The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-05-06


their orchards in order that they may
know what spraying will be needed,
say Psychologists of the United States
Department of Agriculture Without
this knowledge they may lose mon
ey by failing to spray when there is
enough of a crop left to warrant it,
or waste money by spraying when the
crop has been destroyed.
Examine Buds In All Parts of Tree
The extent of the damage must
first be ascertained, it is said. VI
course, as the season advances and
the buds develop it is easier for the
grower to gauge The prospect for a
crop; but for some time immediate
ly after the freeze it is necessary for
him to make a careful and painstak-
ing canvass of the whole orchard, in
specting each variety of fruit in ev-
cry part of the tree to determine the
damage done. This is done by split
ting the buds, the centers of which
will be blackened and the stems dis
coIored, if the frost was fatal.
Peaches are reported to have suf-
fered most over the whole FROST
stricken area, except in middle Penn
sylvania and New Jersey and in some
favored localities farther south.
Many reports of the damage done
as affecting the possibility of crops
are misleading, say specialists of the
department. If the freeze leaves 20
TO 80 per cent of the peach buds I'M
harmd, they say, there is fair chance
of a crop if all other conditions dur
ing the rest of the season continue ia
vorable. Even as low as 10 per cent
of the buds, they say, has been known
TO make a working half crop OF fruit
In the northern portion OF the
frosted area growers are advised to
continue spraying, where 10 per cent
of the buds are alive, as the shortage
of the crop will probably result in
prices that will make the expense
worth while, Farther south, how
ever. in regions where the blossoms
were practically all killed 1T will not
be necessary to spray for fnngous
diseases and insect pests. The de-
partment specialists caution, how
ever, that in the past short peach
crops have sometimes proved erratlc'
dine TO June drop, curculio, and un-
favorable pollination conditions. The
crop may dwindle as the season ad-
yances until it becomes failure
The situation with regard to apples
over the frosted area, it is said, Is
much more complicated. Ben DAVIS
Stayman Winesap, Mammoth BLACK
Twig, and most all the summer ap-
ples have had their blossoms killed
so completely as to leave no prospect
even of a reasonable fraction OF
crop. il is said. Many other Varle-
ties. including York Imperial, Rome
Beauty, and to less extent the ola
Winesap, have varying proportion
nj the buds alive-from 10 or 20 per
cent ND to so and 60 and in some
cases rs per cent. Practically all the
open blossoms were killed, but from
the buds left these varieties have
some prospect of yielding fair crop
in some localities if conditions are
good during fruit setting and growth
OF crop.
WITH apples and pears. specialists
of the department say, It is inadVisa-
HE to follow the full spraying sche-
aule where the set of fruit does not
iustify the expense. Two foliage
sprays should usually be given to keep
foliage in good condition. The OPP
Grafton goes along with cultivation
and fertilizing to build up the trees
for next years crop,
For a fraction of crop OF any
considerable Importance; say from ~
an 20 per cent or more, the calyx
spray should be employed by all
means 1T is said. The usual spray
schedule-three treatments caiyA'
and weeks spray, and and .
weeks spray-are for the protection
M fruit as well as foliage. In the
northern districts where apple scao
a. had more spraying may be neces-
sary. ..
The calyx spray should be given as
soon as the blossoms have fallen For