Recent investigations sugr;s3t the need in certain soil 

 types for an applicatlcin of 1 irno to provide the element calcj.um. 

 Prom Lhe standpoint of the tree, it may be concluded that soil 

 drai;iage and the physical structure of the soil may bo of greater 

 imx^ortance than the condition of acidity or allralinity in itself. 

 The practice of applying lime beneath fruit trees for the purpose 

 of sv;eetening the soil, or to provide calcium as a nutrient, may 

 have application in vei-y limited areas. It seems tu'have a much 

 wider application in New England as a means of stimulating the 

 cover crop. 



V/a s hington S tresses Thoroughness in Spray ing 



The" 1938 Apple Spray Chart for the state of Washington 

 tells hovif to spray, in no uncertain terms. In presenting the 

 details of the 3 cover sprays, we find in red t^ype, the words 

 "Spray Thoroughly" no less than 27 times. In addition, the words 

 "Spray Very Heavily," likewise in red, appear 3 times where ad- 

 vice on a very severe infestation of codling moth is given. The 

 words "Test Your Coverage" appear in red in connection with the 

 last 5 cover sprays and to top things off there appears at the 

 top of the spray schedule these v;ords, "Major efforts must be 

 directed towards first brood elimination." 



Here in Massachusetts we have no very serious problem 

 Vi/ith codling moth. B\it we have a very able substitute in the 

 form of apple scab. Our fight against primary infection of apple 

 scab is very similar to the fight against first brood codling 

 moth in the Northwest. If the Washington grower loses out In 

 protecting his crop against the first brood, he might as well 

 go fishing the rest of the summer. The same is true about pri- 

 mary scab infection in Massachusetts. The critical time for 

 scab control is from, the Pre-pink stage of bud development in 

 late April to the Calyx stage around the first of June, Inci- 

 dentally, in the last issue of the American Agriculturist will 

 be found an excellent article entitled "Going After Apple Scab," 

 by 0. C. Boyd of the State College staff. 



Starting the loung Tr ee Ri ght 



Tlie month of April seems to be a fitting time to say 

 something about young fruit trees. You rem.embcr the old saying 

 "Train up a child in the v/ay he shall go, and when ho is old he 

 will not depart from it." That statem^^nt Is at least partially 

 true. Vife never seem to get completely away from those early in- 

 fluences. The fruit tree, too, is. ^responsive individual. Vifhat 

 happens to the tree, whether it be apple, pear, or peach, during 

 the first two or three years, determines to a large extent what 

 it will be later on. 



The wrlt'-r is a firm believer in getting the young tree 

 off to a good start. Not so m^uch by pruning it into submission 

 the first year, but by doing whatever is necessary to make it 

 grow rapj.dly up to bearing age. Of course we are in favor of 

 getting rid of weak crotches v/hen the tree is planted and in giv- 

 ing the "leader" a real lead over any of the branches, biit anothci 

 thing of importance is that the tree become firm^ly established 

 the first year a^id actually make.' som.e growth. 



