48 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



that the actual quality of the fruit was improved, but it was 

 made unmerchantable on account of russeting. 



The effect of different dilutions of lime-sulphur. While hor- 

 ticulturist of the Station, W. W. Bonns began some experiments 

 to test the effects of different dilutions of lime-sulphur. After 

 he left and the spraying work again came under the charge of 

 the pathologists this was continued. 



The results indicate that it is unwise to use a weaker dilu- 

 tion for summer spraying than is commonly practiced. Increas- 

 ing the amount of lime-sulphur concentrate 20 per cent in a 

 given amount of spray resulted in a considerable reduction of 

 scab without largely increasing the danger of injuring the leaves 

 and russeting the fruit. It is probable that this increase in 

 efficiency would more than pay for the added cost of materials, 

 particularly if the lime-sulphur concentrate is home-made. 



The importance of the so-called "pink" spray. Some writers 

 and speakers have laid great stress upon the importance of the 

 spray application made when the blossom buds are showing pink. 

 Present knowledge of the life history of the apple scab fungus 

 and some experimental data obtained in Maine as well as else- 

 where tend to support this view. Orchardists should by all 

 means have spraying materials on hand and see that the nec- 

 essary apparatus is in perfect running order so that this appli- 

 cation may be made without delay when the proper time comes. 

 On the other hand, in Maine they need not necessarily feel that 

 the spraying operations for the current year are doomed to utter 

 failure if, through accident or for some other unavoidable 

 reason, it is omitted altogether. 



Work along this line has been going on at Highmoor for four 

 years. Two seasons out of the four, omitting the blossom bud 

 application entirely, actually resulted in a higher percentage of 

 merchantable apples. Another season the increased efficiency 

 due to the first application was but slight. The differences were 

 not great in all three cases and doubtless were within the limits 

 of experimental error. Therefore, the omission of the first 

 spray three years out of the four led to no material difference 

 in the results. On the other hand, the omission of the so-called 

 pink spray the first season it was tried meant a difference 

 between success and failure in the spraying operations of the 

 year. This was in 1912, a particularly bad one for scab. Where 



