The state herald., 1908-02-21
ABOUT SPRAYING.
Provide for a Good Fruit Year by
Fighting Pests.

The indications are that this year
will be what orchardists call "a good
fruit year" To insure the best yield
spraying should begin early. Spraying
for codling moth is begun when the
petals are fallen, and should be given
as soon as possible after that stage.
The calyX leaves are well open and
are uppermost, and it is essential that
poison be deposited there as the great
er number of the early brood enter
the small apple at the calyX.
The small apple grows rapidly and
the second spraying should follow the
first In at least ten days. The larvae
that escape the first spraying will be
mature insects within short time
after the first apple has dropped, and
spray should be given to protect the
| fruit from the second brood, At In
teryals of about two or three weeks,
spraying for later broods has proved
profitable.
For bitter rot or scab, bordeaux
mixture applied before the buds open
destroy spores upon the bark and
twigs. II should be combined with the
second and fourth sprays for codling
moth, and If the disease has been very
serious, one or two more later spray
ings will be profitable. Other insects
and diseases have not been noted AZ
serious where spraying for codling
moth and bitter rot have been applied.
In some instances a single spraying
has secured a very great increase in
the quantity of sound fruit. but in most
cases a single spray has not been sue.
cessful in proportion to repeated
| sprayings. The proportion of sound
| fruit on sprayed trees as compared
with unsprayed trees has varied in diff,
| ferent seasons, but an average for the
| past six years in nearly 80 per cent.
number one fruit from sprayed trees,
and less than ten per cent. from un'
sprayed trees. The per cent. of mar.
ketable fruit, including the second
grade, has shown slightly greater diff.
ferences in favor of sprayed trees.
The cumulative effect of spraying
has been noted in the greater free.
dom from insects and diseases OF the
experiment station orchards and vine
yards compared with neighboring
plantations which have not been
sprayed. The orchards have suffered
no injury from canker worm, leaf
crumpler or tent caterpillar. which
have been very numerous in neighbor-
ing orchards during several seasons
The protection from fungus has been
/ fully as valuable. During the seasons
ls05-1906 practically no loss was occa.
stoned by bitter rot. scab or rust.
while unsprayed orchards In this To-
cality have suffered seriously.
In spraying peach trees to prevent
brown rot and leaf curl the first spray
should be applied before the leaf buds
open. The foliage of the peach is much
more easily injured than is that of the
apple, and after the trees are In leaf
the bordeaux mixture should be re.
duced to half strength
As the fruit reaches maturity the
use of bordeaux is liable to discolor
the fruit. The colorless ammoniacal
solution OF copper carbonate has been
used during ripening. but has been
less effective than bordeaux.
The plum varieties differ consider
ably in their liability to spray burn.
but as a rule the bordeaux should be
diluted half strength for plums.
The spraying OF the vineyard to pre-,
vent mildew has been uniformly sue.
cessful. The crops from unsprayed
vines have in several seasons been al.
most total failures when the sprayed
vines have given fair crops.-R y
| Eastman.