990 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



and Barry for general crop; white — Faith, F. B. Hayes, and Moore 

 Diamond; red — Perkins, Brilliant, Goethe, and Catawba; wine grapes — 

 Herbeniont, Herman Jaeger, Cnnuingham, Elvira, Jaquez, and 

 Catawba. 



Some obstacles to successful fruit grooving, F. W. Card 

 {NebrasM 8ta. Bui. 39, pp. 127-13'J, pi. 1). 



Synopsis. — The chief obstacles in the way of orchards in Nebraska are stated to be 

 borers, mice and rabbits, crown galls, nematode galls, and drought. The results 

 of experiments made to obviate these evils are given and remedies suggested. 



The flat-headed borer {Chrysohothris femorata) is believed to do more 

 damage than any other ol" the several species attacking fruit trees in 

 the State, being far more injurious than the round-headed borer caus- 

 ing damage in the East. The life history is briefly noted. Experiments 

 were made by ai)plying various substances to the trunks of trees in 

 early summer to prevent the beetles from laying their eggs. They 

 were as follows: Soapsuds containing a little kerosene; carbolic acid 

 and potash wash; potash, lard, and lime wash; white-lead paint; and 

 copperas and lime whitewash. The best result was obtained by means 

 of the white lead paint, although the washes containing potash are 

 also recommended. The mixtures may be applied by means of an old 

 broom, and one application will last 3 or 4 months. 



In the case of damage by gnawing by mice and rabbits a thin coat- 

 ing of grafting wax over the injured portion was found to be more sat- 

 isfactory than the mixture of soil and cow manure usually applied. 

 Keeping the orchards clean from weeds and rubbish is recommended 

 and rubbing the trunks of the trees with bloody meat or other disagree- 

 able substances in the fall. 



Crown galls, producing a rough, knotty growth on the trunks at the 

 surface of the ground, are discussed and illustrated from photographs, 

 but no remedy except that of destroying afi'ected trees is suggested. 

 Nematode root galls, which are sometimes found on trees received from 

 the Southern States, it is believed will not cause much trouble In 

 Nebraska on account of the cold winters killing the worms. 



The greatest loss to fruit growers is believed to be due to lack of rain, 

 and the question of preventing damage from drought by means of fur- 

 nishing sufficient moisture to the soil is discussed. It is believed that 

 frequent shallow cultivation will cause a greater conservation of moist- 

 ure in the soil than can be supi^lied by irrigation. The opinions of 

 prominent orchardists in the State are quite in support of this view. 

 The idanting of wind-breaks by the side of orchards is urged to prevent 

 evaporation by winds. To test the value of different methods of culti- 

 vation the station orchard was divided up into plats, one of which was 

 pastured, another mowed, a third harrowed every 2 weeks until the 

 first part of August, while on the fourth shallow cultivation was con- 

 tinued until the beginning of October. The foliage made a much more 

 thrifty growth in the cultivated plats, and the yield of fruit was 17 per 



