Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-03-31
Sensible Talk on Spraying.

Many farmers already have prac-
teal idea of spraying and many have
not. The following review of the SUI
ject from the pen of Joseph Meehah
in the St Louis Globe Democrat WEI
we think, prove both interesting ana
instructive:
It has been proved so conciusiNeIS
that spraying of fruit trees with iiq"'as
prepared for the destruction OF llseeNa
and blichts is so entirely effectuai tiiat
a revolution in fruit growing IS ho"
taking Mace. The washes are COM
nosed of nelson's, and, from TINS lac''
Il was q good while before the pupiic
he,;eva they could be safely uSso.
parhaps the first use of poisons IN thiS
wav in this country. was Tor the &C.
struction of the potato bug. 1T is now
moro than ten years ago since the
French grape growers were assured OF
tho efficacy of poisons in preserving
+beir crops. from experiments they
wade Fungus diseases were what th"y
hadto combat For manyyears previous
they had lost their crops. Experiments
1ad them to discover the value of cop
ner sulphate. From that time to this
the fame of this Nremedy has been
gradually growing. Today. in our
country. all progressive fruit growers
use it.
Annie. plum and other fruit CROPS
which used to suffer largely from m
scot and fungus attacks are now as
sured crops. 1t has given an impetus
70 the raising of fruits. which is being
odd an .
If fruit sent to market The one vino
sits down and allows his trees to take
care of themselves is making a great
mistake. and will be badly beaten ~
his neiyhbor who is alive to sprayin@
The copper sulphate spoken OF IS 10Y
the destruction of fungus attacks.
Grapes have been the most benefited
nv this. The black rot and mildeW OF
the leaf were the two great pests I"
be overcome, and this the sulphate dli.
To make the solution fit for spraying
tho following is the process: rake SlN
pounds copper sulphate ana -FOUR
pounds quicklime and place 1t in about
fifty gallons of water. The trees ana
vines are to be sprayed with this seN-
eral times throughout the season. IN"
first application should be just as the
buds are bursting. again when the Ia
lage is we'll expanded. Should rains
occur, to wash off the mixture, third
spraying should be given after the
lapse of three or four weeks. otherwise
it may go for six weeks. Generally
this is sufficient to protect the foliage
and fruit thoroughly for the rest Of
the season
Such fruits as suffer from insect at
tacks need solution of paris green
and water About a pound of this
poison to $50 gallons of water is sui
ficient. The Goblin moth, which Go
stroys the apple crop; the Circulio-
which does the same for the plum an
the cherry. as we'll as all other insects,
are destroyed by spraying this Owe
the trees. 1t should be used for the
first time just as the flowers dron
from the trees. for this is when many
of the insects appear. The iruit Is
punctured by the insect. and egg Is
deposited which gives place to tho
grub or worm, which, Workin" about
in the fruit, causes it to fall off. TIL
mother insects appear about the tim
the flowers fade, and remain in thu
vicinity for three or four weeks at q
time, seldom longer than this. There
fore. spraying with paris green need
not be kept up later than this. Two
sprayings are usually sufficient. ~
combination mixture may be used,
to be effective against both blights and
insects, such one is usually made. al!
that is necessary is to put the proper
proportion Of paris green into the con
per sulphate mixture, just as il it was
water. Thus, as one pound of paris
green is sufficient for l50 gallons O.
water, a third of a pound is enough 10
put with the fifty gallons of water
which contains the copper sulpnate am
lime 1t has been found that neither
solution is injured by the presence ot
the other.
Formerly much heavier quantities pl
poison were used, but it has beer
found that much less suffices than was
supposed, and it is probable that even
less than the quantities named nov
would be sufficient Indeed, during tn
past season. / used but about SIN
pounds of copper sulphate to 100 gal
Ions of water, and | think it did just
as good work as the larger doses geu-
orally recommended. 1t has developed
curiously, that the spraying of the 70
liaGe has proved beneficial To il in the
way of producing a better growth
just how it acts has not been ex-
planned, but experiments have beer
carried on which prove without
doubt that sprayed trees grow better
than those which, having no blight on
their foliage. did not require any This
was proved by officials of the Cnite|
States department of agriculture from
experiments carried on by them on q
lot of pear trees. The we'll recognized
utility of spraying has given rise to a
great demand for syrinGes ANA en-
gines for the distribution of the liquids
inventors have kept pace with it, and
there are today advertisements of what
farmers and fruit growers want in
TINS line to meet all requirements
State Secretary Il. Fl. Libby has
just had manufactured for the use of
the secretaries of subordinate org, n sf.e: