EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 321 



Spraying Experiments with Sulphate of Iron. 



To test the value of copperas, or sulphate of iron, as compared with 

 blue vitriol, or sulphate of copper, as a fungicide, it was used as a clear 

 solution before the buds started and after the foliage was out united 

 with lime the same as with copper sulphate. Upon all kinds of tree 

 fruits and grapes, one tree of a variety was sprayed with copperas-Bor- 

 deaux mixture, and one with regular Bordeaux. As a Bordeaux mix- 

 ture, the copperas was used at the rate of 6 pounds with 6 pounds of 

 lime for 50 gallons of water, and the regular Bordeaux mixture con- 

 tained copper sulphate 4 pounds, lime 5 pounds and water 50 gallons. 

 The trees sprayed with the copperas-Bordeaux had a very characteristic 

 rusty appearance. Apples, pears and plums received four applications, 

 cherries three, peaches two and grapes three. The results were as fol- 

 lows : At the strength used, it is practically worthless as a fungicide. 

 It did not control leaf-curl of the peach, the cherry foliage dropped much 

 worse than on trees sprayed with regular Bordeaux mixture. The fruit 

 nearly all rotted and the leaves all dropped in August from the plum 

 trees and some of them started a new growth late in the season. When 

 plum trees of the same varieties were sprayed with regular Bordeaux 

 mixture, we were able to harvest most of the fruit and the trees held 

 their foliage until well into the fall. The copperas also failed to con- 

 trol leaf-blight and the scab fungus of apple and pears. Neither bene- 

 ficial nor injurious results were noted from its use. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



As a variety test the results were not quite as satisfactory as we 

 should have liked because a uniform stand of plants was not secured, 

 owing partly to the condition of the plants upon arrival. Second, the 

 climbing cutworms did considerable damage, eating the foliage as well 

 as the center of the blossoms, thus making many imperfect berries. The 

 worms worked more in some spots than others and of course the injury 

 was greatest to those that lacked in vigor. Aside from these troubles, 

 the weather conditions were favorable during the fruiting season and 

 a fairly good crop was harvested. The plantation kept over from 1004 

 for comparison between first and second year's fruiting made an ex- 

 cellent showing and had the advantage over the new plantation by 

 escaping the attack of the cut-worms. The older plantation was plowed 

 under after the fruiting season was over and the new fruiting bed was 

 cleaned out and held over following the same plan of renewing as last 

 year. Furrows were thrown away from the rows so as to leave a 

 narrow strip of plants. These were then thinned out with a hoe and the 

 furrows were cultivated down. 



The results from the second yearns fruiling as compared with the first 

 year were noted. The plantation is small and contained 35 varieties, 

 of most of which only twenty-five plants were set. In 1004 there were 

 761 pounds of berries picked and in 1005 814 pounds of berries were 

 gathered, which leaves a balance of 53 pounds in favor of the second 

 year's fruiting, but this does not prove that the second year's fruiting 

 will always prove better than the first. The fruiting season of 1904 was 

 41 



