Spbaying Apple Orchards in a Wet Season. 363 



The codlin-moth. lays its eggs eaxly in the spring in the blossom 

 end of the apple, before the fniit has turned down. The larvae, 

 or worms, which develop from these eggs, make the apples 

 wormy. The time for fighting this pest is fortunately the 

 same as that for the apple-scab, and in this fact lies the value of 

 a combination of insecticides and fungicides. As soon as the 

 apples hang down, the arsenite may be omitted, the use of the 

 fungicide may still be advisable. 



The pruning and the spraying of fruit trees are two subjects 

 which are closely related. This is especially true in the case 

 of the apple. Moisture is favorable to the development of the 

 apple-scab fungus. When the tops of the trees consist of a 

 tangled mass of large and small branches, they are much longer 

 in drying out than when they are open. Not only is a shelter 

 given to fungi, but their growth is encouraged, and each tree 

 becomes the distributing center of some disease. The mischief is 

 also aggravated by the fact that it is as difficult for any remedies 

 to gain an entrance as it is for the light and air. Lt is impossible 

 to spray such trees to advantage, even granting that the fruit 

 borne by them would warrant the expense. The head of the 

 tree should be open so that all parts may be reachetl easily with 

 the spray. 



The actual expense of spraying is also largely increased when 

 the tops of the trees are not well pruned. A well-sprayed apple 

 tree has its leaves and fruit covered with a thin layer of the 

 material applied, so that the poison will be present wherever a 

 spore may fall or an insect feed. If the work is noc done in tliis 

 manner the tree remains more or less unprotected. It naturally 

 follows that a tree beariug many unnecessaiy branches will re«iuire 

 more material to protect it. But much material is also w asted in 

 trying to spray through these branches, or past theiQ, in order to 

 reach more important parts of the tree. Again, this extra work 

 requires time. During the spring of the year there is generally 

 plenty of work to be done, and extra help is expensive. It is no 

 small task to spray an orchard, as those who have tried it well 

 know, and everything that will make the work easier is Vvorthy 

 of attention. 



