Page Ttventy-six 



BETTER FRUIT 



April, 1922 



Technique and Tools in Pruning 



PRUNING at different times through 

 the growing season has different ef- 

 fects. In early summer when the vitality of 

 the tree is not taxed by the maturing of 

 fruit, the weakening effects are perceptibly 

 less or more easily overcome. If done quite 

 late when the leaves have become somewhat 

 inactive the effects are nearly the same as 

 winter pruning except that slightly more 

 food material is removed. 



Authorities disagree as to proper time to 

 summer prune. Some hold that is must be 

 done just previous to the differentiation of 

 the leaf and blossom buds. Just when this 

 occurs we do not know. According to re- 

 cent observations of the Virginia station, 

 it would probably be about the middle of 

 June. Others advocate pruning at a spe- 

 cific time; just at the close of the vigorous 

 summer's growth while the tree is begin- 

 ning to store up reserve food, and develop 

 buds for the coming season's growth. The 

 date depends upon the location, variety, 

 methods of culture and season, varying 

 from July until September. 



Pruning at any time during the active 

 growing season will have the desired weak- 

 ening effect. The former possibly may 

 give more immediate results by Inducing 

 the formation of fruit buds for the follow- 

 ing year. The later pruning when the 

 plant is more or less exhausted from the 

 production of fruit and usually poorer 

 moisture conditions will have a greater 

 weakening effect. 



On extremely vigorous growers, or when 

 much thinning out and removing of large 

 branches is required, two summer prunings 

 would be advisable. Tip back just pre- 

 vious to the formation of fruit buds, and 

 thin out and remove large branches just at 

 the close of the vigorous growing season. 

 It takes nerve and decision to remove large 

 branches in the summer when the fruit is 

 On, but the effect on the tree is more sat- 

 isfactory. The weakening effect more or 

 less counteracts the stimulating effect and 

 \% less conducive to water sprouts and an 

 unbalanced condition of the tree. 



Pruning Tools — Good tools encourage 

 good work. It is not necessary to have a 

 large variety. Too many tools are cum- 

 bersome. 



During the first two years of the tree's 

 development the pruning is best done with 

 a pair of small pruning shears. How- 

 ever, the orchardist should always possess a 

 good sharp pocket knife. 



Short-handled pruning shears will suffice 

 for the third and fourth years. It is the 

 handiest, strongest and easiest cutting tool 

 for pruning under nine feet in height. It 

 readily cuts branches one and one half 

 inches in diameter. 



From the fifth year on practically all 

 the pruning is done with short handled 

 pruning shears and long handled pruners, 

 six to twelve feet in length, according to 

 the height of the tree. With the long 



handled pruners all topping back and thin- 

 ning the top can be done from the ground. 

 This gives the pruner a chance to compare 

 one side of the tree with the other and 

 hence he can make a more shapely tree. It 

 is also a more rapid way than moving a 

 ladder about the tree and using short- 

 handled pruning shears. 



The ladder and saw are seldom needed 

 in an orchard receiving annual prunings, 

 but are most useful tools in the renovating 

 of old orchards. 



Gathering Up Prunings — Where the 

 prunings are not too large a common hay 

 rake may be used in bunching them. 



A low sled with a top ten-foot square 

 is very satisfactory in removing the brush 

 from the orchard. It is easy to load and 

 unload and is convenient under and among 

 the trees. 



To set fire to a pile of green prunings 

 and make It burn is quite a difficult matter. 

 Start a good fire with old rails or cord 

 wood, then pile the prunings gradu.ally as 

 they are taken from the orchard. 



New Packing Stand 



A STAND for packing fruit has been in- 

 vented by Charles A. Brand, of Rose- 

 burg, Oregon. The device includes a tilt- 

 ing rack on which the boxes in which the 

 fruit is packed is supported in a slanting 

 position inclined toward the operator. In 

 this position the packer can more conven- 

 iently fill the boxes with fruit. 



The device enables the packer to elimin- 

 ate lifting as with a simple touch of the 

 hand the filled box can be tilted back to 

 a horizontal position and slid off the hori- 

 zontal rolls to the discharge rack and 

 Instantly start the packing of the next box. 

 It makes it possible for women, who do 

 most of the fruit packing, to attend to 

 the entire work without calling for a man 

 attendant to lift the boxes out of the way. 



Claim is made for the state of Wiscon- 

 sin that practically one-half the entire 

 pack of peas in the nation is put up by 

 Badger state canners. According to the 

 Wisconsin College of Agriculture, a total 

 of 4,063,000 cases of peas were canned 

 in the state this season. The total pack 

 of the United States is given as 8,207,000 

 cases. 



According to Washington state officials 

 fruit growers of the state last season spent 

 $1,5 00,000 for spray materials and double 

 that sum for applications of the sprays. 



Prune growers of Oregon are estimated 

 to have spent $250,000 last season for 

 Italian and Petite trees. 



ALBATROSS BRANDS 



Prevent 



the "blotch" or "burn" of the 

 spray on fruit 



Observe this study in contrasts. The apple at the 

 left was sprayed with Arsenate of Lead — a wonder- 

 fully good spray. But the user neglected to mix 

 Spray Spread" with it. Below is a similar apple- 

 sprayed with the same kind of spray— but Albatross 

 Spray Spread was mixed with the spray. Note the 

 difference— the "lead" dried on the FIRST apple in 

 , Bpots or blotches. The 

 second apple received 

 an equal amount of 

 protective spray — but 

 it spread over the 

 I apple in a thin film. 

 I Appearance and mar- 

 keting appeal of the 

 I appleis thus retained. 

 I The pictures tell why 

 I Government experts 

 I are so enthused over 

 "Spray Spread" — 

 why experienced hor- 

 I ticulturists say it has 



ALBATROSS 

 SPRAY SPREAD 



(Calcium Caseinate Compound) 

 The Original and Genuine Spray Spreader 



Quality Features: 



1. Very finely ground 

 — always uniform, 



2. Quickly Soluble. 



3. No lost time. 



4. Protects fruit with 

 uniform coating. 



5. Does not inj ure 

 foliage. 



6. Recommended by 

 experts. 



7. Guaranteed by 

 manufacturers. 



Directions sent wzth ,,■ , ,, , ., . 



each order Note the uniform, adhenns 



film on this apple 

 PACKAGES AND PRICES 



200 lb. Bbl. Boxes 1 lb. Pkgs. 



20c lb. 23c lb. 25c lb. 



Freight prepaid to Northwest points. 



?C 



;? 



NOTE : If you use Casein, specify ALBATROSS Sup- 

 erfine. Also call for Albatross Dry Bordeaux. 



It is best to treat seed potatoes with cor- 

 rosive sublimate while they are still dor- 

 mant. 



General Basic Products Co., Sole Manufac- 

 turers, 4796 E. Marginal Way, Seattle. 

 U. S. A. Dealers: Address us for attrac- 

 tive sales proposition. 



Long: Growing' Season 



GOVERNMENT weather bureau rec- 

 ords show that valley sections west of 

 the mountains, in Oregon and Washington, 

 have growing seasons running from 208 to 

 261 days. For the easterner who marvels 

 at the wide variety of crops so successfully 

 grown in these sections, this fact is one ot 

 the simple explanations. The statistics, it 

 should be noted, are the average for 20 

 years, and not just for a few favorabla 

 seasons. 



Here is a vitally important consideration 

 for the man who is comparing advantages 

 of our fruit sections with those of other 

 states and regions. The growing season, 

 it is to be understood, is measured from 

 killing frost to killing frost. 



