The Fruit Grower should read up on science, especially in the subjects
of Botany and Entomology. A knowledge of these will help his prosperity
very materially, and give weight to his opinions. He should know the
principles that underlie his methods, so that he may have independence
of action, and not be swayed about by every opinion and superstitious
notion of another.
A short time ago a neighbor came to me in great consternation, a large
species of Hemiptera, (_Belostoma Americana_,) such as he had never seen
before, flew into his window one night. He was terribly frightened, and
brought it me, saying, “it was surely an omen of some great calamity!”
The same man thought he had made a great discovery. One day, seeing
countless numbers of Aphides upon his cherry trees, and many ants
visiting them to suck their sweet juices, he at once concluded that the
ants brought the lice, and exultingly told us he had found a method of
keeping the ants from climbing his trees! Such men in their ignorance of
science, will be very likely to mistake friends for foes; and the Lady
Beetle or the Calosoma are as much in danger of destruction at their
hands as the Aphis, or the Doryphora.
A COMMON MISTAKE IN PRUNING.—We notice those trees need most pruning
that have had most of it. Vigorous shoots in the crotches of apple
trees, in most cases indicate injudicious pruning. Some people try to
make their trees grow dish-shaped, and cut out the central limbs; but
nature rebels against such abuse. A little attention to botany shows
that every tree has its normal shape, and that all the pruner should
attempt is to thin out weak and superfluous limbs, or shorten in long
and slender ones. Several young orchards here show much feebleness
resulting from abusive pruning.
THE EARLY SEASON.—Blossoms were out three weeks sooner this spring than
usual, as is seen by the following comparative memoranda: apple
blossoms, May 25th, 1874; May 27th, 1875; May 26th, 1876; May 20th,
1877; May 3rd, 1878. Peach blossoms were out this year on the 24th of
April, on which date in 1875, the ground was still frozen up and covered
with snow.
THE MAY FROST has done considerable damage. Cherries have suffered worse
than any other fruit, for the connection not yet being severed between
the corolla and the receptacle, the frosting of the flower destroyed the
fruit also. The peach suffered very little, being protected by the
corolla, which was loosened, but not yet cast. Other causes, however,
combine to destroy our hopes of a very abundant crop. The apple is
intact, with the exception of the Greening and the Russet, which have
been somewhat thinned.
THE CURL is a malady which has this year attacked the peach orchards
about Grimsby to an extent hitherto quite unknown. It made its
appearance toward the end of May, and was a source of great anxiety to
some who mistook it for that terrible scourge, the yellows. The leaves
curled up, became much thickened with reddish swellings on the upper
side. Then they took a yellowish hue, and began to drop, and about the
first of June our orchards presented an almost deathly appearance.
Fortunately the experience of the past shows us that it does no material
injury to the tree, and that we may expect a new crop of healthy
foliage. The variety that has suffered most from the Curl with us is the
Early Beatrice, from which not only the leaves, but most of the fruit
has fallen.
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