THE FARMERS' MONTHLY, AUGUST, 1928 



Two High Spots From 



Fruit Growers' Talks 



Pointed Phases From a 

 Practical Peach Grower 



(Essence of Farm and Home Week talk 

 given by Mr. S. W. Funk, Boyertown, Pa. 

 When introduced as a peach expert, Mr. 

 Funk defined an expert as "an ordinary 

 man away from home." He operates a 

 680-acre orchard and sells about 20,000 

 bushels locally each year.) 



"Be sure you have a good location or 

 stay out of the peach business. Elevation 

 is essential, but slope not so important 

 as for strawberries. The best peach soil 

 is light, loose and friable. Peaches de- 

 mand thorough cultivation. If you plant 

 a peach orchard and let it go, it will "go" 

 all right. Plant in spring using three to 

 four feet trees. Cultivate constantly until 

 July 20. 



"We need not more peaches but better 

 peaches. Large fruit is in demand. It 

 should be 21 inches and up. One 2-inch 

 peach occupies about the same place in a 

 basket as eight I-inch peaches, but the 

 eight small ones draw nearly eight times 

 as much nourishment as the large one 

 (because of the pits) , and sell for less 

 money. We need to thin religiously." 



Mr. Funk believes in pruning to an out- 

 side branch, not a lateral bud. He cautions 



against thinning out the middle of the 

 trees too much. His orchard has less than 

 two per cent of "yellows", because the 

 trees are inspected two or three times a 

 year and every one that looks suspicious 

 is removed. 



(Essence of Farm and Home Week talk 

 given by H. M. Rogers, Southington, Con- 

 necticut. Mr. Rogers is doing an ex- 

 ceptionally good job of operating a large 

 Connecticut orchard.) 



Rogers Raps Rigid Spray Program 



"A rigid orchard spray program is im- 

 possible. The spray schedule must be 

 modified to fit the season and the pests 

 to be controlled." Mr. Rogers dusted 

 with sulfur during the blooming period 

 this year and thereby secured better scab 

 control. He also found that parasites 

 had eliminated aphids to such an extent 

 that nicotine sulphate could be omitted. 

 Both of these items are contrary to the 

 plan of procedure in the average orchard. 



Mr. Rogers believes that dust should be 

 applied when dew is not too heavy. This 

 makes dusting during the evening prefer- 

 able to night or eai'ly morning. In the 

 large orchard he considers both duster 

 and spray necessary equipment. 



The stationary spray outfit is not com- 

 ing into favor in Connecticut because 

 such an outfit involves the use of too 

 much help and too much material. In 

 one orchard where a stationary outfit is 



in use, 9 gallons per tree were used where 

 3 would have been sufficient. We make 

 frequent applications and use moderate 

 amounts. The Quad Nozzle on a short 

 rod has proven very efficient. 



W. H. Thies. 



Fruit Growers Hold 



Successful Field Day 



Continued from pag:e 1. column 1 

 a wrapped apple and for that reason only 

 the highest quality fruit should be wrap- 

 ped. New England Mcintosh brought 

 more money on the New York market last 

 year than McInto.sh from any other sec- 

 tion." 



Rep. Qriggs Addresses Group 

 Rep. Frederick D. Griggs, who is now 

 a candidate for the republican nomination 

 as congressman in the place of Congress- 

 man Bowles, told the group of the inter- 

 dependence of the city and the farm. "Our 

 industrial centers prosper in proportion 

 to the prosperity on the farms. Half of 

 the population of this country live in 

 small villages and towns. These people 

 represent 40% of the purchasing power 

 of the nation. Thus when farmers get 

 good prices for their crops they are able 

 to buy the products produced by the urban 

 population which works in the mills and 

 factories. Agriculture and industry 

 must go forward together if the whole na- 

 tion is to prosper." 



For that job of ditching or 

 sub soiling or preparing the land 

 for setting out your new trees, use 



Atlas Dynamite 



Your neighbors are using it successfully. 



"That Good Hardware Store" 

 Tel. II — Open Saturday Evening 



FOSTER-FARRAR CO. 



162 Main Street 



Northampton, Mass. 



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