The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-04-04
MISSOURI HoRTlcuLTuRIsTs.
A Bulletin From the Experiment. Station
Treating on Prevention of Rot in Apples,
Grapes and Plums.

Bulletin 81 from the Missouri expert.
nent station by j. c. Written, horti-
culturist, details the result of numer-
Gus experiments in preventing rot n
apples. grapes, etc. The practical
points brought out are condensed into
the following:
During the past two years, system
attic experiments have been carried on,
at the experiment station. at Columbia,
in spraying for insects and fungOus
diseases. in order to determine the gen.
eIal efficacy of spraying, the most
economical strength Of spraying mix
lures. the number of applications nee
essary for the various fungous diseases,
the best time to spray, and other IN
settled points.
Apple scab, the worst fungous dis
ease of the apple in this country, was
very largely controlled in orchards
sprayed, once before the buds started
in the spring, with copper sulphate
two pound to 80 gallons OF water), and
four times, subsequently,, with Dor
deauX mixture. The bordeaux mixture
was applied in various strengths from
one pound to six pounds of copper sui
phate and the same weight of lime, to
so gallons of water. The three and
four-pOund solutions gave as good re-
suits as the six-pound solution the
first season, and the second season
after systematic spraying vas be-
gun. the one and two pound solutions
were sufficient to hold the scab almost
entirely in check. In unsprayed
orchards the scab ripens its spores
early in the season and these spores
terminate upon the fruit and leaves
causing "a second crop of the fungous
that appears as clouds or blotches on
the apple in autumn. On sprayed
trees no trace of this second crop of
Scab could be found, while on un-
sprayed apples it was almost universal.
Bitter rot developed to only Il slight
extent on the station grounds, about
the time the fruit was gathered. Gem
orally throughout the state it was very
bad. The only case in which we had
an opportunity to test the efficacy Of
the bordeaux mixture for this disease
was on some Fameuse trees. These
trees were sprayed las outlined) for
Scab. At the time Of gathering in
autumn, the following percentages OF
fruit, sprayed with two, fOur and six
pound solutions, were effected with
bitter rot. Unsprayed trees 81 per cent
effected, sprayed with two pound solu-
ton Al per cent. four pound solution
81 per cent. and six pound solution .25
per cent. effected. Since this disease
developed so late in the season. no
other experiments We're carried on to
check it except to thoroughly spray
two trees just before the fruit was
gathered. with ammoniacal copper car
Donate solution. 1t is expected that
this will lessen. In 1896 more extern
sive experiments for this destructive
disease will be pursued in several or
chards.
The black rot of the grape was
readily controlled by the use of bor-
deaux mixture than were most of the
Other fungOus diseases.
The plum rot was most successfully
managed by spraying with the Dor.
deaux mixture until the fruit reached
nearly full size and then spraying
weekly, during the ripening period.
with the ammoniacal copper carbonate
solution. The reason 70" using the lat.
ter solution at that time was because
it left no sediment on the fruit at the
time of gathering, as did the bordeaux
mixture.
We sometimes hear Of unsuccessful
results from spraying, but these eX
periments show. while all diseases car
not be Immediately and totally eradi
Gated, that continued spraying vii
cause the fungous diseases menticEs,
to grow less and less each year. One
intelligent fruit grower sen word tC
the station that he had carefully
sprayed according to directions, but
there was more scab on his
sprayed than on his unsprayed trees.
A careful examination of apples
from his orchard revealed the fact that
they were badly burned probably by
impure chemicals or too strong a mix
ture). but there was no trace of flung
Gus disease in his fruit. Very common
mistakes are the use of impure chem.
icals. allowing the ingredients to settle
so the first trees get none and the last
trees too much of the chemicals, i'm
proper mixing of the solutions, using
the wrong solution, and failing to
spray at just the proper time.
The cost of these spraying mixtures
and spray stumps is very small. and
the labor involved is very slight.
There is no single investment that will
pay such profits on the general farm
as systematic spraying.
Full particulars as to how to make
up the different solutions, the time and
best methods of applying them. will be
found in Bulletin 81 of this station,
which may be had, free of charge, by
addressing the director of the expert
station, Columbia, No.
RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY