The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-04-14
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
SPRAYING.

| SPRAYING.
| Spraying fruit trees TO kill the insects which
| ruin the frnit seems to give good results. 1t
not only destroys the insects but helps the
trees. A prominent appe-grower thus gives
his experience:
We sprayed about three acres on the 18th
| Of April, or just before the buds opened, as an
| experiment. Our object in this was to kill
| the canker- worm, tent-caterpiilar and tarnish
| plant-bug all of which were at work Mt hat
time, and we succeeded but we accomplished
| the same thing by spraying after the bloom
had dropped. Spraying commenced i'll earnest
on the 2Sth OF April with three machines, and
was finished on the 9th OF May. We sprayed
| 100 acres twice. equal to 800 acres once, and
217 acres three times, equal to S3l acres once,
or a total Of ,115 acres at a single spraying.
To do this we used 10000 gallons OF water aud
600 pounds of London purple, ard it took 46
days to do the spraying: so that the expense
stands thus: Forty-six days with team, at
$3.50 per day, Sis; 600 pounds London pur-
pie at 10 cents per pound, $50; total $175, or a
little over 10 cents per acre. and about II III lis
per tree for each spraying We think We can
| reduce this expense another year at least one
! fourth, and possibly one-t third, by fixing our
| ponds OF water more conveniently, aud o few
| other changes. Tho canker- worms were get
ting too thick in one block of trees and we en-
! tireiy destroyed them. The tent-caterpllars
were numerous in places. and but few of them
were left alive. The tarnish plant-bugs were
| thick, and did US serious damage last year, but
| offo had
| time. we could not find any of them alive.
Fully 30 per cont of the codling moth were de-
| stroyed-some Observers say rs per cent"
This shows that the cost of spraying is
trfing. AS compared with the production of
| the following fruit-grower's trees it is still
more so. He says:
My apples were clean of worms have the
| finest crop. of apples that ever had. had 10
prop the trees, but still the limbs broke lots
OF them. Ny whole crop will make me so per
cent. Of fine apples clean of worms. compared
my Ben Davis apples with my neighbours. mine
being little above 80 per cent. clean, while
his were 30 per cent. wormy. / had one plum
tree, Lombard, four years old, around which 1
had to build scaflold to hold up the fruit. 1t
had ut least five bushels of fine plums on ii,
while my neighbours pIums all rotted and fell
off"
The question ia, with what should the trees
be sprayed? In the first fruit growers account
London purple was used az remedy for the
canker- worm, codling moth and curculio of
the apple and the curculio of the plnm-and
it IS an effective remedy. 1t is made by mix
ing one pound of London purple with sufficient
water to make paste; this is then strained
thoroughly into a pail of water and allowed to
stand over night. This is next strained
through a coarse cloth or fine sieve into $50
gallons of water for use. Fifty gallons of this
will spray an of the average orchard, aud
the pound of London purple will cost 10 cents.
Trees should be sprayed with the London pur-
pie soon after the blossoms fall-when tho ap-
pies are tho size Of pea-and again in a week
or 10 days. To destroy the plum curculio,
spray three or four times, at intervals of
week or 10 days. beginning as soon as the bios
SONS fall.
For the black rot and miIdew of the grape,
pear, and ounce leaf blight, potato blight or
rot, ETC., the Bordeaux mixture is used, made
as follows: Dissolve six pounds of sulphats of
copper (blue vtriol) in Is gallons of water
In another vessel Stake four pounds of lime
in six gallons Of water. When this has cooled
pour it slowly into the copper solution, being
careful to mix the fluids thoroughly by con-
slant stirring Now, as to the cost of this, the
lime costs very little, as you know, and 100
pounds of the copper sulphate will cost only
seven cents pound. For preventing the
black rot of the grape, spray in the Spring after
the vineyard has been pruned and put in order,
but before vegetation starts; again about 10
days before the flowers open, the third time
when the flowers are opening, and from this on
every three weeks until the fruit begins to
color. To prevent leaf blight of the pear and
ounce spray with the Bordeaux mixture five
times, beginning when the fruit is the size of
peas, and thereafter at intervals of IL or Is
days.
To destroy suctorial or sap sucking species of
insects, including chinch-bugs, squash bugs,
plant-lice, hop-lice, bark-lice leaf. hoppers,
aphis, etc, the kerosene emulsion is used, which
is made by dissoving one-half pound of hard
soap in four pints of water by boiling. Only
the best whaeoil soap should be used, but it
costs only 10 cents per pound. To the solution |
just named is added gallon of kerosene, and
tHo "uOic Is dSitdItu uDtll u Staple |
mixture is formed. The agitation is best &C.
complished by using force pump and pumping |
the mixture with force back into the vessel |
that contains it. The emulsion is diluted with |
10 parts of water for use. 1t will be seen that |
a pound of the soap and two gallons of kerosene,
total cost 40 to 40 cents, will make 80 gallons |
of the emulsion diluted for use.
It will be noticed that the cost of the mix |
lures used in spraying is inconsiderable; that |
they are made of well-known and simple in
gradients; that there is not necessarily the |
least danger in their PREPARATION and that pre-
pairing them is not beyond the intelligence or
capacity of the ordinary individual. One other
item in the cost and practice of spraying is yet |
to be considered and that is a pump. good
pump does not cost large sum, and it is best !
to buy one, as low-priced pump will not stand
the wear aud tear.
correspondent Of the Maine Farmer cures
collie in sheep by dissolving two tablespoonfuls
of epson salts in about half. pint of warm
water and adding one teaspoonful of essence of
Open the sleeps mouth and insert
a small funnel in it. The boy pours the salts
while / hold the sheep In about two hours the
sheep will be all right.