146 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



eggs on the upper surface of the leaver and may we not coat these leaves 

 and even the fruit itself with such an amount of poison-bearing lime 

 as to afford a very uncomfortable diet for the newly-born larvae. An 

 opinion has obtained among many growers that the lime itself if not an 

 insecticide is at least a deterrent and for that reason we use from six to 

 eight pounds freshly slaked to fifty gallons of spray. 



Late sprayings are important from the fact that the moth is never so 

 much in evidence as between the 15th day of August and the 15th day of 

 September. 



Third, the spraying must be done thoroughly to secure best results. 

 From my point of observation, on the top of the spray-tank, I find that 

 there is a tendency to slight the center and the highest branches of the 

 trees by the men who guide the nozzles. Again story-telling on the part 

 of the sprayers does not work well in my orchard; their entire atten- 

 tion must be centered on their work, and thoroughness ceases when talking 

 begins. 



I repeat that the cardinal principles of successful spraying are mate- 

 rials of full strength, carefully compounded and applied at the right time, 

 in a thorough manner. 



I do not hesitate to say that failures or partial failures are usually on 

 account of non-compliance with these indispensable conditions. If the 

 orchard is a large one a power-pump is of great utility. There are several 

 kinds of these pumps in use, the most effective in my opinion being those 

 run by small engines, usually gasoline. 



These engines afford a constant, and any desired power, agitate the 

 liquid thoroughly, which is especially necessary when Paris green is used 

 as it is not soluble in water, and force the spray between the leaves and 

 into the clusters of apples far better than can be done with the hand- 

 pump. The engine, however, must be covered to protect it from the flying 

 spray, adds much to the weight of the load and requires a man with some 

 knowledge of mechanics to keep it in order. 



During the past season I used what is styled "The Orchard Monarch," 

 manufactured by the Field Force Pump Company of Lockport, New York. 

 This machine is operated by a crank shaft and sprocket-gear attached to 

 the hind wheels of the wagon. In driving from tree to tree the pressure 

 is pumped up automatically and at the same time the power pump forces 

 the liquid from the tank holding one hundred and fifty gallons into a 

 chamber of twelve gallons capacity. 



The objection I have found to this machine is that when the team 

 stops and the spray is turned on the pressure falls rapidly and that it will 

 not generate sufficient power in going from tree to tree, planted twenty- 

 four to thirty feet apart, and has to be assisted by a hand pump conven- 

 iently placed near the driver. In a five-year-old orchard I was able to 

 do excellent work, using two double Vermorel nozzles, without stopping 

 the team, covering seventeen acres easily in a day. On the whole I do 

 not regret the purchase of the Orchard Monarch, as it saves a great 

 amount of hand pumping. I conclude, however, that we have not yet 



