temperature so 

 low that the vitality of the wood is 

 lessened or entirely destroyed. This 

 form of winter injury is not common in 

 the Northwest, although it has done 

 considerable injury one or two sea- 

 sons. There seems to be no method of 

 counteracting the efTects of this form 

 of injury, and all that can be done is 

 to select varieties that are resistant. 

 This is the form of injury that is very 

 common in some parts of Iowa, Ne- 

 braska, Minnesota and the Dakotas. 

 The other form of winter injury results 

 from one or two conditions; that of 

 sudden fluctuation of temperature 

 while the jilant is well filled with sap, 

 or sudden drops to an extremely low 

 temperature while the plant is well 



Pullman. 



filled with sap. The extreme low tem- 

 perature results in the death direct of 

 the parts of the tree exposed. This 

 form of winter injury is common in the 

 Northwest. 



Probably the most common form in 

 which the injury is manifest is in the 

 freezing and injury of small twigs of 

 last summer's growth. The twigs in- 

 jured are usually the stronger and 

 more thrifty ones, and the shorter, 

 more slender and less vigorous branches 

 are the last to be injured. Sometimes 

 twigs injured in this fashion are killed 

 direct, and the following spring show 

 no signs of life. The bark may even dry 

 and wither before the time for growth 

 arrives. It very frequently assumes a 

 dark greenish or brownish color, and 

 remains plump, but more soft than the 

 normal tissue, and shows no signs of 

 withering until past midsummer. Ere- 

 quently buds will develop into short 

 branches or twigs and live until mid- 

 summer or a little later, and then die 

 without apparent cause. This form of 



YOUR PURPOSE IN 



buying- spray materials is to obtain an effective orchard spray. 

 ORCHARD BRAND Spray Materials are effective because they are 

 prepared by experienced men, who devote their time ,...?.--., 



to the study of orchard pests and who use the best^^^..^-^>/«^^-*'' 

 obtainable chemicals for their work. 



MAIER^VLS 



'■*~i.v 



Universal Dormant Soluble Oil is especially manufactured for 

 use in the Pacific Northwest apple orchards, during the dormant season, 

 where its effectiveness has been proven as a general clean-up spray to 

 kill all species of scale insects, aphis eggs, etc. 



ORCHARD BRAND Bordeaux Mixture— Lime Sulphur Solu- 

 tion— Arsenate of Lead Paste and other ORCHARD BRAND Prod- 

 ucts are kept in stock for distribution at the proper seasons. 



Wlien writing our Free Information Bureau, give the age, number 



and kind of trees and describe fully the pest you wish to control. 



State quantity and kind of material when ordering. 



The General Chemical Company 



201 Sansome Street SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 



CHERRY TREES FOR SALE 



We offer extra fine trees with biff roots and heavy bodies at bed-rock prices. 



Write today for samples of grades and prices. They are going fast. 



Other first-class nursery stock for sale at low prices. 



BENEDICT NURSERY CO., 185 E. 87th Street N., Portland. Oregon 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



