The Question Box. 393 



skinned. I know of no way but to stop planting these varieties 

 and allow the hogs and sheep to run in the orchard to eat the 

 wormy apples as fast as they fall. 



Mr. Houck. — This maggot also works on Baldwins and Spitzen- 

 burgs. 



Will Mr. Van Alstyne give us his experience for or against spraying his 

 orchards? 



Mr. Van Alstyne. — I do not believe I do a day's work in the 

 year that pays me so well as that spent in spraying my orchards. 

 It is a nasty job and I hate it because, sometimes, my wife hardly 

 knows me when I go into the house. But I am not advocating 

 it here because I want to say something at an institute, but 

 because I know that we cannot be sure of fruit at all seasons 

 unless we do spray, but it must be done thoroughly and intelli- 

 gently. We spray for two purposes: To kill insects and to pre- 

 vent scab on fruit, and leaf blight, using the Bordeaux mixture 

 for the latter and poison for the former. After the blossoms have 

 fallen and the fruit has set, we mix the poison with the Bordeaux, 

 so that two purposes are served at the same time. Spray with 

 the Bordeaux first — just as the foliage is coming out, and do it 

 so as to cover the whole tree; later, add the poison to kill the 

 insects — codling moth, tent caterpillar, canker worm and other 

 insects that work on the fruit. And I would spray my orchard 

 with the poison and Bordeaux if there were not an apple in it; 

 not so many times, but I would spray to prevent leaf blight and 

 to kill insects that work on the foliage, as, unless we grow a good 

 crop of foliage this year, there will be no fruit buds next year, 

 and, therefore, no fruit. 



What will Ivill lice on currant bushes? 



Prof. Stewart. — I have heard our entomologist say that there 

 is not much hope for the currant leaf, if we wait till after the 

 leaves are well out. But he intends to begin experiments by 

 spraying the buds before they are very far out, with the kerosene 

 emulsion and hopes to succeed. When the leaves are out the 

 aphides cannot be very easily reached, for the reason that they 



