The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-08-07
Does 1t Pay to
Spray for Spider?
Professor BurrilI Discusses This
Question From Several Points Of
View.


View.
The fruit inspector, Mr.. B%rannon,
has kindly called my attention to the
fact that certain apple growers who
came to me to learn how to kill red
spider with sprays, would not nave
had a serious attack of spider on ap-
pies in the first place if they had ir-
rigated sufficiently. Every grower
ought to know that orchards in prime
condition seldom suffer seriously from
insect attacks.
Mr.. Brannon has demonstrated
beyond dispute that where the or
chards lacked water, the. cover crops
and weeds burned in the sun, and the
red spider flocked to the trees, TO say
nothing of the retarded growth on the
apples. AS proof, it took $40 apples
from these mite-attacked, poorly irri-
gated trees to reach as far in a line as
any five apples from well irrigated
trees, and the latter five apples
weighed four times as many ounces.
Mr.. Brannon is right hat the crop
locks bad for the men who failed to
water enough, as the apple-maturing
season is short at this altitude.
In both the first and second Times
] dtIlClCSt the uttQ u care was SldltN
in diagnosing the presence of red
spider, and the fact that it is always
present in the orchard and may be-
come a serious pest, yet we believe
some men went to spraying without
thoroughly investigating. That is not
good business, although the sprays
recommended Will benefit trees as
trees. No such measure can undo the
lack of irrigation water, however.
Now let us say that the grower
turns on enough water. Will it still
pay him to spray for red spider after
red spider has become so bad as to dis
color whole trees? This point is in
dispute. 1t pays in Hood River and
elsewhere to spray for this spider
mite, but Mr.. Brannon contends that
our short season with cool nights
will not let red spider go so far as to
dciOliate the trees attacked. l defer
to him, due to his long experience in
this section and good knowledge of
local apple pests. But no one will dis
pute that red spider, just like grass
hOppers, can do commercial harm in
this section. for too many recall that
more than half of the loss to white
beans last ear was due to this same
mite, a loss estimated at the Boise Of
flee to have been more than $500, 900.
Whether the spider mite can be as dis
a@strOus to trees is in dispute, with the
evidence in favor of Mr.. Brannon that
the perennial tree will not succumt
as quickly as the annual bean crop.
A further point neither he nor l car
answer. namely. what effect he mite
will have on the forming of next
years buds, now starting. We have
/ M finds fn fnuaufimafo fhsr A,-. 90
that it is up to the grower to find il
he can cure red spider by a too tardy
irrigation. or had better spray.
have my doubts if irrigation can nov
cure the damage in time this year. blu
l believe Mr.. B%rannon is right tina
there would have been no such dam
age as is done, if the men were al
watering properly.
| hope the growers whom hav,
not yet met will get this right: l an
not here to replace the county agen
or other state deputies, but Away
glad to furnish them formulate or an
swer questions about insects: NOR
thanthat. to publish such in Tn
Times. also warnings about pests
when asked to do so. as / was askel
to do in the case of the present ar
ticles. Such data is not intended L
supplant but supplement the work O
other advisors. Too much sprayini
: of the right chemicals is unlikely. bu
too little spraying is going to pu
some men out of business; and thos
who cant afford to spray had bette
plan to go out of the apple business
: Do not read into this a threat. for tn
real threat lies in growing apples O
spraying them when you are not or
gained to market them at a profit.
, A. c. BURRILL,
E-ntomologist.
Telegram received from Chas. +
Lilly company, Friday. says: "Mixtur
Soluble Sulphur-Arsenate will bur
. under unfavorable conditions" whic
o. KS. the formula in Thursday
] Times.