Cañon City record., 1909-04-29
SHALL WE CONTINUE TO
SPRAY FOR COOLING MOTH3

III W. DoAiSeAh ANo-
131, of the Colorado State Experiment
Station. has given most conclusive
evidence that many apple trees that
have been heavily sprayed for years
with arsenical poisons are in a sick
and dying condition. or are already
dead
This malady has been going under
the names, collar rot and root rot"
without any well founded assignable
cause. There have been several theo-
ries as to the possible cause. such as
seepage, alkai. and desease organ
isms. The first two of these troubles
are probably one and the same. name
ly, too much water in the soil. and no
one has been able to assign the trou-
BILE to definite micro-organism. 1t
should be remembered also that DR..
Hadden's experiments have nothing
to do with trees that died from drown
ing: and the writer knows. personally
hat many. at least of the samples of
trees analyzed were from land where
seepage conditions were absolutely
unknown.
Doctor Hadden's discovery of the
real cause of this trouble has come,
We believe, in time to prevent very
extensive losses from the death of
orchard trees in this summer. 1t will
be folly, however, for anyone here
after to spray his orchard with ar
senical preparations more times or
in greater in strength than is abso-
lutely necessary to get good results
Personally. I very much regret, as
does Doctor Hadden.. that arsenical
spraying Is resulting disastrously 20
any of our orchard trees, but is is
worse than useless to evade facts,
and l am thoroughly convinced that
Doctor Hadden has been very con-
servative in his conclusions as to the
extent of damage that has already
where excessive arsenical spraying
has been carried on.
symptoms of Arsenical Poisoning.
The symptoms, in rather ad-
vanced stage of this disease, as de-
scribed by Doctor Hadden and Mr..
whipple. are about as follows: Trees
usually stunted in growth: bark very
yellow; bark often dead and black
just below the surface of the ground;
the main roots in similar condition:
leaves yellow and maturing early; ap-
pies very abundant, but small and
highly colorad: the bark of the trunk
and main lines often with vertical
cracks which may or may not give
out an exudation. Trees strongly ex-
hihiting the above condition one year
are almost sure to be dead the next
year.
This trouble usually appears first
upon few scattered trees, and from
year to year seems to spread to
others. In any orchard where a few
trees are found in the above condition
the utmost caution is necessary in
spraying with arsenical mixtures for
codling moth or other insect pests.
How to Spray
Since coming to Colorado. more
than eighteen years ago, the writer
has steadily urged the fruit growers
of the state to depend chiefly upon a
thorough treatment or two just after
the blossoms fall, and has advised
not more than one late treatment.
While this has now become very
general rule among Colorado apple
growers, there are still many who
think II two or three sprayings are
good. more will be better. and 1t is
In the orchards that have been
sprayed four of nve times or more
each season that the mischief has
been done.
Now. instead OF recommending two
or three applications for the codling
moth. am fully persuaded that Il
10 best to recommend one. or at most.
two.
II an orchard has . few trees that
show the characteristic symptoms OF
poisoning. - given above, or II the
treea have beeh heavily sprayed for
several years. would rscomsnd one
spray only Just ~ The blossoms are
about nlnsty pr osAt off. II he trsss
haxs not bssn sxosssivsly spsaysd.
ana tf tpr ny rUanen ~ nsut ~
lSanlan1na - ~ ~ epl1no.sosys \
81 s. - IL q s 9 4 s.. ij.ss.