36 BIENNIAL REPORT 



my district and will probably remain one of the standards as it keeps 

 fairly well, and is of good quality, maturing before danger of frosts. Yellow 

 Transparent leads, Wealthy following, Duchess and Alexander ranking next. 

 This gives a list of five apples that have proved perfectly hardy. The objec- 

 tions urged against them are earliness and tenderness for shipping in Yel- 

 low Transparent. Wealthy, otherwise perfect, drops badly in places. Duch- 

 ess is too early for most markets. Alexaijlder is too large and lacks in qual- 

 ity. No complaints have been registered against the Mcintosh, but Ben 

 Davis fails to mature in most shaded situations, and lacks quality. Next to 

 these Northern Spy has proved perfectly reliable but is late coming into 

 bearing, while Gano and Delaware Red winter have done remarkably well 

 everywhere. There is no lack of suitable early apples and crabs. On the 

 east and west shores of Flathead lake a large number of varieties have 

 fruited this year showing that this is probably the most favorable section in 

 Montana. In regard to stocks for plums there have been many complaints 

 of peach. Plum on plum has proved more satisfactory. Low topped trees 

 have as a rule suffered less than high topped, but where trees have ha^ part 

 of their tops killed back the remaining portion has in many instances seemed 

 unable to utilize the full flow of sap, and many bark injuries resembling sun 

 scald have resulted. The most interesting cases of this sort appear to have 

 occurred to grafts and yearlings, which, although perfectly free from woolly 

 aphis havie developed knots and galls on the roots. These diseased portions 

 where occuring above the ground are in some cases unobserved, the skin 

 not bursting but loosening gradually from the trunk. It ;differs from the 

 crown disease, reported as attacking Baldwins in the eastern states, in the 

 fact that the root is sound. It has been cured by cutting the diseased or 

 loose bark away, and binding up with wax tightly. The sapsucker, aspe- 

 cies of woodpecker, often attacks these diseased portions. This bird is very 

 destructive to orchards, and observers all agree that it attacks green woq'd 

 without a sign of a worm or grub on it. It is generally believed to drink or 

 suck the sap hence its name. A life study of this bird would be interesting 

 work for the Biological station on Flatehad lake and fruit growers will wel- 

 come an expert statement as to why he pecks perfectly clean orchard trees. 

 The injury seems to affect the tree more than the size of the wound would 

 suggest. 



The second pest of importance is the grey pocket gopher. This animal 

 probably kills more trees in my district than any other cause. It does not 

 attacked irrigated orchards as much as non-irrigated. It can be tapped easily 

 in summer but in winter or early spring much damage is done undetected. 

 Alfalfa will attract them, and a field near the orchard seems a protection. 

 The best trap of se\7eral I have seen is that made by the Animal Trap Co., 

 Abingdon, 111. The common steel Newhouse ranking next. 



A pine tree borer is reported as very destructive to roots of apple trees 

 on the Missoula river. The tarnished plant-bug is also numerous in places. 



