76 REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST OF 



SUB STATION AT SOUTH HAVEN. 



The soil and climate at Lansing are quite unlike those on the lake shore, 

 the section where most of the fruit of the State is produced, and tests made 

 here are not strictly reliable there. 



In order that we may furnish the fruit growers of that section with opin- 

 ions of the new varieties of fruits that they could depend upon, arrange- 

 ments were made in the spring with T. T. Lyon, of South Haven, who has 

 a large experimental plantation of the new fruits, to prepare a report on 

 their behavior with him. This will be published in the early winter, and 

 will, we feel sure, be of great value to the horticulturists of that section, and 

 to a less degree, perhaps, of the State and nation. 



THE APPLE ORCHAED. 



The old apple orchard is thirty-two years old, and if traditions are correct 

 has only borne one full crop, and that in 1887. For many years it was in sod, 

 and, although the trees made a fair growth, little fruit was produced. The 

 land slopes both from the east and west sides towards the middle of the 

 orchard, and many of the tender varieties have been killed out, so that the 

 center of the tract is quite open. The east half of the orchard, however, has 

 lost but few trees. 



In 1885 Prof. Bailey had the lower branches cut out so that a team could 

 pass under the trees, the top3 thinned when necessary, and the land broken up . 



It has been kept in cultivation without crops since that time. In 1887 

 one hundred and fifty trees gave nearly 3,000 bushels, and from present 

 indications the crop will be nearly as large this year. 



The trees were sprayed for the codling moth soon after the blossoms fell, 

 using about three gallons to a tree of London purple mixed with water, at 

 the rate of one pound to two hundred gallons. 



It was applied by means of a field pump, using a "graduating spray" 

 nozzle. This is the most satisfactory apparatus of any thus far tested. 

 Several of our best varieties, such as Fameuse and Northern Spy, are often 

 badly injured by the apple scab, a fungus that forms blotches on the fruit, 

 often rendering it misshapen and unfit for market. 



With the hope of finding some fungicide that would prevent it, five mix- 

 tures that are recommended by the Department of Agriculture were tried on 

 two trees each. Three of them, solutions of sulphur, sulphuret of potassium 

 and hyposulphite of sodium, seem to have but slight effect, but in the case 

 of the trees sprayed with copper carbonate and ammonia, and "eau celeste" 

 or blue water, the improvement is very marked. Frequent notes will be 

 taken and the fruit when ripe will be assorted and weighed, and the exact 

 effect of the treatment will thus be ascertained. The mixtures are coming 

 into general use for the destruction of all kinds of fungi, and, with the Bor- 

 deaux, have given good satisfaction. They are prepared as follows : 



1. Copper carbonate and ammonia. Mix three ounces of copper carbonate 

 with one quart of ammonia 22° Baume, and as soon as all action ceases dilute 

 with 22 gallons of water. 



2. Modified eau celeste. Dissolve 2 pounds of copper sulphate in hot water, 

 and in another vessel dissolve 2| pounds of carbonate of soda; mix, and 

 before using add 1£ pints of ammonia and dilute to 22 gallons, with water. 



