266 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



than the trees should have been allowed to bear, for on an average, 

 about fifteen bushels per tree were harvested from the King. During 

 the following years the crops were exceedingly light, but this year the 

 orchard produced over three-fourths of a crop. 



The orchard was sprayed for the first time in 1890. London purple 

 was then applied at the rate of one pound to two hundred gallons of 

 water. The first application was made about the time the blossoms fell 

 from the trees, and the second about two weeks later. In 1891 only 

 one application was made to the orchard, London purple being used as 

 before. The first experiments carried on under the direction of this 

 station were made in 1892. The entire orchard was then treated with 

 various fungicide and insecticides.* Some of the results obtained 

 indicated the lines of work followed during the present year. 



Apple scab. — The apple scab fungus is probably the most serious 

 enemy of the apple grower. It has been determined that this fungus 

 is active even before the leaf buds open, and that the little apples are 

 attacked as soon as the flowers open, and probably even earlier. We 

 have still to learn at what season the growth of the fungus practically 

 ceases, and during what period the apples and leaves are most liable to 

 its attacks. This may be determined in two ways: first, by studying the 

 life history of the fungus, and second, by applying fungicides at inter- 

 vals to the trees. If the last method is followed very thoroughly the 

 results may be obscured by the more or less complete extermination early 

 in the season of the fungus in the treated orchard. But if a few thor- 

 ough applications made at the proper time will prove to be sufficient to 

 protect the trees, the fact that the trees are thus protected is of great 

 practical value, whatever the natural life history of the fungus may be. 



Points of merit in fungicides. — The relative merits of the most 

 important fungicides now in use still require careful consideration. 

 Cost, ease in preparing and applying, adhesive power, all must enter 

 into any comparison which may be made; and of late a still more 

 important factor has been added, namely, the readiness with which the 

 fungicide may be applied in combination with the arsenites. The 

 fungicide which surpasses in all the above points has still to be dis- 

 covered, but some now in use possess most of them. Spraying need 

 not be neglected from a want of effective material. 



Spraying machinery. — The machinery to use in orchard work is an 

 important item. Spraying is hard work, unless the pump is run by 

 horse power, and this can be used with profit only by owners of excep- 

 tionly large orchards. The vast majority of apple growers are neces- 

 sarily forced to use hand pumps. These are now offered by the trade 



* See Cornell Experiment Station Bulletin, No. 48, December, 1893. 



