230 Report of the Botanical Department of the 



the axbion experiment. 



Conducted hj Ora Lee, Jr., Albion, N. Y. Seventeen acres of 

 potatoes (vai'iety Sir Walter Kaleigh), were sprayed seven 

 times between June 27 and August 29. The spraying outfit con- 

 sisted, essentially, of a 250-gallon tank and a Friend pump worked 

 by a gasoline engine. It was mounted on a four-wheeled cart 

 drawn by two horses. Ten rows were covered at each passage. 

 The water required was pumped by a windmill from a well only a 

 few rods from the potato field. Arsenate of lead, at the rate of 

 20 lbs. to 250 gallons, was used with the bordeaux in the first, 

 second and fourth sprayings. On the same dates the same poison 

 (with water) was applied to the check which consisted of four 

 rows 962 feet long by 32 inches wide. Ten rows on one side of 

 the check were double-sprayed. During the last three weeks of 

 growth the sprayed rows made a better appearance than the un- 

 sprayed rows. Double-sprayed rows held their foliage better than 

 single-sprayed rows. The principal disease was tip burn, which 

 was very prevalent. 



The items of expense were as follows : 



1180 lbs. copper sulphate @ $4.33 per cwt $51 10 



4 bbls. lump lime @ $1.15 4 60 



10 sacks (40 lbs. each) ground lime @ 25 cts 2 50 



300 lbs. arsenate of lead @ 8 cts 24 00 



122 Va hrs. man labor @ 15 cts 18 38 



152 hrs. horse labor @ 10 cts 15 20 



Wear of sprayer 25 00 



Gasoline and oil 4 00 



Total $144 78 



The vields were as follows : 



Four double-sprayed rows, 3,485 lbs.=: 246.5 bu. per acre. 



Four single-^sprayed rows, 2,948 lbs.= 208.5 bn. per acre. 



Four check rows, 2,Y79 lbs.= 196.6 bu. per acre. 



The above figures show that single-spraying, costing $8,52 per 

 acre, increased the yield only 11.9 bu. per acre worth $7.14. 

 Therefore, it was done at a loss of $1.38 per acre. On the other 

 hand, double-spraying resulted in a net profit of $12.90 per acre. 



