Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-08-13

years later. 1t takes but little time
to go over the orchard in the spring
and clip off such twigs as do not seem
to be needed. The object should be to
produce an even, spreading. some
what open head If 1t ever does
become necessary to remove large
branches they should be cut close to
the trunk and the wounds painted
with white lead 1t is better to do
this severe pruning In the winter be-
fore the sap begins to run.
Spraying For Insects.
One of the most effective means of
securing large crops of fruit is spray
ing. Fruit trees of all kinds are sub
ject to many injurious insects and dis
eases, which If left to themselves will
materially lessen the yields. There are
two kinds of insects-biting and suck
| ing. The former can be combated by
means of poisons sprayed upon the
leaves. The sucking insects, of which
plant lice are the most common exam
Piles. cannot be killed in this way.
since they drill into the plant and suck
the juices. The most effective remedy
| for them is some insecticide which will
kill by contact, like kerosene emulsion.
This Is made by dissolving half
pound Of soap in gallon of boiling
water. adding two gallons of kerosene
and churning the mixture violently un-
til the oil is thoroughly mixed with
the soapsuds. This is diluted with
nine times as much water before
using. 1t may be applied with spray
/ pump whenever the lice are trouble
some and is very effective remedy.
The biting insects are by far the
most troublesome in the orchard. OF
these the codling moth probably does
the most damage. 1t is the larvae
Matched from the eggs of the codling
moth that cause wormy apples. The
tent caterpillar and canker worm at
tack the leaves, sometimes stripping
the tree bare. There is no better rem
edy for these insects than paris green
dissolved in water at the rate of one
pound to 100 gallons. Three pounds of
freshly saked lime should be added to
prevent injury to the foliage. Paris
green can also be used for the plum
curculio and for the other insects which
attack the plum and cherry. The foil
nge of these trees is more tender than
that of the apple, however, and for
that reason some less severe insec-
ticide, such as arsenate of lead dis
solved at the rate of three pounds to
fifty gallons of water. is better.
Spraying For FUNGUS Diseases.
The most troublesome fungous dis
eases are apple scab, plum. pear and
cherry leaf spot and peach leaf curl.
The most efficient fungicide is bor
deaux mixture. This is made by dis.
solving four pounds of copper sulphate
and four pounds Of lime in fifty gal
Ions of water. The object of u fungi
eide is not to cure diseases. but to pre-
vent them. These fungous diseases
spread by means Of spores. which are
carried from leaf to leaf by the wind.
When they alight on leaf. especially
if the surface is u little moist, they
grow and produce another center of
. disease. If the leaf is covered with a
{ thin coating of the copper sulphate
mixture the spores are killed before
: they start to grow. Since fungicides
8 are preventives rather than cures it is
e important that they be applied early.
3 In order to save time paris green may
r be added to the bordeaux mixture al
r the rate of four ounces to fifty gallons
c or arsenate Of lead at the rate of two
Il pounds to fifty gallons and one spray
+ ing made effective for both insects and
diseases.
If you have many fruit trees it will
n pay to send to the experiment station
# for spraying calendar. which will