Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-04-14
The Spraying of Fruit Trees.

Inc spraying OF ffuit ifeeS.
(B s. Brown, Professor of Horticulture, a
Farmers Week, Orono)
An sold subject" treated in . "nsw
way" Tuesday morning Professor B
S. Brown, head of the Horticultural De
partment gave his audience in the Farm
ers' Week Course rare treat by his able
handling of the much discussed subject
1.-THE Spraying of Fruit Trees"
He outlined first the various classes OF
diseases affecting fruit trees, stating
that in practically all cases the remedy
is prevention rather than cure. Spray
outfits were also discussed in very H.
Illuminating manner. A very complete
report of this important address follows:
In treating such big subject in 80
short a space Of time, it is obvious that
only broad generalities can be given.
You are doubtless familiar with the es'
sential details of the various methods oil
combating disease and have come here,
expecting as to ac4uaint you with the
new discoveries and Inventions since we
last met, to keep you posted and picture
to your minds the latest in spraying, as
the fashion sheets depict the anomalies
of the feminine minds of Paris.
1t may be that you have been told to
do this, or that you should do that, if
you would increase your revenues; but
you have been sitting by, wondering
what it was all about, and in the mean
time the worms have waxed fat and your
fruit dwindled and dropped.
The days of operating farms by "rule-
Iof-thumb" are passing, and 1t Is right
that this should be. Intelligent orchard
lists are asking the reason why, the un-
derlying fundamental principles OF
things, and all unconsciously are becom'
ing scientific agriculturists.
Every state in the Union has from one
to five experiment stations. The De-
partment of Agriculture is experiment.
/ ing every where. Forty millions OF dol
lars are spent annually in research work,
and from the abundant and volumiDous
publications of this work, it is our duty
to look through, digest and segregate
such new ideas as might Do OF use 10
you and present them on occasions IKE
this.
Among the many phases OF the or
chard industry, spraying IS the most I'M
portant. IL contributes much to the
success of fruit growing and calls for q
wide and deep technical knowledge and
training. The advance has been most
rapid and the various spraying mixtures
and spraying machines which few
years ago were thought to be the best
/ that could be bad are now for the most
part discarded. Many bulletins that
were published no longer ago than 1910
are now of value only as of historical in
terest.
/ During the last few years We have
Learned many things. Among these,
the one which seems to me the most I'M
portant is the fact that all phenomena
Of diseases and conditions of plants are
concerned only with the living sub
stance, the protoplasm. And however
complex the symptoms OF disease may
be, the living part of the plant is the
thing affec'ed. We have learned that
good many troubles are due to the pecc-
liar location or environment under which
THE plant grows, such as the CONDITIONS
lof soil, moisture, extremes OF heat and
lcold and the various relations OF culture
and fertilizer. All have their effect up
on the growth of plants. Troubles re-
lsultipg from such conditions are beyond
Icontrol by any spraying mixtures. Such
/ diseases Wb Oat PuyoAoioS'S"a e~~
Hook to the change of environment or
cultural conditions to control them.
| Then again, we have other troubles
which we may call vegetative diseases
resulting from one kind OF plant Ire
Igrowing upon another, such trouble as
the apple scab, the various kinds OF mil
dew, and mold; apple decay and canker'
all belong TO this class. They are the
result of small plants feeding upon the
> foliage or fruit or roots OF the trees.
ISuch diseases taken in time can be pre-
vented BY such treatment OF the repro
lducing parts OF the disease as will pre-
vent their growth. We could place Bor-
deaux mixture or Lime-Sulphur solution
upon the foliage or bark of trees to pre-
vent these parasites from getting foot
hold.
Such diseases are reproduced or
lspread BY means of spores and the appii-
Icatiou of the various fupgicidal sprays
prevents the spores from terminating.
When once they get established beneath
the cuticle of the leaves or bark, then no
mixture can control them. Therefore,
the only successful treatment OF practi-
cally all Of these troubles is prevention
rather than cure.
The third class Of troubles which the
orchardist has to contend with ia the va
Irious kinds of insects. OF these, We
have two distinct classes: Those in
sects which insert their beaks through
1.-The outer cuticle of the leaf or fruit and
lsuck the sap from the leaf; Inanifesty,
such insects cannot be poisoned by any
Thing which they may take internally,
Il onnlp anch anraV9 88
llime-sulphur which kills by contact
with the outer parts of the body. The
lotber class of insects bites or chews the
foliage. These We can treat direct oy
giving them poison which they take in-
ternally and destroy them in this man
lner. 1t is evident, therefore, that We
must know each one of these troubles
specifically, and apply the mixture wnion
is best suited for each trouble. No gen
eral treatment for all kinds of diseases
has thus far been found. Many sprays
have been advertised as panacea Tor all
troubles, but We can assure you tnat
none are successful. :,
The doctor must diagnose each
trouble of his patient and prescribe med
ticiue and treatment accordingly. SO
must the orchardist find out in each par
ticular case just what the trouble Ia,
how il works, the class to which 1t De
longs, then apply the remedy for tha'
specific trouble.
Among the more recent developments
in the uses of insecticids is the introduc
ion of zinc arsenite to take the place o.
arsenate of lead. Only q few years
ago, Paris green was the common source
: of arsenic for poisoning insects. Later
. IL was found that there was 80 mucn free
arsepia acid in Paris green that 1t ournef
, the foliage, and no dependence could o.
|, placed upon it's stability; therefore, arse
; nate of lead was substituted. This mrs
, took the form Of paste, but later va
used as a powder, and its strength was
accordingly increased. Now Zinc arse
mite is being tried out as substitute, u
various places for the arsenate OF lead
This mixture Is much cheaper and con
tains q very considerably greater amonn
Of the arsenic, the poison principle In
arsenates OF lead run II 70 per cent ar
senic oxide, while the zinc srsenite run
40 2S percent arsenic oxide. The latte
will stay on the foliage equally az Ion,
"a the other, and In many ways mas pee
Ieornd annerior The one drawback o