No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 159 



REPORT OF THE FRUIT GROWERS ASSOCIA- 

 TION OF ADAMS COUNTY. 



Flora Dale, Pa., January 1, 1908. 

 The Hon. N. B. Critchfield, 



My Dear Sir: In accordance with agreement made with you less 

 than a year ago, this Association undertook to secure information 

 from its members relative to their orchard work with special refer 

 ence to their spraying experience, the expectation being that we 

 would be able, in that way, to obtain data which might be of interest 

 and value to other orchardists into whose hands this report may 

 fall. 



As early as possible, forms ^vere prepared and duplicate copies placed in the 

 hands of each member. Unfortunately, owing to press of other work in hands of 

 State Printer, these forms were not available until quite a little of the Spring 

 spraying had been completed, thus materially affecting the volume of reports 

 available for this synopsis. 



The forms submitted to members, requested information as to size and char- 

 acter of the orchard; what particular insect pest or disease the spraying was 

 intended to comliat; what kind of material and apparatus was used; what 

 quantity of mateiial was required to treat trees of various ages, with cost of 

 making and applying same, the latter question to cover both labor and ma- 

 terial. 



We take pleasure in handing you herewith the reports received, covering the 

 season of 1907. You will notice in each case the brand of inaterial used and 

 the specific name of apparatus employed is given, but that we omit considera- 

 tion of this special information in our combined report. 



SAN JOSE SCALE SPRAYING. 

 MATERIALS. 



A survey of the reports shows that as a remedy for San Jose Scale on apple 

 trees, 7 per cenL of the growers used Lime-Sulphur wash, only 21% per cent, 

 used miscible oil in early winter and L.-S. wash in the Spring and 71i^ per cent, 

 used the oil only. On peach, 29 per cent, used Lime-Sulphur wash only, 14 per 

 cent, used oil in Fall and Lime-Sulphur wash in the Spring and 57 per cent, 

 used the oil only. Of the two reports on plum, one used oil in Fall and Lime- 

 Sulphur wash in Spring and the other oil only. 



EFFECT ON BARK AND FRUIT BUDS. 



No deleterious effect reported from any kind of spraying, except one orchardist 

 mentions slight roughening of bark where oil had been used on peach. One 

 grower reports an improvement in peach bark where Lime-Sulphur wash was 

 used. 



EFFECT ON THE SCALE. 



We are sorry that more specific replies were not made to this question, al- 

 though we realize that in reporting on spraying, which is rarely, if ever, abso- 

 lutely perfect, it is very difficult to arrive at definite percentages. It is a ques- 

 tion whether the man who can keep his trees healthy and vigorous and har- 

 vest his fruit in a marketable condition, is not approaching as nearly to the 

 limit of commercial possibilities as he may reasonably expect. Those who have 

 made any mention of results seem to feel that they are holding the pest in sub- 

 jection. The feeling of discouragement which resulted in quite a few trees 

 being taken out three or four years ago seems to be replaced with confidence in 

 the ability to master the situation, the best evidence of which is the renewed 

 interest in the setting of young trees, and we now regard scale spraying as a 

 legitimate part of our cultural routine. 



