igi6 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page ij 



fretiucMit sprajing it is advisable to 

 make ttie application in the early 

 morning so that the spray will dry ofT 

 the plants promptly. The spraying 

 device to use depends on the amount 

 of spraying necessary. A cheap atom- 

 izer, such as can be bought in any seed 

 store, is quite satisfactory for small 

 plants and gardens. Good knapsack 

 and barrel pumps are available for 

 commercial growers. 



Tree Growth in Blasted Grour\d 



By J. R. Mattern, Julian, Pennsylvania 



One in a judicious frame of mind 

 may often wonder, after ten years or 

 more of active propaganda by the 

 Powder Companies for the use of ex- 

 plosives in preparing the ground for 

 trees, just what the aveiage results of 

 such blasting may be. It is certain that 

 literally thousands of planters of fruit 

 trees have made use of the method. In 

 some of the famous fruit sections of 

 America blasting the ground has be- 

 come the universal, standard practice. 



.\n examination of a good many 

 orchards where the trees are growing 

 in land prepared for them by blasting 

 shows first of all that the trees are 

 anchored more securely. There is far 

 less of that leaning away from the wind 

 that characterizes too many orchards. 

 It not only is unsightly — it often means 

 the breaking down of the trees under 

 their usual loads of fruit. I do not 

 know whether this can be attributed to 

 "a deeper root system or to more ex- 

 tensive root systems. Probably it is a 

 combination of both. 



I have not observed that in >oung 

 trees the blasting of the ground results 

 in much thicker growth of trunk, 

 though only a few trcs have been 

 measured within my observation to 

 check up this point. But in older trees 

 that are growing in the ground con- 

 taining hardpan, there is a decided in- 

 crease in the thickness of the trunks of 

 the trees where the ground has been 

 blasted. Probably the young trees do 

 not yet have vital need of the under- 

 lying strata of soil. Probably the trees 

 begin to suffer from the lack of food 

 and lack of water that stunts them 

 and keeps them back only after they 

 have thoroughly worked over the top 

 soil within reach of the roots. In one 

 instance apple trees over hard|)an were 

 lifted by the forces of growth till the 

 roots were exposed above the ground, 

 simply because the hard ground 

 beneath olfered no opportunity for 

 root penetration. 



There i)rohably are a good any soils 

 that will not be benefited much by 

 blasting, particularly if the blasting is 

 not immediately followed in the right 

 way with heavy-rooted cover crops. 

 But these soils do not often occur in 

 the fruit-growing sections, for there 

 are problems in moisture storage and 

 in the making available of insolul)le 

 plant foods which the blasting helps to 

 solve, and these problems are present 

 in clay and loam, ;uid highland and 

 lowland alike. 



As for length and thickness and 

 number of the twig growth of trees, 1 



Put yoMYs^ 

 m HERplac 



MrzMan 



Why not get a good g 

 oil stove so that dur- 

 ing the hot weather 

 your wife or mother 

 orsister or daughter, 

 can prepare the 

 meals in a cool, coni' 

 fortable kitchen? 



There's no overheating 

 the kitchen with anup-to- 

 date oil cook stove. It's 

 just like cooking with city 

 gas. The burners con- 

 centrate the heat at the 

 different cooking points. 



NEW PErRFECTION 

 OIL CCMiiiSTOVE 



No wood or coal or 

 ashes to lug. No 

 waiting for fires to 

 catchup. The long 

 blue chimneys do 

 away with all 

 smoke and smell. 



In 1, 2, 3, and 4-burner 

 sizes, with or without 

 ovens. Also cabinet 

 models with Fireless 

 cooking oven, 



STANDARDOIL 

 COMPANY 



(California) 



The Success of a Fruit Grower 



depends largely on the 

 way he cares for his 

 orchard. Unless it is 

 well cultivated he can 

 not hope for good re- 

 sults. 



For this work there is nothing 

 that will equal 



The Kimball 

 Cultivator 



in keeping the ground in perfect condi- 

 tion at a small cost. 



The price is in reach of the sinall grower and can be bought 

 from your local dealer or from 



W. A. JOHNSTON, Manufacturer 



THE DALLES, OREGON 



WHEN WRITINO. APVEBTISnRS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



