Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-26
STATE HOUSE.
StatehortiCuIturist Gardner
Makes Report ofSpraying.
Interest in Cow Test Ass'ns.
Renewed Throughout State.
New corporations..FiIed al the Of.
flee Of Secretary Of State.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Regular Meeting of Governor and
Council, Thursday, May 20, 1918, at
10 A. M.

state Horticulturist Gardner makes
the following report of his spraying
demonstrations:
The demonstrations. this spring, were
similar to those of 1912, and have ten
ded TO encourage many growers in sec
tons where little or no spraying has
been done heretofore. IT has been the
am Of the department to carry these
demonstrations into the sections pre-
viously neglected, in order that the re-
suits may be general rather than 10
cal, and that the standard of the State
Lay be increased. We have been fol-
tunate thus far in being invited to
orchards where proper methods of
lruI.ing and spraying can be fully ex
empliffed and in meeting men, who
have the necessary energy and enthu
siasm. hut who lack q knowledge of de-
tail. Such men have carried on and no
doubt viii continue To carry on, the
work as it has been explained to them
and in a short time by example will
encourage others i'll their immediate
vicinity to do likewise.
Fer the first set of demonstrations,
"A invitations were accepted and meet
ings were held in 10 of the "A orchards.
Three meetings were prevented by
rain. one by smallpox and one by a
funeral. The total attendance was $40,
making the average attendance %. The
smallest meeting was at Sorrento,
where only IL were present, and the
largest at Springfield, where 100 were
present. Three hundred and sixty-three
trees We're sprayed at a cost of $14.50
fer materials, making the average cost
per tree $.0i, not including the labor
The fact that this is larger than last
year is due to the increased number of
large trees. The largest number of
trees sprayed at one meeting was 40;
smallest, &. In the latter case, no time
could he devoted to pruning and the
trees while not excessively large, We're
very thick and contained some dead
limbs.
In place of the concentrated solu
ton Of lime-sulphur generally applied.
the soluble sulphur, a powdered form,
vas used It is much easier to trans
port, is cheaper and full as easy to
handle. 1t has given good satisfaction
III many places. and. provided it is as
satisfactory in controlling the pests
and diseases. will be much more eco
nomieal than the liquid 1t costs $50
in 100 pound drums and will do the
same amount of work as 4 barrel of
the liquid which will cost from s. to So
THE Could Pomona pump used the
previous season WAS again used, this
Yea: and gave very good satisfaction,
maintaining a pressure from 100 to 150
pounds with a moderate amount OF
energy. The cotton hose was also used
for the second season and stood up
under Il pressure at times of 800
pounds Nozzles of various types, in
Guiding some new aluminium noZZles
were eXemplified to demonstrate their
good and bad points. We have obtained
a large assortment of various sorts and
believe that it is of the most fund.-
mental Importance that they pc given
a fair trial, inasmuch as they, more
than any other one agency, assure good
or poor results on the trees.
ION windy days we followed DR..
Wehtzels method of spraying against
the wind and are fully in accord with
his views upon the matter. The green
aphis were particularly abundant as
soon as the leaf buds swelled, and APP
parently will prove troublesome in the
coming season. The tent caterpillars
were out early, many appearing dur
ing the last week in April ard are in
sufficient number to do great amount
of damage unless cared for. AT Sor-
rento the oyster shell lice were partie-
ularly numerous and threatened even
the large, vigorous trees. sulphur and
I've mad been applied in; many places
with apparently little effect. Other
insects in various forms We're more or
less prevalent but in smaller numbers.
Pruning. Ta.z.s.zs 80
Before the demonstration in spray
ing the time was given over to DEM
onstration in pruning on trees of all
sizes. Particular attention was given to
the thinning out of trees with heavy
top so that there was room for more
sunshine and better aeration and at
the same time not enough open space
to cause the exposed limbs to suffer |
from san seald. This has been COM
mon fault in the opening up" of old
trees. and too much stress cannot be !
placed upon the importance of at least
some shade.
The desirability of a low, strong |
framework was everywhere discussed, |
and whenever possible, exemplified on
Young trees The low head is generally |
discretited because of a lack of under /
standing as to what constitutes a lowi
head tree. The pruning at the start ana
the later heading back and removal of
branches We're thoroughly
gone over to show wherein the gener-
ell opinion that prevailed was at fault
The small, swivel blade saws were
used except in the case of limbs four
iEc hes or more in diameter and gave
very gratifying results. Their worth
cannot be fully appreciated until they
ne been tried in competition with
other saws and the eagerness with
which the growers adopted them, once
they had seen them work, proved their