ipi6 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page I J 



the opening blossoms began to show. 

 Three different methods of girdling 

 were practiced as follows: (1) A strip 

 of bark varying from one-quarter to 

 one-half inch wide was taken out of 

 the tree about two feet above the 

 ground by cutting around (he tree and 

 taking out a piece of bark six or eight 

 inches long. About an inch strip was 

 then left on or skipped and another 

 piece of bark six or eight inches long 

 and one-half inch wide was taken out. 

 This process was continued until the 

 trunk of the tree had been treated all 

 the way round. The wounds were 

 painted at once with white lead and 

 raw linseed oil. (2) This method was 

 similar to the first except the strips 

 between the cuts were left five or six 

 inches wide instead of one inch in 

 width. (3) This method consisted of 

 removing a series of diamond-shaped 

 section of bark from the trunk about 

 two feet above the base. These sections 

 were continued around the tree, leav- 

 ing a strip of bark about six or eight 

 inches wide between the wounds. The 

 sections of bark removed were eight 

 or ten inches long up and down and 

 about three or four inches in width at 

 the widest place. (4) A half dozen or 

 more trees in the same block were left 

 untreated. 



Last year all the trees that were 

 girdled according to method one aver- 

 aged from 18 to 2,5 bu.shels a tree. The 

 trees girdled according to methods two 

 and three bore but very little fruit. In 

 fact they were no more fruitful than 

 the ungirdled trees. The results this 

 year showed up jusL as they did last 

 year. The trees girdled according to 

 the first method were heavily loaded 

 with fruit, while the other trees had 

 large leaves and made much twig 

 growth, but set very little fruit. Again, 

 there was no more fruit on these trees 

 than there was on the untreated trees. 

 It is interesting to note that in all the 

 girdling work carried on by Mr. Alter 

 he has not damaged a single tree. The 

 wounds were carefully made with 

 clean, sharp tools and they were 

 treated at once with ordinary house 

 paint. As a result not a single case of 

 rot or disease can be found starting in 

 the old wounds. The old practice of 

 driving rusty nails and railroad spikes 

 into apple and pear trees to cause them 

 to fruit has been abandoned. .Such 

 work may cause the trees to fruit, but it 

 at the same time allows fungous dis- 

 eases and rots to become established in 

 the trunks of the trees, which soon 

 destroys them. 



The problem which confronted Mr. 

 Alter was, "How can I check the heavy 

 vegetative growth of the trees and 

 cause them to fruit without, at the 

 same time, making them more liable to 

 attacks by fungous diseases and insect 

 pests'?" Sowing grass in the orchard 

 and allowing it to remain in sod for 

 a few years had been recommended as 

 a means of checking the growth of the 

 trees and producing fruit. Likewise 

 summer pruning had been urged upon 

 him as the best means of producing 





Extra Large Lar[>e Medium 



Two-year Apple Trees 



4 to 6 ft. 3 to 5 ft. 



One-year Apple Trees 



The Experienced Fruit Grower Knows 



that the bearing stage of a tree is not determined by its age, 

 but by such factors as location, soil, care, cultivation and the 

 quality of the tree planted. Other things being equal, wide- 

 spreading, heavy roots give newly planted trees a quicker 

 start and a faster, more vigorous growth. Such trees make 

 long lived, productive orchards. 



What Pacific Coast Fruit Growers Say 



"The trees you sent last spring were 

 grand success. Some of them made 6 feet 

 growth. They arrived perfectly dormant, 

 while trees here were in leaf and blossom." 

 — C. F. Cooper, Albany, Oregon. 



"The trees were fine. Your rush order 

 surprised me; about three days ahead of my 

 estimate." — H. Tickamp, Spokane, Wash. 



"The 10 J. H. Hales I got of you are beat- 

 ing some two-year-old Elbertas put out at 

 the same time." — E. T. Creasey, Encanto, 

 California. 



"TheJ. H.Hale is superb. Holds its quality 

 as long as any peach I know. It would go 

 to Europe from California, if packed right." 

 —Parker Earle, Pasadena, California. 



Send for William P. Stark's New Fruit Book — Free i 



It contains only those varieties whose all- 

 "round worth has been proved by actual ex- 

 perience. It tells size, color, quahty; best 

 money-makers for your section; picking, 

 ripening and storage dates for apples, etc. 

 It is our only representative. We have no 

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 grower's prices. We guarantee true-to- 

 name, safe arrival and the passing of the 

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Your statement regarding the high grade ^ 

 of stock sent out by your nurseries, I can p 

 freely indorse. It is the hardiest, best /^ 



rooted stock we receive, and is always y" 

 well packed and in good condition. ^^ , ©• 

 Were I to order trees for myself. y ^ 

 I would order from yournurser- ,^ .•O^'-V" 

 ies." — H. M. V. Hall. Quaran- / C^ '" 



tine Inspector, San Diego, A ^ ^ - 



California. o^ '^ o*' 



^>^ 



William P. Stark 

 Nurseries 



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SLitJtC f//f?hx * 



Box 000 



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I'l-iiil on the barren trees. Neither of 

 these methods were tried out thor- 

 oughly, but Mr. Alter's long experience 

 in fruit growing had taught him that 

 insect pests and fungous diseases were 

 nuich harder to control in a sodded 

 orchard than in a well-cultivated 

 orchard. He also learned that pruning 

 during May and June often caused a 

 heavy flow of sap from wounds down 

 the large limbs and trunks of the trees, 

 making a very favoiable place for fungi 

 and insects to get a start. Mr. Alter is 

 watching the exijcriment closely and 

 he is anxious to know how long the 

 erfects of the first-girdling pi'ocess will 

 last; that is, when will rcgirdling he 

 necessary in order to keei) the trees 

 fruiting under the present cultural 



methods. While girdling has never 

 been generally recommended, yet in 

 the hands of the experienced orchard- 

 ist it may become a useful practice. 

 The work which Mr. Alter is doing is 

 very connnendable and no better 

 demonstration of apple-tree girdling 

 can be found anywhere than that on 

 his farm. Ilorlicullurists have been 

 profiled and will continue to be bene- 

 liled by this work. 



"Every place and every job have diffi- 

 cullies, the more so when they are new, 

 and while ever.\ Job has dilTiculties it 

 also has oijporlunlties. But no job ever 

 grows until brains are ajjplied to it." — 

 Through the Meshes. 



