Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-04-12
Horticultural Bulletin.

subject of spraying. These bulletins
are issed by the executive committee
of the society and are sent free tc
members. This peculiar bulletin on
spraying is the work of F. Cranefeld.
the secretary of the state horticultural
society. 1t says among other things
The successful culture of fruit de-
mands knowledge of tillage, fertiliz-
ing, pruning and the methods of COM
batting insects and diseases. 1t is
mainly the lack Or requirement OF
knowledge concerning the enemies of
the crop that distinguishes the success
full from the unsuccessful fruit-grower
Two classes of enemies attack fruit,
trees and plants, viz: insects and
fungous disease; the application of SUBJ
stances; usually liquid, to the tree or
plant for the purpose of preventing or
destroying these constitutes spraying
We spray to destroy insects and to pre-
vent fungous diseases. Spraying is no
longer an experiment, 1t is an estab-
lished fact that intelligent and persist
ent spraying always pays.
To fight an insect intelligently one
must know it's life history. There are
certain periods in it's life when it is
vulnerable and others when it is pro-
tected. This change of conditions is
largely due to the fact that most in
sects In the course of their lives under
60 a Transformation. Mostly the vari-
Gus stages of this transformation look
so different that if we did not know,
we would set them down as different
animals. Thus we have insects with a
complete metamorphosis, which COM
prises four stages, and those with an
incomplete metamorphosis with less
stages of one of the higher insects
with a complete metamorphosis being
known, we can infer the corresponding
stages of most Of the lower forms.
The insects affecting fruit may be
divided for convenience into two classes
which are distinguished by their mode
OF feeding, viz, eating or chewing in
sects and sucking insects.
Apple scab, brown rot of plums and
peaches, potato rot, blight, rust and
other destructive plant diseases are
commonly ascribed to weather condi-
tions. Indirectly this is often true,
but neither rain nor draught, nor any
other atmospheric condition is ever di-
rectly the cause of plant. diseases.
Such diseases as already Indicated,
are produced by minute plants, which
never arise spontaneously, but always
from some reproductive form
of a previously existing plant of the
same species. But weather conditions
may be favorable to the rapid develop
ment of these fungi, and so Indirectly
cause the disease.
Rainy weather, then, does not direct
ly cause plum rot, but provides con-
ditions favorable to the development
of the plum and it's ability to resist the
invasion of the disease
What is fungus?
1t is plant; plant without leaves,
flowers, seeds. or chlorophyll.
1t cannot therefore prepare it's own
food but must feed On other plants.
There are two classes of fungi; sap
rophytic, which live on decayed or de-
caying vegetable tissues; toodstools,
mushrooms, ETC., are examples of this
class, and parasitic fungi, which exist
on living plants or their fruits, absorb
ing the prepared nourishment. 1t is
mainly the parasite class which con-
Germs the fruit grower, for it is this
class which causes plant diseases.
Arsenate Of lead is combination of
white arsenic, sugar of lead and sal
soda. 1t may be prepared by combin-
ing these materials in proportion, but
the process involves considerable labor
and danger as the ingredients must be
combined by boiling.
Powdered white hellebore is COM
monty employed to destroy currant and
cabbage worms and on fruits and veget-
ables where more poisonous su INSTANCES
cannot be used with safety
Kerosene is used only to DESTROY
sucking insects. 1t must be applied
to insects and cannot be used as a pre-
ventive. This is the standard remedy
for sucking insects.
Close Hotels by Vote.
The people of North Melbourne,
II