The independent., 1903-05-07
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SPRAYING
Mr.. Stevens Gives Valuable Information
Regarding the Spraying of Orchards

Editor Independent: The up-to-date
orchardist in addition to giving his
orchard suitable cultivation with nee
essary pruning, finds it advantageous
to spray. Young orchards likely re-
quire nothing more than to guard
against the laIva of the Goblin moth.
Older orchards, like our own, are also
benefited by spraying with bordeaux
to guard against fungus diseases.
Spores live through winter in leaves
on the ground, or on the trunks and
branches OF trees. Our first spraying
began late in March before the buds
opened. We used sulphate of copper,
about pounds, to so gallons of water.
Where this solution is used before
the buds open it is not necessary to
use lime, and this early spraying is in
the hope of destroying many Of the
fungus spores before they have had
time to attack the foliage. Just be-
fore the buds open is good time to
spray with bordeaux mixture. Blue
Vitriol, s pounds; quick lime, not air
Stacked, 6-8 pounds, or as much as you
can get to pass through the nozzle;
water, so gallons; green arsenoid or
Paris green, ounces. This spraying
is to check leaf eating insects, bud
moths, and perhaps the earliest ap-
pearing canker worms.
After the blossoms fall, not COM
mencing until the petals have fallen,
and the apple is formed, the orchard
ist sprays with bordeaux mixture,
with the addition of green arsenOid or
Paris green, or some arsenical poison
Ten days later this spraying should be
repeated. Perhaps some suggestion
may be useful.
Not ipfrequently, the orchardist
sprays a portion of his orchard and
compares it with another orchard left
unsprayed. He is sometimes left in
doubt regarding the success of his
work. Spraying may be followed by
dashing rains, or perhaps more
common cause of failure in spraying
is that he uses a coarse nozzle. If
the lime is not properly Stacked little
particles of lime interfere with the
free use of such nozzle as would
give fine, misty spray. Some noz-
zles can be graduated so as to throw
a fine or coarse stream. A coarse
stream carries farther, and can be
thrown quite distance. Poison,
however, applied in this way is not as
effective, and does not accomplish the
end desired. Should the water fall
upon the foliage in drops, these drops
are apt to run down the leaf and drop
off. The poison, however, being heav-
ier than the water would settle at the
bottom of each drop and be the first
to drip off the foliage. The spray
should be so fine and rog-like that it
cannot be carried very far. 1t will be
necessary to elevate the nozzle using
a bamboo or some other light pole.
Just enough of the fine misty spray
should be applied to cover the leaves
of the tree, but not to run.
Spraying against the Goblin moth is
in the hope that little of the poison
may lodge in the calyx OF the apple:
that the larva of the Goblin moth in
stinctively seeking shelter, is quite
likely to enter the calyX. A careful
count made by Prof. F. w. Card OF
the state university showed that 80
per cent of the larva enter the apple
at this point. The Goblin moth does
not emerge from it's winter hiding as
a rule until some days after the apple
trees have blossoms. Hence, there is
no possible advantage gained by
spraying when the orchard is in bloom
since the Goblin moth has not yet ap-
peared. On the contrary, there is con-
siderable harm, since spraying while
the trees are in bloom is quite likely
to destroy the bloom. There is also
some risk of harm to the bees and
other beneficial insects whose useful
ness is desired by the orchardist to
help in polarization. On the other
hand, should the spraying be delayed
SO long that the calyx of the apple is
tightly closed, then poison may not be
lodged within the calyx.
The egg of the Goblin moth may be
laid upon the apple or it may be de-
posted on the leaf. In either case,
instinct teaches the larva to get
within the apple as soon as possible
and to hide from its enemies, the
birds. The second brood often bores
into the apple under the protection of
the leaf, or between two apples lying
close together
The thoroughness with which the
first spraying is done is a measure of
it's effectiveness, since spraying with
arsenates does not seem to be a sue