104 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



dead or dying, and the others had suffered severely either in trunk or 

 branches. Had these trees received two or three applications of 

 Bordeaux mixture in the spring of 1905 they would have not only 

 matured a good crop of fruit, but would have been in splendid condition 

 for a crop this jear. Morello cherries in particular should never be 

 allowed to go unsprayed and it will pay well with all varieties. 



Spraying for Apple Seal). — The weather throughout the season was 

 very favorable for the development of the apple scab yet, where the 

 trees were thoroughly sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, an excellent 

 crop was secured and the fruit was quite free from the effect of this 

 disease. On the other hand, unsprayed trees produced very little fruit 

 and, particuarly in case of varieties subject to the attack of the fungus 

 of the apple scab, this was of little value for market, being very scabby 

 and misshapen. 



The cold, wet weather at the time the trees were in blossom caused 

 the scab fungus to attack the flowers and flower stalks and, as a con- 

 sequence, the trees that had not been sprayed set very little fruit and, 

 as the attack continued, much of this dropped from the trees or was 

 only fit for cider apples. The benefit from the early application had 

 often been noticed in previous vears but it was seldom so marked as 

 in 1905. 



One of the experiments repeated in 1905 was to determine the rela- 

 tive value of an application of copper sulphate solution, at the rate 

 of two pounds in fifty gallons of water during the month of March or 

 early April, as compared with Bordeaux mixture applied just as the 

 blossoms were opening. This comparison had been made a number of 

 times in previous 3'ears and, as a result, we had recommended the use 

 of Bordeaux mixture as late as possible before the opening of the 

 flowers, in order that the flower stalks might be coated with a fungicide 

 during the blossoming period, as it had been observed that the entire 

 crop of apples might be lost from the attack of the apple scab fungus 

 at that time. From the fact that rainy weather at the time the appli- 

 cation should be made, sometimes makes it impossible to use Bordeaux 

 mixture as recommended, we have suggested the use of the copper sul- 

 phate solution, especially in large orchards that would require several 

 days for spraying and in which the loss of the crop would amount to a 

 considerable sum. 



The result of the experiment in 1905 was unexpectedly favorable for 

 the early application of copper sulphate solution, as the season being 

 so favorable for the development of scab it was expected that far better 

 results could be secured with Bordeaux mixture just before the blos- 

 soms opened. However, although the amount of scab upon the trees 

 sprayed with copper sulphate was greater than where Bordeaux mix- 

 ture was used, the difference was comparatively slight and it would not 

 noticeably affect the grading of the apples. So far as the controlling 

 of the injury from scab at the time of blossoming is concerned no dif- 

 ference could be noticed in the setting of the fruit. As a consequence, 

 we shall still continue to recommend the early application of copper 

 sulphate solution but think that, if conditions are favorable for spraying 

 after the blossom buds appear but before the petals open, it will be well 

 to go over the trees at that time with Bordeaux mixture, adding Paris 



