COVER CROPS J WINTER CARE) 



79 



Blossom knowledge: 1. Scarcely one fruit blossom in ten sets 

 fruit, even in the most favorable seasons and with the most pro- 

 ductive varieties. 2. Trees making a very vigorous growth may 

 drop their blossoms. 3. Brown rot, apple or pear scab, and pear 

 blight may kill the blossoms. 4. Frost injury to blossoms is of 

 all degrees. Even flowers which appear to be uninjured may be 

 so weakened that they can not set fruit. 5. Rain during the 

 blooming season prevents the setting of fruit, chiefly by destroy- 

 ing the vitality of the pollen, injuring the stigma, or by pre- 

 venting fertilization because of the low temperature. The 

 washing of pollen from the anthers seldom causes serious loss. 

 6. If a tree stands alone and does not bear fruit, it may be 

 self-sterile. 



Sun-scald is usually caused by alternate freezing and thaw- 

 ing, which eventually bursts the bark on the southward side of 

 the tree trunk near the ground. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, it is caused by the sun striking too hot in 

 summer on exposed branches or trunk. It is a 

 serious trouble in some orchards and with some 

 varieties, and the only sure remedy is to shade the 

 trunk in some manner. Wrappings of wood veneer 

 or laths answer the purpose, generally speaking. 

 Besides, such wrappings fence out mice and rabbits. 

 I earnestly advise my brother orchardists to avail 

 themselves of this double protection. Wood-veneer 

 tree protectors may be purchased for about $5 per 

 1000, and will last several years. Protection against 

 sun -scald and rabbit injury is especially necessary 

 for young trees. 



Abel F. Stevens says: "Spring frosts have PROTECTOR 

 caused an immense amount of damage. We have 

 been very successful in combating the baneful effects of killing 

 frosts by the following method : Mix coal-tar with sawdust and 

 old straw, and place in heaps on the windward side. When 

 heavy frosts threaten, set these heaps afire. They will burn for 

 many hours, making a dense smoke which completely protects 

 blossoms or fruit." An excellent idea, surely. In this connection 

 I would say that some western orchardists are using an electric 

 automatic alarm thermometer, to give warning at night when 

 frost damage threatens. This saves the owner the trouble of 

 sitting up nights. The thermometer is fastened to a post in the 

 orchard, and wires run from it to an alarm bell in the house 

 bedroom. If the cold reaches the danger point, the bell rings, 

 and the fruit-grower can then hasten out and light his smudges, 

 lyet me say, further, that sprinkling or irrigating an orchard 

 when frost threatens, is often an excellent preventive of frost 

 injury. 



Beware of borers: Various kinds of borers fat, whitish 

 worms attack the different varieties of fruit trees; there are 

 the apple-tree borers, the peach-tree borers, etc.. etc. It will be 

 wise to begin looking for signs of these pests the fall or spring 



