March, 1919 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
85 
What of the Future? 
It seemed to me as I visited 
around among the members at our 
annual convention this winter, 
that our State Horticultural So- 
ciety shows signs of growing 
pains. 
In most cases, State Horticul- 
tural Societies finally develop so 
that their activities are specially 
directed in some one direction, 
generally as commercial apple 
growers. There have been times 
when this has seemed to be the 
tendency of the Wisconsin society. 
At the past convention there was 
some complaint that the commer- 
cial apple men had been neglected. 
When one considers the diversity 
of interests, in fact one might say 
the opposing interests represented 
in our Society it is rather a ayou- 
der we all get on so peaceably. 
Consider that we have : 
Commercial apple growers, 
Home orchardists, 
Cherry growers, 
Cranberry growers, 
Market gardeners, 
Home gardeners, 
Professional florists, 
Private gardeners, 
Home flower lovers, 
Retail nurserymen, 
Wholesale nurserymen, 
Perhaps a few commission men, 
Small fruit growers, 
A miscellaneous collection of 
Professors, 
Home makers, 
And probably some Avho don’t 
belong among any of the above. 
Does it not look as though your 
Secretary Avould be puzzled to 
keep everybody satisfied? 
To be of greatest value, we are 
too diversified in our general in- 
terests. Then A\-hat shall Ave do? 
AHoav some one interest to pre- 
dominate? That Avill hardly sat- 
isfy many. 
The other alternative seems to 
be to make the state society a sort 
of parent association to correlate 
all Avork and keep everything go- 
ing strong, with the principal in- 
terests represented in separate 
auxiliary societies or sections. 
This idea as applied to the 
Wisconsin society is not original 
Avith the Avriter by any means. It 
Avas first brought to my mind by 
the talk of Dr. Fracker at our an- 
nual banquet a year ago, and the 
success of the Woman’s Auxiliary 
during the past year has increased 
my interest. 
This is but the rough presenta- 
tion of the idea. I hope that 
those who read this AA T ill Avrite to 
Mr. Cranefield expressing their 
opinions either for or against the 
plan. If there is merit in the 
thing, then I am sure the time is 
here Avhen we must Avork out the 
practical details. 
— W. A. Toole, Baraboo, Wis. 
Killing Woolly Aphis on Roots. 
Carbon disulphid, in solution at 
the rate of one-half ounce to four 
gallons of Avater and applied at 
the rate of three-fourths, gallon 
per square foot of soil, Avill con- 
trol the root form of the woolly 
apple aphis and without injury to 
the trees under suitable condi- 
tions, says the IT. S. Department 
of Agriculture, in Bulletin 730, 
recently published. The solution 
is prepared by pouring the carbon 
disulphid into the Avater and agi- 
tating the mixture vigorously. 
When applied on the soil around 
a tree the liquid penetrates into 
the ground and the poison gas 
given off by the chemical kills the 
pest. Every square foot of in- 
fested soil should be subjected to 
the action of the solution in order 
to insure complete control. This 
may be accomplished by pouring 
the liquid in a shallow basin made 
in the soil around the tree. 
In orchard practice Avhere many 
trees are to be treated, the solu- 
tion is best applied by using a 
power spraying outfit and tAvo 
auxiliary tanks. The advantages 
of this method, according to the 
bulletin, are, the even diffusion of 
the liquid and complete aphid 
mortality in the soil area treated 
and the safety Avith which the di- 
sulphid can be used. The disad- 
vantages of the method are : the 
huge amounts of Avater required, 
Avith consequent high cost of la- 
bor; the difficulty on any but level 
ground of preparing basins Avith 
level floors, thus insuring the 
proper distribution of the liquid 
over the area treated, and the 
wide area of infested roots, on 
older trees, every square foot of 
which must be treated with the 
liquid. This last condition pre- 
cludes the use of carbon disulphid 
except on small trees with re- 
stricted root areas. 
Sodium cyanid, kerosene emul- 
sion and deep planting of trees 
Avere other measures of control in- 
vestigated, but they are not rec- 
ommended by the department. 
If the Aveather is not severe, hot- 
beds may be started early in 
March. See that they are well 
protected on the outside Ai-itli dry 
straAA’ or dry manure. Heating 
or Avet manure freezes and takes 
heat from the beds. 
The small, Avell pruned and Avell 
sprayed home orchard is Avorth 
more to the farm than the large 
one uncared for. Cut out the 
trees you can not take care of. 
