Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-04-26
When and How to Spray.

The following letters from Victor r.
Gardner, Assistant Professor Of Horti.
culture at the University of Maine, give
specific advice as to the time and meth
DDS of spraying fruit trees. The season
be lost before the spraying should be In
hand.
Replying to your letter of Mar. "a, I
will say that think the following is the
best general spraying treatment that can
be recommended to Maine fruit growers
this year.
No. 1.-Lime-sulphur applied before
the buds start in the spring.
The lime-sulphur solution is made &C
cording to the formula: Is lbs. quick
lime, Is lbs. sulphur, and so gallons Of
water. Slake the quick lime with wa
ter. As it is slaking add the sulphur
and stir the two together. When the
lime and sulphur have been stirred into
a paste add the rest of the water and
boil for an hour. This ia then ready to
apply to dormant trees.
Another method of preparation that is
perhaps simpler where large quantities
are to be used is to slske 60 lbs. Of lime
and as it is shaking add 100 lbs. of sui
phur. When this is mixed to a paste
add more water and boil for an hour.
When boiled dilute so as to make 60
gallons of a stock lime-sulphur solution.
This is then diluted about ten times for
application to dormant trees.
No. 2.-Bordeaux mixture and the
arsenate of lead (using 8 lbs. blue vitriol,
3 lbs. quick lime, and so gallons OF wa
ter, and 8 lbs. arsenate of lead) just be-
fore blossoming.
No. 3.-This same mixture just after
blossoming.
No. 4.-Arsenate of lead-using 8 lbs.
to so gallons of water-between July 20
and August /.
OF these sprays without question No.
3 is the most important and IL only one
application is to be made, this is the one
to apply. No. probably ranks second
in importance of all four applications.
In our apple orchards think there will
be very little trouble from either fungus
diseases or insects If these applications
are made. Probably in many orchards
one or even two applications can be
omitted and very satisfactory results be
obtained. In some orchards probably
the recommendation should be modified
in order to get the very best OF results.
In an orchard Of my own, If had only
those varieties which were not subject
to scab, and IL I had not been troubled
with scab, for the past few years, l
would leave out No. 2 entirely and use
simply the arsenate of lead mixture in
place of the Bordeaux and arsenate of
lead for No. 3. Those varieties which
are subject to scab and those orchards
which have been troubled with scab
during the last few years, should receive
the Bordeaux, however.
You will note that the Bordeaux
recommended is a weaker solution than
has generally been recommended in the
past and than Is used for potatoes.
This is because the weaker Bordeaux
seems to cause less Bordeaux injury to
both foliage and fruit.
have not recommended the weak
lime-sulphur mixture to be applied to
the trees in leaf in place of the Bordeaux
because | do not think that enough is
known yet about the lime-sulphur sum-
mer sprays to warrant recommending
them uuconditionally. Perhaps another
year we will be using lime-sulphur sum
mer sprays instead of the Bordeaux just
before blossoming and just after.
Yours very truly,
V. r. Gardner.
Replying to your letter of March % |
will say that many people make prac-
tice of whitewashing the trunks Of their
apple tire es and are pleased with the re-
suits that they get from II. II the
trunks of the trees are scraped 80 as to
remove the loose bark and then white
washed, the hiding places of number
of insects are destroyed and probably a
good many insect eggs too. If the Or
chard is cultivated and the trees are
sprayed, however, scraping and white
washing the trunks Of the trees will not
be necessary for the other two opera
tious will accomplish all that wbitewash-
ing will and more too.
1t can perhaps be put down as good
orchard practice for trees that are
neither cultivated nor sprayed. 1t Is
not an efficient substitute, however, for
spraying and cultivation.
Yours very truly,
V. r. Gardner.