Oxford Democrat., 1918-11-26
Spraying Materials for 1910.
NONE TOO EARLY TO ORDER sPRAYsRs
AND SUPPLIES FOR NEXT YEAR.

The Maine Agricultural Kxperimsn
Station brings ~ rapidly a. possible I,
the attention Of the growers of Main
the results OF its studies with plant dis
eases. Even with the war over mex
year will be . crucial one for food. Thi
year the nutritive value of the food grow,
In the United States was Is per cent aboy
the normal. Thanks to that, it has beeI
possible to push the war toward a suc
cessful termination. In 1919 equally a
much food 10 needed. Proper sprayin,
reduces the crop losses and the possible
shortage OF spraying machinery prompt
sending out the following:
The American Phytopathological So
clsty includes practically all of the plan
disease specialists Of the United State,
and Canada. Practically every member
10 engaged In some kind of war work
many OF the younger men have tempora
rily forsaken their calling for activ,
service at the front. In addition 1t va,
unanimously decided at the last annua
meeting that means should be taken tc
increase in every possible way the prac
tical help that they could render as 9
war time service. The most importan,
function OF a plant pathological at al
times 10 to devise and put into execution
effective means of preventing unneces
sary losses of food crops and their
products, and this function is doubly
important in wartime. The fact is
sometimes overlooked that IL is fully az
important to prevent unnecessary losses
Of growing crops of grain and vegetables
as 1t is to save the same amount Of food
material at the table.
The Plant Pathologists' War Board is
made up of q number of small com.
mittees, each with a definite piece OF
work assigned to it to accomplish. One
Of these Subdivisions is expected to
keep in touch with the fungicide and
spray machinery situation and keep the
members informed from time to time 90
that they may pass 1t along to the gen.
sral public. The following Is based on
a report just issued:
"By voluntary action at q conference
in Detroit, the leading spraying machin-
cry manufacturers have eliminated q
number of styles of machines and are
preparing to put this business on q war
basis. The man who buys q machine
and gets 1t delivered, has 1t; the one
who plans to order 1t next spring stands
a chance of being disappointed. You
will note, therefore. the imperative need
there is for urging farmers to order
early"
A large amount Of data has been
obtained from the leading manufacturers
of and dealers in fungicides and spraying
machinery. They are willing to do their
share in meeting the spraying require
ment for the coming year II given the
opportunity. Some are offering special
discounts for early orders, and all have
been asked by the pathologists to do so.
They have also been asked TO standard
izs their lines and to eliminate inferior
and unreliable styles.
Spraying materials are needed every
year and most large and many small
users can estimate their needs nearly as
well In December ss they can In the fol-
lowing spring. The one thing that will
interfere most with having an adequate
supply of fungicidss and spraying ma
chinery on the ground when needed is
that local dealers will hesitate to lay In
ample supplies unless assured of de-
msnd. Individual buyers can do muah
to prevent this by at once filing estimates
of their needs another season.
At the manufacturing points the gen.
ersl fungicide situation is good. There
is plenty of copper sulphate. The New
York Wholesale prices are only . frac'
ton Of cent higher than those Of Feb.
ruary last. The Wholesale price OF
formaldehyde has not changed material
| ly, but there Is some danger OF shortage
in supply. The Food Administrations
has placed . maximum price on white
arsenic. This tends to stabilize the
prices of Paris green and arsenate OF
lead so that they will probably not vary
much from last year. While the basic
materials are probably adequate, trans
portational difficulties interfere with the
assembly of materials for the manufac-
ture of commercial lime-sulphur. Dis
tribution may also be interfered with In
the spring. In connection with ship
ping and storing lims-sulphur in winter
II should be remembered that freezing
Injuries the liquid.
All OF which means, order 1919 needs
at once. And this applies to all farm
mac hinery, to seeds, to fertilizers, and
to insecticides d. Woods, Di-
rector.