424 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



are favorable that it is nearly useless to attempt its control under such con- 

 ditions. All methods must be preventive. And vet a grower may almost 

 be excused for hesitating to apply somewhat expensive preventive meas 

 ures for the purpose of controlling a disease that may not cause any seri- 

 ous loss for several years on account of lack of favorable weather conditions. 

 Now that the disease is well established, however, any prune or peach 

 grower who fails to employ preventive measures, deliberately takes the 

 chance of losing a large proportion of his crop by brown rot, even though 

 such loss may not occur every year. Preventive measures are in the nature 

 of insurance. 



Since, so far as is known at present, the fungus passes the winter only in 

 the mummies which remain hanging to the trees or lying upon the ground, 

 the first method of preventing the disease which presents itself is to des- 

 troy these mummies. Not a single one should be allowed to remain in the 

 orchard over winter. All should be gathered and completely destroyed. 

 This is the least expensive and perhaps the most important step in prevent- 

 ing brown rot. It should, however, be supplemented by spraying. This 

 station has under way extensive experiments in spraying prunes for brown 

 rot, and it is hoped that by another season sufficient data will have accumu- 

 lated to enable us to outline definitely the best methods to be j^ursued in 

 this locality. Chester, of the Delaware station, has conducted the most 

 careful and extensive experiments along this line, and, as a result of three 

 years" work, he recommends that 



( 1 ) Very early in the spring it will be well to spray the trees thoroughly 

 with a solution of copper sulphate, one pound to twenty-five gallons of 

 water. 



( 2 ) When the fruit buds begin to swell, spray either with the acetate of 

 copper solution or the bordeaux mixture. 



I 3 ) Just before the first buds open repeat the latter. 



( 4 ) When the bloom begins to shed spray with bordeaux mixture. 



( 5 ) In ten days or two weeks repeat the latter. 



( 6 ) When fruit begins to color spray with the copjjer acetate solution. 



( 7 ) Repeat the latter in a week or ten days. 



This is evidently a larger number of applications than prune growers can 

 afford unless it can be shown that they are all necessary. We believe that 

 except on peaches sprays Nos. 2 and 5 of the above list may be omitted, and 

 that if care be taken to carefully examine each tree just as the fruit is color- 

 ing and to remove all infested fruits spraying 6 and 7 may also be omitted 

 unless the weather conditions appear favorable for the rapid spread of the 

 disease. Should the weather become moist and warm, however, the appli- 

 cations of copper acetate should be made immediately. 



Bordeaux mixture can be used for all applications but it is liable to dis- 

 color the fruit if used for the late applications. For the last sprayings, there- 

 fore it is better to use the copper acetate solution, using four ounces copper 

 acetate to forty-five gallons of water. Bordeaux mixture is ordinarily made 

 as follows: 



Copper sulphate (> pounds. 



Liine (unslaoked) ^-<' i)ounds. 



Water .It) j>;unons. 



