Ebook Care and Management of Orchards

This marked change, coming in so short a time and in many cases involving serious loss, has naturally had a discouraging effect. In a few instances this discouragement has even led to the digging up of orchards. The increase in the amount of damage by orchard enemies has been the more depressing because the idea had gained considerable credence that the previous immunity from such loss was due to some special peculiarity of the soil or climate, or both. Unfortunately, this idea still prevails in sections where, for some reason or other, pests have not yet become a serious factor. At one time, when Western Oregon apples were justly famous, the growers said, We \viii never have wormy apples here because the climate is so moist.' In the warm interior valleys orchardists now claim that fungous diseases will never be a menace because the climate is-too hot and dry; and upon the interior uplands their competitiors say that no insect or fungus enemy need ever be feared because of the winds and the cool nights. In all this there is a somewhat laboured effort to consider as proven what is at best a hope. The experience of nearly every new region has been much the same. No place has yet been discovered where orchards will thrive where pests will not thrive also. The general truth of the statement is not affected by the well known fact that the amount of damage caused by a particular insect or fungus varies greatly in different regions and in the same regions from year to year. The rapid spread of certain pests like the codlin moth and apple scab in recent years has led some to the opposite extreme of view, namely, that pests are far more injurious here than in other fruit-growing regions. A careful comparison of the loss occasioned here in neglected orchards with similar injury in older States reveals no evidence to justify such a conclusion.