Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-11-05

The lleld wore than D0ubltu ana hOt
Prevented where Bordeaux Mixture
was Ustd---EquaIly striking Results
From spraying Apple Trees.
Results Of potato culture al the Expert
ment Station farm at Burlington this year
prove once more the benefit and resulting
prof. from spraying the plants 10 prevent
blight. About three acres OF potatoes were
grown on land which was for the most
rather heavy and not very well drained.
The variety grown was the Polaris. These
are the results as stated by Prof. /. r.
Jones, the botanist in charge:
On that part Of the crop sprayed three
times with Bordeaux mixture the yield was
at the rate of 1872 bushels Of sound market
able potatoes per acre, with nine bushels Of
rotten potatoes, making total of Ill
bushels OF marketable potatoes.
On that part of the field not sprayed the
yield was - bushels of sound marketable
potatoes per acre and ~ bushels Of rotten
potatoes. making total Of ll6 bushels Of
mark- table size.
In note in regard to the general result
Prof. Jones says:
1T was impossible t1work the sill inprop-
er season for planting, so these potatoes
we're not planted till after June /. The
blight struck the unsprayed rows and killed
them carly in September. The sprayed
plants we're alive and fairly green until
killed by frost about the lO;h OF October
a glance at the figures shows that We
gained - bushels per acre in total yield by
spraying the plants and keeping them
alive through these extra six weeks. The
figures also show that We lost but little
from rot where We sprayed. Our total
yield this year was small even from the
sprayed plots, Jut this is 10 be- expected in
view Of the late date Of the planting and
of the exceptional amount Of cloudy wealth.
er we had, especially during July. Starch
makes up the potato tubers, and it is sun
light that makes the starch. With the
usual amount Of suuligh, during July aud
August We would have had a yield Of 80
bushels per acre from our sprayed plants
We have usually had from 800 70 400
bushels per acre from similar soil where
We planted early in May and SPRAYED
thoroughly with Bordeaux mixture three
times"
The result at the Burlington station
does no; equal the phenomenal crop grown
a. the Cornell University farm. reported
in an article in The Phpnix last week.
but twas a notable success in a year when
the potato crop Of the state as whole
was almost a failure, and in mauy cases
entirely 50. The extra yield Obtained was
worth many times the cost Of spraying the
| plants.
An experiment equally successful was
made in spraying apple trees. In Isle la
/ Note Arthur II. Hill has an orchard con-
/ tanning several thousand Fameuse trees.
| This is a choice fruit, but one, as all grow
/ ers know, which scabs and cracks badly.
| The experiment was tried on these trees,
with these results: Average per tree
| where sprayed five times. three barrels OF
| apples on tree and two barrels on ground
under tree. Average where not sprayed
one and one-half barrel on zee and three
barrels on ground.
Upon sorting this fruit IL. the market
the results were: From tree sprayed five
| times, two barrels select VERY fne); one
and one-half barrel No. /; one and one.
half barrel No. ,.
From tree not sprayed: five No. l sp-
| Piles mot very good one-half bushel( scantl
! No > four barrels cider apples.
Evidence Of the good results OF spraying
is even more striking than in case Of tn,
potato crop. At the prices which good
fruit commands this year the moral /.
plain.