62 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



SPRAYING FRUIT TREES. 

 BY A. C. HAMMOND, WAESAW, 



Years ago orchardists felt that something must be done to keep 

 in check the three great pests of the fruit grower, the codling moth, 

 canker worm and curculio, or they would be driven from the field; 

 therefore, our entomologists and practical orchardists went to work 

 with a will, to find some* means of combating them, and the result 

 has been so gratifying that the orchardist now feels assured that 

 these troublesome insects can be so far controlled that they will do 

 but slight injury. 



Last season the apple crop was so light that nearly every speci- 

 men, where no efforts were made to destroy them, contained one 

 or more worms, but, where the trees were carefully sprayed a very 

 small per cent, contained a larva. The experiments therefore made 

 at that time were ver}" conclusive and showed that a large per cent, 

 of our apples can be saved, even in an unfavorable year. 



This season the conditions were reversed, as the short crop, and 

 in many places entire failure, of last year, furnished but little fruit 

 for them to breed in and the work of the few moths that infested 

 our orchards was scarcely perceptible. 



Now, when the moth has been reduced by natural causes, is the 

 time for orchardists to spray their trees, for if this is done annually, 

 they can be so kept in check that we can grow sound, perfect fruit, 

 instead of finding a disgusting worm in every specimen. 



In speaking of this question a vear ago, I said I was quite posi- 

 tive the poisonous application diminished the curculio in my orchard, 

 and the result of this year's experiment confirms me in the opinion 

 that it can be in a great measure controlled, and that most-dreaded 

 of all orchard insects, the canker worm, can be kept within safe 

 bounds, if not entirely exterminated. 



As this method of destroying orchard insects is destined to come 

 into general use, it ma}' be well to call attention to the danger of 

 injury to the trees. 



Last season I used a small force pump, which throws a light 

 spray, and with a pound of London Purple to eighty gallons of 

 water, scorched the leaves but slightly. This season, desiring to 

 reach the top of some large trees, 1 procured a Field Force Pump, 

 which throvvs a larger stream and drives it in among the leaves with 

 considerable force and, although, I reduced the strength to one 

 pound to one hundred and twenty gallons of water, I found the 

 leaves more injured than the previous year, caused, no doubt, by 

 using a larger quantity of the solution. I think there is nothing 

 superior to the Field spraying outfit for this purpose. The nozzle is 

 adjustable and can be made to throw a very fine spray. When the 

 trees are small or where it is desired to reach the top of larger trees, 



