54 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



Coming now to the fruit from these lime-sulphur sprayed 

 trees we find it notably larger, cleaner and of better color, on 

 the average, than that from either bordeaux or check plots. 



So far, therefore, as foliage injury and fungus control are 

 concerned, the lime-sulphur sprays showed themselves for this 

 season to be a success on Ben Davis trees. 



In regard to the fruit, none of the lime-sulphur sprays, not 

 even the self-boiled, were entirely successful in preventing rus- 

 seting or even malformation. In all cases, however, the per- 

 centage of deformed fruit was very small, and be it noted, this 

 percentage ivas in all cases but one no greater in amount or less 

 than that found on the unsprayed trees, where deformity was 

 doubtless produced by natural causes. Hence it is difificult to 

 say exactly how much of this deformity was actually due to 

 the spray, and how much to agencies that caused russeting and 

 malformation on unsprayed trees. We shall see, however, that 

 it was only one-third as great as on the bordeaux plots. Of one 

 thing we may be reasonably certain, judging by past experience. 

 When conditions are right for producing such injury to un- 

 sprayed fruit by natural agencies we cannot hope to escape it 

 on the sprayed trees. Spraying at such times may, and prob- 

 ably does, aggravate the condition, but that is neither reason nor 

 excuse for abandoning spraying operations entirely. 



The bordeaux sprayed plots showed the characteristic effects 

 on leaf and fruit. The leaves were badly spotted and the fruit 

 russeted and severely deformed to quite an extent. The foliage 

 very evidently suffered in thriftiness, as could be noted by the 

 casual observer comparing bordeaux with lime-sulphur, making 

 due allowance for difference in color of the two kinds of sprays. 

 Moreover, there was a slight amount of yellowing and some 

 leaf fall during the season, neither of which, as already stated, 

 appeared on the lime-sulphur plots. No noticeable differences 

 were seen on the 3-3-50 bordeaux trees compared with those 

 sprayed with the 4-4-50 strength. 



All in all, the lime-sulphur sprays showed to decided ad- 

 vantage over the bordeaux, both in their effect on foliage and 

 fruit. We shall see that their effectiveness in scab control was 

 even a trifle better. 



We come now to consi(?er one other sprayed plot — that treat- 

 ed with Sulfocide. The injury done in this division was ex- 



