The progressive farmer., 1904-03-01
More About Spraying.
Editors Progressive Farmer:

we advised spraying apple and peach trees with
Bordeaux mixture and Paris green, and gave
complete, though brief, directions for the work
We wish here to repeat that spraying more than
any other one operation will restore our now un-
profitable apple and pear orchards to productive
ness. Not until we learn to spray properly every
year can we expect to get good fruit crops, but
when do learn to do this will have good
yields of fruit,-that is, provided the trees
reasonably well cared for with regard to cutiva-
tion, fertilization and pruning. Of course, a
starved tree, full of dead weakened
branches, cannot be expected to bear in any event
Sometimes they do bear III spite of such dsad
vantagcs, but it is far better to trim out all the
diseased, dead, unnecessary branches Now
Qate winter) is the best season for trimming trees
preparatory to spraying.
Of course you must have a spray pump in order
to spray thoroughly. If you have "Entomological
Circular, No. f." on 'Spraying Apparatus" you
will be able to select a suitable pump. If you
have not that circular, write to me for it. Then
you must know how to prepare and apply the
mixture. Full directions for this are given in
chronological Circular, No. G." on "Spraying
Apples and Pears" and if you have not this cir
cular also, write to ME for it.
Now, let me impress another fact upon every
reader of this article, and that is that this article
and the circulars mentioned will not do you the
slightest good If you do not put them TO actual
test There some who write for circulars anu
then throw them aside and think more about
it. We don't want to send these circulars to such
persons. We want to send them to those wha
mean business, and who intend to follow the sug-
gestions offered.
But some one says that this is all "theory"-
that it is very good paper, but won't work in
practice, etc. For the information of these
doubtful ones, will quote here a letter received
few days ago from a farmer in Catawba county.
This man had just received and read "Entomologi-
cal Circular, No. g." on Spraying APPLES and
Pears" and wrote to relate his experience. Here
is his letter:
Catawba, n c., Feb Is 1904.
Mr.. Franklin Sherman, Jr
Dear Sir: Your circular (No. g. on spraying
received. l sprayed my trees according to the
rules for spraying In the spring of 1902, and ap-
pies and peaches were finer than | ever had. One
tree that always bore full, but matured we'll
after spraying the fruit almost as large again
and made us think it truly nice apple. The
peaches hung on and ripened nicely-something
they had not done from time of planting That
year my Blackburn apples did not bloom.
L neglected spraying spring of 1903. My
Blackburn apples were the fullest I ever knew
them and good size, but they all dropped off pre-
maturely, and what few we put up for winter use
were wormy and imperfect.
So this year l intend spraying thoroughly, no
matter how busy may think / am, for I am sure
that spraying is profitable to a small farmer even
if he does not cater to the market. / have a
splendid knapsack pump and know how to handle
it. Yours
J. H. TRoLLINGER.
There is not the slightest reason why any farm
of intelligence should not have plenty of fruit
if he will carefully spray his trees. We refer now
particularly to apples and pears. Let state
again the steps to be followed First, give the
trees reasonable in regard to cultivation fer
tilization and pruning. Second, get good spray
ing apparatus,-"Ent. Circular No. f." will aid
you in this. Third spray carefully at the proper
times with properly prepared mixture and "Ent.
Circular No. 81 will tell you about that Fourth.
do not make the mistake of thinking that spray
ing will make tree bear keep in mind all that
is said this subject in CENT. Circular No. g.
Fifth. write to me for "Ent Circulars and 6" if
ro,, haver,,t them alrnadu Sixth Let me knoY