Winter Meeting. I57 



SOME REMARKS ABOUT SPRAYING. 



(E. H. Favor, Assistant Horticulturist, Oolumbia, Mo.) 



The growers of good fruit today never expect to get much from their 

 orchards unless they use some method of spraying to destroy insect 

 pests and fungi which injure the health and productiveness of the trees. 

 The operation of spraying has been practiced in some form for a great 

 many years, but the methods and materials which we now use were un- 

 known until just twenty years ago. Previous to that time plants were 

 sprayed with various substances, none of which had much effect in 

 controlling fungus diseases. 



At the present time the commonest fungicide in use is Bordeaux 

 mixture in the liquid form. Within the past few years orchardists have 

 called for a spray mixture which could be more easily applied than the 

 liquid Bodeaux mixture, and this has given rise to the many dust pre- 

 parations which are now springing into existence. All investigators are 

 agreed that the best substance to use in controlling fungi is some form 

 of copper, and the spray mixture must be an inexpensive substance which 

 can be applied with ease and facility. There are many serious objections 

 against the use of our standard Bordeaux mixture, the principal one of 

 which is the amount of labor required to apply it. This difficulty, how- 

 ever is overcome, so it is said, by the use of a dust spray. 



Investigations as to the efficacy of liquid sprays have been quite 

 thoroughly and carefully made and we know well how to use them, but 

 the dust mixtures have so recently come into existence that they have not 

 yet been well enough studied for their real usefulness and value to be 

 known. The Missouri Experiment Station during the past summer tried 

 some of the dust preparations which are being recommended for orchard 

 use, with a view of finding out something of their value as fungicides and 

 to devise better and easier methods of preparing them. It needs not be 

 said to any one who has tried to make up any of the dust sprays that 

 some more rapid and less disagreeable way must be devised before they 

 can be made at home with the ease of the old standard liquid Bordeaux 

 mixture. During the progress of the work at the Station last year it 

 was found that a much easier method of making up the dust invented 

 by Dr. Bird could be had. At the winter meeting of this Society last 

 year Dr. Bird gave a demonstration of the method of making up the 

 dust according to his formula. Up to that time this dust had never been 

 prepared in a commercial way, and the work of the past season has clearly 

 shown that this method is impractical for the commercial place. • The 



