The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-02-03
PESTS COST MILLIONS
Fruit Growers Little Realize Extent
OF RaVages

Fruit growers realize the annual
toll taken by insect and fungus dis
eases. II is safe to say that the loss
es in the states of New York. Penn
sylvania and New Jersey from this
source alone exceed the amount ap-
propriated by the three legislatures
for conducting state business.
The losses from apple, scab, peach
yellow, fire blight, coddling moths.
oyster shell and San Jose scales, if
they could be accurately estimated,
would show total of appalling mag
nitude. The tremendous annual tax
upon the plant production of these
states can be greatly reduced by the
proper application of known methods
of control.
Spraying Is Science
Science has reduced the spraying
question to a routine operation which
II carried out, will insure any orchard
against the attacks of these pests and
diseases that are gradually working
their way into every orchard in the
United States.
Many refuse to spray their trees
until the pests appear. just as many
people forget fire insurance until af-
| ter their houses are destroyed. Spray
ing where no pests and diseases are
found--and these places are now very
few in the United States-is an in
surance to keep the orchard free
from their ravages. Once an orchard
is severely attacked by either insects
or diseases, it is very difficult to cure
and, at the best, several years profit
will be lost. Besides, the market to-
day demands fruit that is perfect and
| it is impossible to get perfect crop
of any fruit without spraying.
If the fruit grower follows these in
structions carefully and thoroughly,
harm from insect pests and fungus
diseases may be eliminated from ap-
pie orchards:
Valuable Sprays
No. 1.-Spray dormant trees with
lime. sulphur mixture, diluted Is, us
ing either commercial or homemade,
testing 80 degrees Baume, or having
specific gravity of 127. To this add
two pounds of arsenate Of lead to so
gallons OF lime, sulphur mixture.
This will kill San Jose scale, blister
mite, bud moth and cigar case bear.
ers.
No. 2.-After the leaf buds open,
but before the blossoms open. use
lime sulphur solution, 80 degrees b.,
diluted LAO, or Bordeaux mixture,
used 1850. Addtwo pounds arsenate
OF lead or Paris green to so gallons
of lime and sulphur mixture. This
will kill the bud moth and canker
worm.
No. 3-After petals have fallen and
before the calyx closes. use lime sui
phur. 80 degrees, B., lao. Add two
or three pounds of arsenate OF lead
to every so gallons. This will kill
coddling moth, canker worm and bud
moth. This application never should
be omitted.
No. 4.-Ten days after third spray.
ing repeat, using same mixtures. This
will insure against apple scab. leaf
spot, coddling moth and canker
worm.
Spray Four Times
II 1t is necessary to omit any OF
these sprays, leave out No. 2 and No
4. The best results are obtained by
spraying four times. In spraying No
3, be careful to get the spray in every
calyx. for II is there that the young
coddling moth gets It's first meal
and If 1t is poison II will be his last.
For peach orchards use.
No. 1-Same as for apple.
No. 2-Self-boiled lime sulphur and
two pounds of arsenate Of lead to
every so gallons.
No. S.-Repeat spraying No. 2
about two or three weeks later.
No. About one month before
fruit ripens use selfboiled lime sui
phur.
These sprays Will control San
Jose scale, brown rot, peach leaf curl
and curculio. The cost OF each
spraying averages about four cents a
tree, which is very small compared
with the increased returns.
Can Be Done Now
The first spraying can be applied
any time during the dormant season.
Spraying can be applied any time
during the winter when the spraying
mixture will not freeze on the trees,
and wide.awake growers take advan.
/ tage Of every warm day during the
winter. IL more winter spraying
we're done there would be less need
of hustle in the spring and the work
would be more thoroughly done.
Something must be done to check
the San Jose scale that is destroying
many orchards, and strongly urge
| the fruit growers to do more winter