I. The Profits of Spraying Apple Orchards. 



Spraying orchards to protect the foliage and fruit from the attacks 

 of insects and fungi may now be considered as one of the regular 

 duties connected with the growing of apples. Those who have had 

 experience in this direction are practically unanimous in saying that 

 not only does it pay to spray apple orchards but it generally pays well. 

 Doubts as to the advisability of making applications to orchards are 

 rapidly disappearing, and now arise the questions, what to apply, and 

 how and when to make the applications. The following experiments 

 were designed to indicate as accurately as possible what are the best 

 methods of treating apple orchards so that fruit of the best quality 

 may be obtained with the smallest outlay of labor and money. 



Description of the orchard used in the experiments of 1892 a7id 1893. 

 The orchard of John J. McGowen was selected for the work. This 

 orchard covers about two acres and is situated upon a strong clay 

 loam. The land is moderately rolling so that fairly good drainage is 

 afforded. The trees were set out in 1869, making the orchard now 

 twenty-four years old. However, many of the trees first set have died 

 at varying intervals so that the orchard is not uniform. Most of the 

 trees used for filling vacant places are Baldwin, and many of these are 

 now coming into bearing. Nearly one-half of the trees originally set 

 and now in bearing are King; the other varieties in full bearing are 

 Baldwin, Fall Pippin, iVJaiden Blush, Fallawater, Red Astrachan 

 Chenango, Strawberry, and Westfield Seek-no-further. The last two 

 varieties were not used in the experiments. 



The care which the orchard received from the time of setting has 

 been as follows: During the first three years the land between the 

 rows of trees was used for raising grain and hay. It was then seeded 

 down and sheep were put in. The sod has not been broken since it 

 was first formed. The trees have had an annual dressing of about a 

 quarter of a load of barnyard manure per tree until the year 1890, 

 when the quantity was increased to about a third of a load. The trees 

 as a rule have been regularly pruned, and the old ones are now, with 

 scarcely an exception, fine specimens of the varieties which they 

 represent. 



The orchard has borne irregularly. What may be called the first 

 crop was obtained in 1884. The yield was then large, possibly larger 



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