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and humidity. 



Tho stage is sat for heavy mouse damage bet^/een now and spring un- 

 less vie do something about it. A heavy grov/th of grass in the orchard pro- 

 vides ideal quarters for mice v;ith some protection against natural enemies. 

 House runs are very numerous in many Massachusetts orchards. We cannot stress 

 too strongly the necessity of baiting v^ith either zinc phosphide treated apple 

 cubes or crushed oats wherever signs of mice are in evidence. If there are 

 many drop apples in the orchard the grain bait is likely to be more offectivo 

 than the apple bait. 



Spraying season worries v;ill be lessened in 1943 if v/e take good care 

 of the sprayer this fall. The sprayer should be drained at least, to make sure 

 that nothing is damaged when the fii*st real freezeup arrives. And if time 

 hangs heavy on any fruit grovrer's hands a start should be made on overhauling 

 the sprayer and on making a careful checkup of needed repairs. Me may have to 

 make the present sprayer last several years. 



The time has also arrived for mulching the strawberry planting, A 

 layer of strav/ before the ground freezes hard may be one of the best vmys of 

 insuring a good crop of strav^berries next spring. Mulching protects strav/- 

 berry plants from heaving, prevents croi/m injury, offers some protection 

 against spring frosts, conserves moisture, and keeps the berries clean. 



On a singl-'i entarpriso farm, ivhore anything like a normal supply of 

 labor is available, there is less excuse for delay in doing essential tasks. 

 And although fruit growing is a highly specialized enterprise to which un- 

 divided attention must be given at certain critical seasons, most fruit 

 growers have one or more other enterprises to supplement the farm income, 

 Ilavin;^ tv;o "irons in the firo" is an ideal arrangement, so long as one is 

 not allov;ed to get cold v/hilo v'e liainr.ior at the other. The v^hity collar boss 

 of former years is donning overalls for the duration. On many farms two men 

 will do the T;ork \/hich throe or four did prejviously. Longer hours, better 

 planning, and noro shortcuts will t'jnd to keep tho fruit ontjrpriso going at 

 top speed. 



DO YOU Kiiav 



That many of our corai.ion varieties of fruits are, in reality, hybrids 

 developed by crossing two distinct species? The Kieffer pear, for example, 

 is a cross betv/een the ordinary pear (Pyrus communis) and the Oriental pear 

 (P.serotina). The purple raspberries, including Sodus, are the result of cross- 

 ing the red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and the black raspberry (R. occidentalis). 

 Certain varieties of grapes, including Brighton, are crosses between the 

 European Grape (Vitis vinifera) and the Fox Grape (V. labrusca). 



That the roots of an apple tree often extend outv/ard at least tvdce as 

 far as the branches? After the flood of 193G, measurements were riiade of a 

 9-year-old apple tree, the root system of v/hich v;as partially exposed by ero- 

 sion, Vihile the branches reached outward a distance of only about 8 feet, one 

 root actually measured 25 feet in length. 



