Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-03-18
SPRAYING FRUITS.
Why, HOW AND WHEN TO DO
1T.
Read Before the Twenty-first Annual
Meeting of the Michigan State HOrti-
cultural Society at Eaton Rapids,
Mich, December 2, 1891.
By William stahl, Quincy, Ill.

My interest in spraying dates back to 1888.
Then, as now, was extensively engaged in buy
ing and shipping. as we'll as growing fruits In
that year l found it all but impossible to get
grapes free from black rot in the localities from
which had been shipping. About Quincy, for
example, the crop was practically ruined by the
rot. That year l shipped grapes into Quincy
from other localities.
For so years Nauvoo, Ill., has been the center
of great grape-growing industry. The black
rot appeared there in the sixties. and for some
years had rendered the crop worthless. In 1883
l found the grapes in the vineyards on the bluffs
and the uplands about Nauvoo unmarketable by
reason of the rot, but on the narrow strip of
sandy land between the bluffs and tho river l
found grapes very nearly free from rot. For
those grapes got as high as 81. 100 per basket in
the st. Paul and Minneapolis markets. They
were so profitable TO both the producer and the
shipper that could not escape the conviction
that remedy for the black rot would be of al
most incalculable benefit to the vineyardists of
the country began experimenting and my ex-
periments included spraying with everything l
saw recommended, and with several mixtures
original with me. None, however, gave valuable
results. 1t was remarkable how little was
known about spraEylng how few appreciated its
appliances only eight years ago.
first used the Bordeaux mixture in 1S8S-on a
very small experimental scale. The results
clearly justified continued and more extensive ex-
perimentation with it. In 1889 l sprayed with
the Bordeaux mixture quite extensively, and the
results showed to my own satisfaction that had
at last found the remedy for black rot. Those
results also convinced Others of the same fact.
Hence, in 1890 sprayed all my vineyards, and
quite number of neighboring vineyardists
sprayed their vines. The results were all that the
most sanguine had anticipated. The Nauvoo
hustler said editorially:
Those who did not try spraying this season
have lost from so to 50 per cent of their crops
from the rot, while those who sprayed did not
lose more than from to per cent. The etfi-
cheney of spraying apple, peach, pear, cherry and
plum trees has also been established among our
horticuturists and hereafter the practice of spray
ing their trees will no doubt be general, as all
concede that the secret of success has not only
been discovered, but also demonstrated before
their very eyes,"
The past season we sprayed again and of the
results the editor of the Quincy Farmers Cal, who
visited our vineyards the first week OF September,
said editorially:
ave do not think, we have eyer before seen
grape vines SO heavily laden and not one grape
in a hundred was affected with the rot; while
only short distance away, vineyards on the
same soil and under like conditions, except that
they had not been sprayed, were so badly affected
with the rot that their crops will not be worth
gathering. In some vineyards arrow, or part of
q row, through the middle had not been sprayed,
Us test, and in every case the vines not sprayed
were badly affected with the rot and the fruit
will not be worth the gatherings while on
either side the foliage of those sprayed was little
affected and they were heavily loaded with we'll
nigh perfect fruit. We saw many other evidences
that spraying is an effective and the best way of
fruits Undoubtedly the fullest plum tree we
have ever seen was one that had never matured a
crop before on account of the curculio, etc. 1t
was thoroughly sprayed this year and the result
is what we have stated-an enormous yield and
of perfect fruit. We saw Damson plum troes
that had been well sprayed that were loaded
other Damson trees near by not sprayed, were
dropping their fruit so fast that very little will
be matured. We saw the same phenomenon ex-
hibited by pear and apple trees. Certainly if we
could take farmers and fruit-growers to Mr..
.StahPs fruit farm and show them the effects of
spraying we saw, vvery intelligent man among
them would have a spraying outfit before
another season, and would no more think of fail
ing to spray his fruit trees and plants than he
would of failing to cultivate his corn and pota-
toes"
' Such is the testimony of everyone that has seen
my fruit fields. l have letters from above 1000
fruit-growers that have tried spraying the past
season. l can not refrain from quoting a few of
the letters have received from this state
III. Nelson, Menominee, Menominee Co.: II
have sprayed my orchard OF 1000 trees, and
have not seen one wormy apple this season. One
tree L sprayed four times and have now picked
20 bushels from 1.-THE only crop for four years"
Sprayed my apple orchard of loo trees; the
apples are all perfect, when in former years at
least one-third would be wormy.".
Francis w. Hall, Sheridan, Montcalm Co.:
Have sprayed apple, plum and cherry trees;
have saved 80 per cent of the apples. Cherries
and plums were free from worms
f. ID. u. Evans, Houseman, Oceana Co.: I'VE
sprayed the Baldwin, Stark, Wagner, Ben Davis
and Greening apples, and also plums, pears and
cherries all with excellent results. Our apples
are OF the incest quality-large and smooth.
Our orchard is the only one that has any fruit on
1T at ALL"
ii. w. Jones, Houghton, HSughton Co.:
''Have used your sprayer on 300apple, pear, plum
and cherry trees this season, and have been
greatly pleased with the results. Have also used
1t onmy currant bushes, and never had prettier
bushes Have kept five acres of potatoes free
from bugs, cheaper and more effectively with the
sprayer than have ever done before with other
These extracts might be multiplied until read.
ing them would occupy hours; but L have Ger
tainly given already sufficient evidence that by
spraying with the proper outfit at the right time,
and using certain mixtures, we can protect our
fruit trees, shrubs and vines from insects and
fungi Naturally enough, those who have tried
spraying speak only Of the effect on the fruit, or
at least make this effect prominent that the
effect on the tree or vine itself is lost sight of;
but it is of the highest Importance to understand
that spraying secures r thrifty fifty healthy trees and
of fruits we must have living healthy trees and
vines; and recent years have shown that to have
them from multitude of fungus diseases and
insect pests. 1t is these that have proved 80
destructive in our orchards. Very many have
not recognized the real cause, and have ascribed
orchard fatalities to change OF climate, to wrong
location, or to the weakening of the plant tree
through the highly artificial conditions that have
led to the fruitfulness of the tree and the inn
proved quality Of the fruit. One OF moro of
these causes may have some effect; but greater in
their effects are the insects and fungi 1t il they
that so weaken our trees and vines that rigors of
climate or peculiarities of soil that otherwise
would have n scarcely appreciable effect now
destroy the thrift il not the very existence of our
orchards Note the effect of spraying with the
Bordeaux mixture, for example, in a vineyard
subject to black rot. This disease first attacks
the vine, then the fruit. The use of the Bor-
deaux mixture can be detected at considerable
distance by the better appearance of the foliage.
1t is more vigorous, of better color, perfect
showing plainly health and thrift. BY using the
Bordeaux mixture, we get healthy, vigorous,
thrifty vines and foliage well perfect fruit.
SO in the apple or plum or cherry pear
orchard, in the berry patch or in the potato field,
we get n stronger and a healthier growth by
spraying liz nine of each ten that find their
orchard trees dead by the time they are ready to
bear would use spraying outfit wisely, they
would lind IL possible, and easily possible to
have thrifty orchards reasonable care and in
teigence being used in other directions.
We have now had at considerable length the
Why of spraying; whit of its Ho,c and Wheny
AT the best can give only few points about
the Hon. and When, but they will be safe and
good as far they go, and will at least serve to
demonstrate that spraying. in all its parts. is
easy, simple and inexpensive. Any one with
sense enough to cultivate fruits can spray them.
For the black rot or mildew of grape, pear and
ounce leaf blight and potato blight or rot use
the Bordeaux mixture, which il made as follows:
Dissolve six pounds of sulphate of copper in IL
gallons of water. In another vessel slake four
pounds of lime in six gallons of water. When
this has cooled, pour it slowly into the copper
solution. beinu careful IN nnix tho Auida thor