Dick Bethell, one of the founders of the
Apple Hill Growers Association, has passed away May 24th, 2008 at the age of 80 years.
"He was the right man in the right place at the right time" said Ed Delfino. Dick Bethell Co-founded the Apple Hill Growers Association and retired as a UC Cooperative Extension farm adviser in El Dorado County; pioneered pest management and ranching irrigation systems and was instrumental in launching the El Dorado County wine industry.
Bethell was born in Penryn on May 24, 1927 to William D. and Margaret S. Bethell. He was raised on an orchard in Penryn and took an early liking to all living plants. He attended Placer High School, where he played basketball. Bethell graduated from UC Davis with a master’s degree in horticulture and went to work for the UC Extension Program.
Moving to Placerville, he started as the farm adviser for El Dorado County in 1955, a position he held for 36 years. One of his major accomplishments during that time was the formation of Apple Hill, the first ranch marketing program in Northern California.
Mr. Bethell played a key role in expanding the El Dorado County agriculture industry for 36 years as a University of California Cooperative Extension farm adviser. He moved to Placerville several years before pear decline wiped out the top horticultural crop. He developed programs to fight the disease, including the first pest-management manual for pears on the West Coast.
From 1958 to 1960 there was a tremendous change in the agricultural community. Pear Decline decimated the major horticultural crop
of the county. Dick was instrumental in developing programs to combat Pear Decline and to stimulate and expand the various agricultural industries in Northern California. Some major accomplishments were the formation of Apple Hill, the first ranch marketing program in Northern California and a major tourist draw. Dick also supervised wine grape test plots at various elevations throughout the county. He persuaded the
US Davis, Dept of Enology to make wine from these grapes grown in the region. The wines tested by experts and the successful results
initiated an industry that boasts over 2,000 acres of vineyards and 52 wineries.
Dick authored the first pest management manual for an agricultural crop (pears). The Pear Pest Management Manual was the first west coast publication of a pest control program that targeted pests and was beneficial to other insects and organisms. Dick also recognized the importance of water conservation. He developed the concept of the Irrigation Management System. The IMS was implemented to reduce overall water usage but meet the specific irrigation requirements of the crops. Dick also played a vital part in the community by helping establish ordinances that protected farms and wineries. His efforts to establish ranch marketing and winery ordinances stabilized the vital part of the economics of the entire El Dorado County Agricultural Industry.
In the early 1960's Dick and partners bought property in Camino, planting an apple orchard that would become Mother Lode Orchards. That ranch was the synthesis of his passion for growing the best quality fruit and providing people with the firsthand experience of buying fresh produce where it was grown.
He worked with county Agriculture Commissioner Ed Delfino to help growers recover with a different crop. In 1964, they joined ranchers Gene Bolster and Bob Tuck to form the Apple Hill Growers Association, the first ranch marketing program in Northern California. The annual apple harvest became a major tourist attraction, including Christmas tree farms and wineries.
Mr. Bethell also oversaw planting of wine grape test plots at various foothill elevations and persuaded enologists from the University of California, Davis, to produce wine from the crop in 1967. Successful tasting events ignited an El Dorado County wine industry that grew from 6 acres to more than 2,000 acres of vines and 50 wineries. He also helped pass ranch marketing and winery ordinances to help preserve the local agriculture industry.
"Dick was very instrumental in resurrecting horticulture in the county," said Delfino, who retired in 1993.
Richard Sabin Bethell was born in 1927 and reared on a fruit orchard in Penryn. His father worked at the Blue Anchor fruit cooperative, and his mother was a homemaker and former teacher.
He played basketball, graduated from Placer High School and earned a bachelor's degree from UC Santa Barbara. He served in the Army during the Korean War and earned a master's degree in horticulture from UC Davis.
He reared two children during 19 years of marriage to Karen Hanson Bye. After they divorced, he married the former Arlene Iversen in 1995.
Mr. Bethell was a straightforward, serious man with a dry sense of humor who dressed in costume and rode a donkey in the Apple Hill Cavalry during the annual Western Train parade. He enjoyed backpacking and camping in the Sierra Nevada and was an expert fly fisherman.
"He was an avid fisherman," his daughter said. "We'd go up to a cabin in the Sierras when we were little, and no matter how late it was, we could never leave until we caught a fish."
Dick was a caring husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife and business partner, Arlene Bethell; brother William Bethell; son Jeff Bethell, daughter Janet Bethell; grandchildren Justin, Stephanie and Ronna Bethell; cousins Jim Bethell, and Cindy Walker.
A Memorial Service will be held at Boeger Winery, 1709 Carson Road, in Placerville, on Monday June 2, 2008 at 3:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to Dick Bethell Stroke Rehabilitation Fund at the Bank of America, Placerville Branch, 3044 Sacramento Street, Placerville, CA 95667
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Written By Dick Bethell
A PEST CONTROL PROGRAM FOR YOUR HOME ORCHARD
It is difficult for home orchardists to regularly produce perfect, unblemished crops. The recommendations listed in this publication are designed to prevent major crop losses. Some insects and diseases that are important to commercial fruit growers are not discussed, either because they are of minor importance or practical control procedures are not available under home orchard conditions.
Most insect and mite pests of fruit trees are controlled naturally by many beneficial species of insects and mites found in the orchard. Do not spray pests unless you are certain they are present in damaging numbers or this publication suggests you do so. Unnecessary sprays reduce control provided by beneficial species and may result in added damage from pests freed from their natural controls.
For large, engine-powered sprayers, dosage rates are calculated for 100 gallons of water. For small, hand-operated sprayers, dosages are calculated for one gallon of water. The dosages for small sprayers are listed for liquids in fluid ounces and in ounces for dry materials. (The equivalent of 1 fluid ounce is 2 tablespoons.) For larger amounts use an 8-ounce measuring cup. The weights of solid materials vary greatly with the product. You can use ordinary postal scales to weigh these dry materials since teaspoons or tablespoons are not always accurate measures. If you do not have accurate scales, you can assume that 4 level tablespoons of dry materials are equal to about 1 ounce.
ESSENTIALS OF A PEST CONTROL PROGRAM
TIMING
For satisfactory results, closely follow the timing schedule (see pages 4 - 11). The recommended times for spraying and dusting are based on both pest control and on tree safety.
COVERAGE
When spraying, thoroughly and completely wet the limbs, twigs, fruit, and foliage for good control of insects, mites, and diseases. Stir or agitate spray mixtures frequently, especially those containing chemicals that tend to settle rapidly.
EQUIPMENT
Compressed air sprayer tanks, trombone type sprayers and hose-end sprayers are satisfactory for spraying. However, you must also have an adjustable nozzle that allows you to spray the tops of the trees. For dusting, use the ready-made equipment in which many of the dusts are sold, or any other type of duster that is adequate for the job. Apply dusts uniformly but lightly, heavy visible deposits are unnecessary, expensive, and may injure some plants.
KEEP TREES HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE
Vigorous, healthy trees can sustain larger pest populations and more damage than poorly cared for trees. Fertilize, prune, irrigate and thin as needed every year. Weeds can severely compete with trees, especially young trees. Weeds also encourage the buildup of thrips and plant bugs that later attack the fruit. Control undesirable vegetation by either cultivation, frequent mowing or application of herbicides.
CLEANUP
Prune and burn all dead wood from fruit trees. Do not place firewood of any kind near fruit trees since bark beetles and wood borers will emerge from the dead wood and may later attack the fruit trees. Pick up and destroy fruit that matures and drops early since insects develop in such fruit and may attack the ripening crop.
YOUNG TREES
Do not spray young trees for pests that attack the crop until after they start bearing. Two insect pests frequently attack young trees, but pesticides are seldom desirable for their control…they are the Red humped caterpillar and the Pacific flatheaded borer.
Red-humped Caterpillar: The female moth lays her eggs in clusters and the newly hatched larvae feed together stripping leaves of green tissue on infested shoots. When the yellow-colored larvae are found feeding, simply remove infested leaves and destroy the larvae. Since there are several generations a season and infestations are seldom heavy at any one time, preventive sprays are not recommended.
Pacific Flatheaded Borer: One of the worst pests of newly planted trees is the Pacific flatheaded borer, Chrysobothris mali Horn. The borer attacks trees while they are in nurseries and after they have been planted in the orchard. These borers are distributed over most of California but are usually more abundant in orchards located near wooded areas that may provide a source of beetles. The borer infests a wide variety of plants including many native and introduced trees and shrubs.
If trees lose vigor or become sunburned they are likely to be seriously damaged by the Pacific flatheaded borer. Young transplanted trees are particularly subject to attack since there is a period during their establishment when their condition is somewhat weakened. The severity of attack can also depend on the number of beetles present in one area.
The larvae of this insect cause damage by mining in the cambium layer. The shallow, winding mines in the inner bark may extend into the wood of xylem layer. A symptom of injury is the flow of sap in the affected area which appears as a wet spot on the bark. These areas may later crack and expose the borings.
The feeding larvae sometimes cause a portion of the bark to die or, if the infestation is extensive, the tree can be girdled and killed. The beetles will attack any portion of the tree, but are found most often in the main truck of young trees.
CONTROL: Since the Pacific flatheaded borer rarely injures strong, healthy trees, an important means of controlling it is to use cultural methods that keep trees vigorous and free of sunburn, such as proper cultivating, fertilizing, spraying, pruning and watering. Insecticide use to repel the beetles or to kill the larvae in their burrows has not given consistently good results in all areas and is not recommended.
An interior, white water-based paint applied to the trunk to one inch below ground level on young trees will prevent sunburn and subsequent borer infestations. Do not apply after buds begin to crack. The paint may be applied by brushing or by spraying. An equal amount of water can be added to most water based paints without appreciably reducing their reflectance and persistence.
You can greatly reduce egg laying by wrapping the trunks of newly transplanted trees from the ground to the lower limbs. Newspaper, cardboard, or burlap make satisfactory wrappings. Wind these either spirally or vertically and hold them in place with string. This procedure is not necessary and is mentioned only as an alternative where wrapping is done anyway to protect against rodent damage.
Infested limbs or wood left in or near the orchards will provide a source of beetles that may attack orchard trees. Burn or shred infected wood, including the wood from native trees or shrubs.
DEER
Fencing is the surest method of preventing deer damage. A seven foot high upright perimeter fence is recommended. Trees may also be individually fenced.
Thiram 42-S is an effective taste repellent, but must be applied every week or so to keep new growth protected. Mix 1 part Thiram 42-S with 7 parts water. Spray lightly on new terminal foliage.
MEADOW MICE
Meadow mice feed on bark of young trees in early spring, especially when snow covers the ground.
Mice populations can be prevented from increasing by making the habitat unfavorable for their survival. Remove weeds from around tree trucks for at leave several feet. Burn prunings and eliminate debris and other sources of protective cover. Watch for their runways and holes. Treat with poison grain available for purchase at the County Department of Agriculture. Other methods of control, including trapping, may be found in the University of California Cooperative Extension Publication #21385 "Wildlife Pest Control Around Gardens and Homes", available for $8.00 at your county’s U.C. Cooperative Extension Office.
GOPHERS
Gophers will feed on the roots and underground portion of the truck of most fruit trees. Gophers should be destroyed as soon as their presence is detected in the orchard to prevent multiplication of the population. Trap or poison as prescribed in the University of California publication "Wildlife Pest Control Around Gardens and Homes". Poison bait can be purchased from the County Department of Agriculture.
OTHER VERTEBRATE PESTS
Rabbits, ground squirrels and porcupines sometimes attack young fruit trees. Rabbits feed on the bark of the truck when other food is scarce. Porcupines feed on the tender new leaves of shoots and often cause breakage of shoots and small limbs. Ground squirrels also climb trees to feed on new foliage. Poison baits and other control methods may be obtained from the County Department of Agriculture for these pests.
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Abbreviations used on the following charts:
gal. = gallon(s)
tsp. = teaspoon(s)
tbsp. = tablespoon(s)
lq.oz. = liquid ounce(s)
oz. = ounce(s)
pt. = pint(s)
qt. = quart(s)
w.p. = wetable powder
Measurements:
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
1 liquid ounce = 2 tablespoons
1 ounce (dry weight - 4 tablespoons (approx.)
