Page i8 



in the yieki, better color and quality of 

 fruit. It is known that the evaporation 

 from an uncultivated orchard in a 

 single month is ahout four times that 

 of a similar orchard having a three- 

 inch dirt mulch. 



One of the most important plant and 

 tree foods is nitrogen. Large sums of 

 money are spent every year by farmers 

 and fruit growers for fertilizer contain- 

 ing this element. The air we breathe 

 is the greatest known storehouse of 

 nitrogen, but the nitrogen in the air is 

 not in a form which can be directly 

 used by plant life. It can, however, be 

 converted into a usable form by the 

 action of soil bacteria — those micro- 

 scopic organisms which exist in all 

 soil and materially affect the produc- 

 tion of crops. 



Cultivating brings the soil bacteria 

 into direct contact with the air from 

 which they take the nitrogen, and con- 

 vert it into food for the adjacent plants 

 and trees. Without cultivation, this 

 beneficial activity of these minute or- 

 ganisms is greatly restricted, and con- 

 sequently uncultivated orchards are 

 not as well supplied with the food ma- 

 terials required for the prolific produc- 

 tion of fruit of the best quality. 



The necessity for cultivation, to pro- 



BETTER FRUIT 



duce healthy trees and good fruit, is not 

 mere theory. Cultivation holds moist- 

 ure in the soil and gives the rain and 

 sun a chance to produce the best re- 

 sults. Cultivated trees are more vigor- 

 ous and live longer than uncultivated 

 trees. Cultivation increases the size 

 and improves the quality of the fruit. 



Cultivation should begin early enough 

 to maintain what moisture has been 

 stored up during the dormant season, 

 and should be kept up with such fre- 

 quency that weeds will not have a 

 chance to germinate or obtain a foot- 

 hold until late in the growing season. 



June iQip 



The best tillage is that which begins 

 early, using some light running, rapid 

 working tiller which is designed for 

 that purpose. I would not use a turn- 

 ing plow in an orchard if there is any 

 way to avoid its use. More orchards 

 have been ruined by the use of turning 

 plows and improper tools in the hands 

 of careless workmen than from any 

 other cause. Throwing the dirt either 

 to or from the trees with the turning 

 plow is injurious. The system of level 

 cultivation is the correct one in most 

 instances, and only tools which will 

 leave the soil level should be used. 



What They Are Doing in Fruit in Cahfomia 



FRUIT GROWERS in the Santa Clara 

 Valley are reported to be extremely 

 optimistic. All varieties of fruit there 

 with the exception of Blenheim and 

 Hemskirk apricots have set heavily and 

 bumper crops are expected. There was 

 an extra heavy set of peaches and 

 prunes and apple trees had a bloom far 

 above the average. The weather has 

 been favorable to all kinds of California 

 fruit. The high prices offered by pack- 

 ers for prunes and the prospects of fine 

 crops of other fruit has stimulated 

 prices of orchard property. 



The Big Factor Is 

 Dependability 



Any truck will perform more or less satisfactorily under 



favorable conditions, but dependability, according to the 



BETHLEHEM standard means consistant performance 



under any road or load conditions. 



1'^ -ton Chassis 2>i -ton Chassis 3>2-ton'Chassis 



$1,965 $2,365 $3,465 



F. O. B. ALLENTOWN, PA. 

 SOME GOOD TERRITORY OPEN TOIDEALERS 



NORTHWEST AUTO CO., Portland, Oregon 



Distributors for Oregon and Washington 



Mail the Coupon for Catalogue 



motorA^trucks 



Dependable Deliver^ 



BETHLEHEM MOTORS CORPT*. ALLENTOWN. PA. 



To Northwest Auto Co. 



Portland, Oregon 



Send catalogue of 

 Bethlehem Truck to 



Name . . . 

 Address . 



The establishing of an experiment 

 station in the Santa Clara Valley for 

 deciduous fruits has been accomplished 

 after a long fight by the recent passing 

 by the state senate of an appropriation 

 of $100,000 for carrying on the work. 

 The station is to be located at San Jose, 

 and it is announced that E. R. Ong, 

 professor of entomology of the Univer- 

 sity of California, will have charge of it. 



An expected invasion of tent cater- 

 pillars in the Santa Clara Valley is now 

 expected and steps are being taken 

 under the direction of the county hor- 

 ticultural agent to exterminate the 

 nests. 



Although very flattering offers had 

 been made to the California Prune and 

 Apricot Growers' Association of the 

 Santa Clara Vailley up to the middle of 

 May, Manager Coykendall of the asso- 

 ciation had refused all ofTers. In taking 

 this action he announced that nobody 

 at that time knew what the extent of 

 the crop wouk! be or what kind of a 

 market there would be for it. The Cali- 

 fornia Prune and Apricot Growers' 

 Association now numbers 6,500 mem- 

 bers. 



A proposed increase in the taxation 

 of fruit trees in the Santa Clara Valley 

 has created strong opposition among 

 the growers and the various farmers' 

 organizations there have gone on record 

 with resolutions opposing it. 



The depredations of picnic parties in 

 California on fruit orchards has caused 

 the Improvement Club of Cupertino to 

 make a complaint to the district attor- 

 ney's ofTice to aid in enforcing the laws 

 against the theft of fruit. The matter 

 is reported to be most serious along the 

 public highways. 



As an indication of the big movement 

 that takes place when the cantaloupe 

 crop begins to move in California one 

 firm alone in the Turlock district re- 

 quires twenty motor trucks, five swamp- 

 ers, four bookkeepers, sixteen inspect- 

 ors, five checkers and several extra 

 stenographers to handle the business. 

 Five hundred refrigerator cars are now 

 being repaired in this district to handle 

 the coming fruit shipments. 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



