Twelve Years' Experience in Spraying. 55 



give us clean, bright fruit, but a vigorous growth of healthy foli- 

 age, which means more fruit, a stronger tree and fruit that will 

 keep much longer than that from a tree with poor foliage. This I 

 have found more than once. 



After years of experience with the Bordeaux mixture I have 

 come to regard it almost with veneration, and had I to choose be- 

 tween it and insecticides I should without hesitation select Bor- 

 deaux. Its value depends largely on its being properly made. 

 Dr. Sturgis has given us much valuable information along this 

 line, and I would advise a study of the bulletin on this subject 

 issued by the Vermont Experiment Station. I have not time to 

 go into detail, only to say that by putting six pounds of vitriol 

 with half of 50 gallons of water, and four pounds of lime with the 

 other half, and then combining these two weak solutions, will give 

 a mixture that will stay in suspension and not clog the muzzle 

 and will spread easily and remain long on the trees. We always 

 dissolve the vitriol and lime before hand, using as many gallons of 

 water as we have pounds of material. A gallon then represents a 

 pound and all figuring is done away with. 



The insect that causes the most trouble is probably the codling 

 moth, and while the egg may hatch anywhere on the fruit, it 

 usually enters from the blossom end. If we spray just after the 

 blossoms fall and the fruit stands upright the poison will be col- 

 lected on the tops at the blossom end, is likely to be retained there 

 for a long time, and pretty sure to be fatal to the worm before it 

 enters the apple. This period when the apple is in this position 

 with the petals open, may be longer or shorter according to the 

 season, and varies with different varieties. It will be readily seen 

 that each of us must watch his own orchard and the different 

 \arieties therein to know the proper time to apply the poison to 

 get the most benefit. 



There is a prevailing notion that the tree can be best sprayed 

 when it is in full blossom. From the above it should be evident 

 how false this is. Certainly nothing can be gained and much lost 

 by spraying at this time. In addition, it will poison the bees, so 

 necessary for proper pollen distribution. No one has any more 



