EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 221 



hog pasture much of the season. The priming is not difficult if the 

 trees are not too badly neglected, and there is a latitude of time in 

 which to do it, time too when the farm work is not pressing; but the 

 spraying, or at least a part of it, must be done at certain times, for a 

 delay of a week will make a great difference in the results. It must 

 be done thoroughly. That spraying must be done to grow good fruit 

 is a settled fact, and in regions where the San Jose scale is present, 

 it is another settled fact that spraying must be done to save the trees. 

 This spraying could be done by those who make it a business to 

 I'urnish apparatus and materials and go from farm to farm spraying 

 small orchards for less than it would cost the farmer who owns a few 

 trees. If some reliable party can be found to do this, and do it on 

 time, by all means secure him, and pay the price without grumbling. 

 But few can command such service, and must do the work for them- 

 selves, if it is done at all. The outfit need consist only of a good brass 

 pump with barrel, 25 feet of hose, a good 8 to 10-foot extension rod, 

 and one or more standard nozzles, the whole costing from |20 to |25, 

 which is only a fraction of the equipment needed to grow other crops. 

 If San Jose scale is present, an iron kettle is needed in which to cook 

 lime and sulphur wash, unless one prefers to purchase the ready-made 

 commercial preparations, A barrel or two for mixing the materials 

 and a one-horse buggy or wagon, or even an ordinary wagon, to carry 

 the spray barrel can be found on every farm, and generally there is a 

 spare horse to draw the outfit. A half-day, or at most a day, two to 

 four times a year will suffice to spray an orchard of from 25 to 50 trees, 

 according to size. 



HINTS ON IMPROVING NEGLECTED ORCHARDS. 



Before undertaking to improve a neglected orchard, some facts should 

 be considered. Look to the varieties and make sure they are good 

 kinds, such as are known and in demand. Usually the more trees of 

 one good variety, the better, for it is more satisfactory to have good 

 sized shipments of one variety than small lots of many kinds. 



The trees should not be too old; an old, worn-out tree can not take 

 on new life. In general, it can be said that the trees should not be- 

 more than 30 to 35 years old. There are instances where it has paid 

 to work with older trees, but they are unusual cases. If they are too 

 badly broken or diseased, or too seriously Aveakened by long infesta- 

 tion with San Jose scale, or over 35 to 40 i^er cent of them have died 

 out, it probably will not pay to attempt to improve the orchard. 



Further consideration must be given to location, air and soil drain- 

 age. An orchard cannot be expected to pay if it is located in a pocket 

 or on flat land where spring frosts are likely to destroy the fruit buds, 

 or on an exposed site where th^ fruit buds will be frequently winter 

 killed. Trees will not flourish upon poorly drained soil. The lack of 

 drainage in an orchard is often manifest by a crooked and twisted 

 trunk. Unless there is good natural drainage, it must be provided. 

 Tile (3-inch) are more satisfactory than anything else, and the amount 



