Winter Meeting. 315 



ground in early spring and mowing the weeds down in July or August. 

 This fall we found that the cultivated part held its foliage about fifteen 

 days later than the other parts, and also the fruit was less infected with 

 scab. In fact, this part of the orchard netted us, after the expense of 

 barrels, picking and barreling and marketing was deducted, about $90 

 per acre. 



While spraying we keep a stock solution of blue vitriol and lime 

 on hand, also a couple of extra barrels, so we could dilute the stock 

 solutions before mixing in spray tank. For a spray wagon we use a 

 low-wheeled broad-tire wagon, with two-inch oak pieces for the platform. 

 It requires three men to do the work — two to do the spraying, and one to 

 do the pumping and drive team. We all took "turns" at pumping, 

 thereby keeping up a good, high pressure all day. 



We found that allowing good wages for men and team, the total 

 cost for spraying with the liquid three times was just a little less than 

 three cents per tree, and that spraying with the dust, the cost for three 

 sprayings is not quite one cent per tree. Of course, this does not take 

 into account the wear of the machine and other spraying apparatus, 

 which would add but very little more to the expense. 



In conclusion, will say that from my limited experience of only 

 seven years' spraying, I believe that unless we are very thorough in our 

 spraying operations, with either the liquid or dust, we can only expect 

 poor results. We must not only have a machine which will give a high 

 pressure, and nozzles which will produce a mist-like spray, but we 

 must have some knowledge of the life history of the insects and fungus 

 diseases which we are fighting; know how to mix and apply the re- 

 quired fungicide or insecticide and when to apply them to get the best 

 results. 



I like the Vermorel type of nozzles best, because I can get a 

 much finer spray, and they do not waste so much liquid as some others. 



I would not throw the liquid spray aside for the dust spray, be- 

 cause my experience has been that the liquid is a much better fungicide 

 and equally as good, if not better, for killing insects. Still I would 

 not like to be without a good dust sprayer either, as I believe we can 

 get better results by using both, as sometimes it is too soft to get 

 in orchard with liquid, while we could use the dust spray all right on 

 account of its lightness. Besides, we can spray right up to harvesting 

 time without damaging the fruit in the least. Also in the busy season, 

 the dust machine is almost indispensable, as we can spray three times 

 with the dust while we are spraying once with the liquid. 



We try to apply the dust while the foliage is damp, and usually 

 begin spraying about four o'clock and spray until about nine. In 



