March, 1920 



BETTER FRUIT 



Pag^ 37 



Cultivating the Prune Tree 



Continued from page 12. 



prunes, are borne only on vigorous 

 trees. In analyzing the wood of a typi- 

 cal prune tree, from 12 to 15 years of 

 age this condition is generally found: 



"First — There are a number of water- 

 sproutlike growths, or vigorous shoots 

 springing from the main branches. 

 Thus, these growths are always upright. 

 This wood has a wonderful future. 



"Second — There is a great deal of 

 wood in the tree which grows out more 

 or less horizontally, or is beginning to 

 droop slightly. This wood has a won- 

 derful past and a fair present, but has 

 no future. 



"Third — The remaining wood of the 

 tree is a mass of drooping branches, 

 crooked and weak, which analysis 

 shows, has no present, and no future, 

 but a wonderful past. 



"In pruning our trees, we should en- 

 courage the new waterspout - like 

 growths, by removing the wood near 

 them, so that the long shoots can de- 

 velop. Head back these' long shoots, so 

 that they will force out new laterals. 

 In this way we are renewing the tree 

 every few years, and this renewed 

 wood will produce lots of prunes and 

 big prunes. Wherever the horizontal 

 type of growth interferes with the vert- 

 ical type, it should be removed. The 

 drooping wood is of little or no use. It 

 should be largely removed. By thin- 

 ning out from 25 to 50 per cent of it, 

 the remainder can be somewhat re-in- 

 vigorated and at times made productive. 



"One of the quickest and cheapest 

 ways of removing this old wood is to 

 put on old gloves and break out the 

 old wood in tliat way. One is soon able 

 to tell very quickly by the feeling of 

 the wood and will thus know what to 

 leave and what to take out." 



Quarantining Foreign Fruit Stocks 

 In order to prevent the entrance of a 

 number of plant diseases and injurious 

 insects from the Orient, the United 

 States Department of Agriculture pro- 

 poses to prohibit the importation of 

 fruit stocks, cuttings, scions and buds 

 from Asia, Japan, the Philippine Isl- 

 ands and Oceania. The diseases and 

 insects that the department seeks to ex- 

 clude by the quarantine include Japan- 

 ese apple cankers, blister blight, and 

 rusts, the Oriental fruit moth, the pear 

 fruit borer, and the apple moth. 



Tractor Demonstration Successful 

 At a tractor demonstration made at 

 Hood River recently participated in by 

 the agents for the Cletrac and Frageol, 

 both these types of machines made a 

 most creditable showing. The demon- 

 stration took place under adverse con- 

 ditions, the soil being wet and muddy. 

 All the tests, which were severe, were 

 successfully carried through. As a re- 

 sult of the demonstration added inter- 

 est in the tractor and additional pur- 

 chases by orchardists are reported 

 from the Hood River district. 



When purchasing fertilizers, remember in 



1919 



Nitrate of Soda 



received the stamp of approval of the U. S. Government, 

 whose agents aided in the direct distribution of this plant 

 food amongst farmers. 



Why? 



Because Nitrate of Soda has been found the best and 

 cheapest source of Nitrogen, so essential to plant life. 

 Nitrate of Soda contains 15% nitrogen =18% ammonia. 



Immediately Available 



As to the quantity and method of application, consult your 

 County Agricultural Agent or write 



The Nitrate Agencies 



805 Hoge Building 



Seattle, Washington 



iiCl^cl Eventually 



if you spray 

 with a "gun 

 you zvill 





>9 



The Hardie Orchard 



Gun saves your time and 

 muscle— no long, heavy 

 rods to hold. 



Turns a big job into a little 



one. One man with a Hardie 



Gun will do more work and 



do it better than two men 



with the old-fashioned rods. 



Hardie Orchard Gun $12 



Low price made possible by 

 big production — send for the 

 Hardie Catalogtoday. Hardie 

 Sprayers and spraying de- 

 vices standard for 18 years. 



get 



A 



HARDIE 



The Hardie Mfg. Co. 



55 North Front Street. Portland 



VHEN WRITING ADVERIlSIiRS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



