156 An American Fruit-Farm 



of bushels of pears are raised. The trees grow 

 luxuriantly, blossom freely, and set abundantly for 

 fruit; suddenly the blight bums the foliage to a 

 crisp. The scale too affects the pear. When 

 the blight can be prevented, — the scale can now be 

 successfully treated by spraying, — the Valley will 

 become one of the most profitable pear sections 

 in the country. The fruit-grower must move 

 along the line of least resistance; hence he must 

 raise fruit best in quality, greatest in quantity, 

 and with least possible labor. This means that 

 he must utilize the privileges of climate by utiliz- 

 ing all means and methods of fruit-raising known to 

 experience. I believe that the Valley, — or any 

 other fruit section, — can be made to be the profit- 

 able home of all fruit possible to its climate. The 

 problem is for the fruit-grower himself to solve. 



Of enemies of the plum and the prune the name 

 is legion and the list lengthening every year. 

 Black knot, scale, curculio, brown rot (fungus), 

 and other enemies swarm down upon trees of this 

 family. Bordeaux mixture holds the ftmgi in 

 check; shaking the tree brings down the ciu-culio; 

 the scale must be killed by spraying; moths and 

 insects generally can be routed also with the 

 sprayer. It is not a difficult task. Pruning of the 

 tree seems to increase its power to resist disease. 

 But too many plum trees of mixed varieties are like 

 an overcrowded hospital. No one in the Valley 

 need fear to attempt a plum or prune orchard 

 because of its insect or fungi enemies; the spray 



