igi6 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page II 



The Hardie Manufacturing Co. 



MR. FRUIT GROWER, Portland, Oregon, November 1st, 1916. 



Anywhere. 



Dear Sir: — In line with our policy of constant betterment and improvement of our product, 

 we are pleased to inform you that the changes in this year's Hardie Power Sprayers will make them 

 still more efficient, still more reliable and dependable than ever before. 



At no time in our career of nearly twenty years of successful power sprayer manufacturing 

 do we offer you so much of a downright spray pump value as is contained in our 191/ models. 



Never have we had quicker response nor heavier buying from our dealers who have seen 

 the 1917 Hardie. 



The high pressure, the large capacity, the ease oj operation and the low cost of running 

 will mean better results and a lower spraying cost to you. 



With so much of value to offer you, why not send at once for our new catalog which will 

 tell the complete story of the 1917 Hardie Power Sprayers. 



Yours very truly, 

 49 North Front Street. THE HARDIE MFG. CO. 



Growing Cover Crops in Young Orchards 



By J. A. Hughes, County Agriculturist and Collaborator, Omak, Washington, 

 United States Department of Agriculture 



A 



WELL worked out system of cover 

 crops plays two important parts in 

 a young orchard: It builds up the soil 

 by providiiiM humus and other plant 

 foods, and furnishes ready money or 

 equivalent foodstuffs during the expen- 

 sive and long interval between planting 

 and bearing. 



In most sections of the Northwest 

 nearly all orchards planted are planted 

 on virgin sagebrush land. .Sucli land, 

 being generally of volcanic or of glacial 

 drift origin, is very fertile in all plant 

 foods save nitrates and hunuis; and 

 generally the only supply of such 

 humus has been obtained by the growth 

 of sages and bunchgrasses; as this sup- 

 ply is very limitctl, rarely lasting grow- 

 ing trees more than two years, the 

 lirovide his soil with 

 ant food. In the rush 

 of planting AVeslern 

 people did not even 

 l)re])are the soil; often 

 L'leared, 

 round 



formation of the entire country is of 

 glacial and volcanic origin and very 

 deficient in humus. Since this country 

 has been recently watered, all of the 

 orchards are very young. The three, 

 best orchards in the entire country are 

 six years old and were planted on land 

 which had been alfalfa fields for from 

 ten to twelve years. The soil of these 

 fields will be found to be very rich, 

 easily handled and very fertile. The 

 trees are of wonderful growth, produc- 

 ing heavy crops of very highl.\' colored 

 fruit. In one corner of one of these 

 orchards no alfalfa had been grown, 

 the land being broken up just before 

 planting. The trees on this part are 

 barely two-thirds as large as on the 

 other, and have not produced more than 



fifty per cent as much fruit. The entii e 

 orchai il has been given the same treat 

 ment, yet the line showing where the 

 alfalfa was grown can be distinctly fol- 

 lowed by the ditference in the growth 

 of the trees. Many orchards which are 

 kept clean cultivated and where artifi- 

 cial manures are not used grow well for 

 several years, then they stop growing, 

 become sickly, the trimks have a pale 

 yellowish or reddish hue, the spurs and 

 leaves are scant and small, the entire 

 tree having a starved and retarded ap- 

 pearance. This is one of the indications 

 that (he store of humus has become 

 depleted. In numerous instances I have 

 found oreliards side b)' side, one having 

 been cultivated clean and with no appli- 

 cation of manure, and the next one kept 

 in cover crops; the clean cultivated one 

 will be sickly, of scanty growth, often 

 full of rosette, while the other will be 



orchardist must 



this necessary i)l 



and excitement 



orchards many 



wait to properly 



strips of sagebrush would be 



holes dug, trees planted, and the 



not yet leveled or cleared of the brush 



between the trees. A lover of artistic 



swearing would enjoy being in the 



neighborhood when the first irrigali(m 



was being done. 



In the Okanoi-'an and Melliow Valleys 

 there are approximately 22,(1(10 acres of 

 orchard, the average age being four 

 years since planting. The geological 



Pittsburgh Perfect Cement 

 Coated Nails 



are of the highest standard 



The Heads don't come off. Given Preference by Largest Pacific Coast Packers 



M..\NUFACTURF.D EXCLUSIVELY BY 

 PITTSBURGH STEEL COMPANY, Pittsburgh, Pa. 



A. C. RULOFSON COMPANY, Pacific Coast Agents 

 359 Monadnock Building, San Francisco, California 



WPIF-N WRITINX ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



