42 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



pool nozzle and thought them O. K. I peri^naded him to use 

 some of the new nozzles on a portion of his orchard. He was 

 sure they were no good but gave them a trial. He got 57 and 22 

 per cent spot with the old nozzle and 19 and 9 per cent spot, 

 respectively, with the new nozzle we recommend. We are not 

 through testing nozzles or I would speak more on them. 



I do not want you to think I am mapping out a complete 

 spray program. I have scarcely touched sucking insects or 

 fungous diseases, and I do not want you to take any of my 

 recommendations any further than they go, that is, for San Jose 

 and oyster shell scales and the biting insects mentioned. 



I see in your program a question Hst. Question 8, "Is it best 

 to apply the dormant spray in the fall or spring?" I should 

 like to discuss with you. I should, by all means, apply my dor- 

 mant spray in the spring and, if possible, apply it after the buds 

 have swollen and the earliest of them even showing small 

 green leaf tips, for at least three reasons; First, according 

 to Mr. Hodgkiss of the Geneva Experiment Station, you can 

 control more blister mite at that time than earlier. 



Second, I see by question 14 that San Jose scale is appearing 

 in Maine. You will get better results in spraying for San Jose 

 by applying your dormant spray in the spring, after the winter 

 has acted on it and torn loose the outer scales and after the 

 scales have wakened to life in the spring, than you will by a 

 fall application which cannot do as good work, as the living 

 scales are then protected by a certain number of dead scales; 

 and besides, being prepared for a cold winter, the scale seems 

 to have more vitality and, therefore, is less susceptible to 

 spray than in the spring. 



Third, you have in New Hampshire, and I think I am safe 

 in saying in Maine, also, for we have it in Nova Scotia — the 

 lesser bud-moth, Reciirz'aria nanella, on which Scott and Paine 

 published such good work in the Journal of Agricultural 

 Research, Vol. H, No. 2, page 161, United States Department 

 of Agriculture. In this, one of the best remedies given is dor- 

 mant strength lime sulphur or soluble sulphur wash just when 

 the buds are swelling. The wash does not kill the larvae in 

 their hibernating quarters, but when they emerge they appear 

 to be so nauseated with the lime sulphur odor that they drop 

 to the ground and perish, rather than stay on the trees and 

 bore into the buds. This insect occasionally does as much 



