114 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



ground, it being so soft as to preclude the possibility of getting horses into the orchard. 

 Thirty-two days elapsed between the first and second sprayings, but the benefit of the 

 first application could easily be seen in August on the foliage of Greening, Colvert, Spy 

 and Early Harvest. Mr. Carpenter also noticed an improvement in the quality of 

 Northern Spy. 



The results gained by Messrs. M. Pettit, E. J. Woolverton and A. H. Pettit, are 

 given in detail in the accompanying tabulated statement. 



In submitting his results Mr. M. Pettit says that the " Snow apples were not quite 

 free of fungus, but much better than last season. Spys were much improved, while the 

 test on Baldwins was a great success." 



Mr. E. J. Woolverton, writing under date of October 25th, says : " I have no 

 doubt that, had the experimental plots received an application of copper sulphate earlier 

 in the season, the results would have been still more satisfactory ; but even now after 

 all the fruit is picked it is an easy matter to pick out the treated trees from the un- 

 treated owing to the much richer and more healthy character of their foliage." 



Mr. A. H. Pettit, at one time indifferent in regard to the value of spraying, and 

 who deserves my best thanks, not only for inciting the movement, but for most faith- 

 fully and conscientiously carrying out under extreme difficulty the entire plan of the 

 experiment, as originally laid down, writes as follows : — 



" I now inclose you a statement of the result of the spraying experiment with 

 Bordeaux mixture conducted in my orchard under your direction during the past season. 

 And in doing so I must express my great satisfaction in the results obtained. It has 

 shown the effects in such marked degree. 



"The experiment you conducted here this season has demonstrated to me, and 

 many other fruit growers, that spraying with Bordeaux properly applied and at regular 

 intervals will be of great practical value in destroying the fungus that is, I believe, 

 causing the unfruitfulness of our orchards. The sprayed trees, aside from the largely 

 increased crop, presented a fine healthy foliage, while those by the side of them, un- 

 sprayed, showed a very unhealthy appearance and no fruit. 



" I might add that while the fruit on the sprayed trees was of good size and colour, 

 it was not entirely free from damage by the Codling Moth ; and two or three varieties, 

 notably the American Golden Russet, Fameuse and Swaar were affected by a scab to 

 quite an extent. Now, this may have taken root during our excessive wet weather a few 

 days after the first spraying. I am also inclined to think, although I have no means of 

 knowing it to be so, that the Bordeaux mixture does to some extent destroy the action 

 of the Paris green. Had it not been for the work of the Codling Moth, the percentage 

 of first quality would have been greater. 



" Now, I may go a little beyond the experiment proper. Having sprayed a number 

 of trees to a greater or less extent, the season, as you are aware, was most unfavourable 

 in some respects, not only for spraying regularly, but for the cultivation of the orchard 

 and vineyard, the extreme wet, followed by the rapid drying up of the land. I was 

 pressed for time to get what spraying I did get done (beyond the experiment proper) 

 with any regularity, and some were done moderately well, while other parts were not 

 done so well ; but I can distinctly trace the good effects of the application in the in- 

 creased production and also in the improved condition of the foliage, even to the extent 

 of one side of quite a number of the trees producing good results and good foliage on 

 the side sprayed, while the other side of the tree was barren of fruit and carried 

 unhealthy foliage. 



" I believe, sir, that the value of this experiment so practically demonstrated will 

 give a wonderful inspiration to our fruit growers to fight straight along this line, and I 

 trust your report will be as convincing and as widely distributed as possible, in order 

 that every fruit grower may reap the reward of your and your associates' researches and 

 experiments to destroy the insects and diseases that are affecting our fruit trees and 

 fruits, and I trust if there are any other doubting fruit growers as to the benefit of 

 spraying, you will convert them at once, even should it be the means of flooding the 

 universe with clean, choice Canadian fruit." 



The orchards from which the most complete returns have been x-eceived are those 

 of Mr. E. J. Woolverton and A. H. Pettit, of Grimsby, Ont. Tables I. and II. show 



