120 State Horticultural Society. 



well. I found the system unsatisfactory. It was unpleasant, labor- 

 ious and expensive. Often when my trees needed spraying the 

 most I could not haul the heavy load on account of the wet earth. 

 Barrels of water had to be hauled every day. It required two 

 teams and three hands to do the work. 



Seven years ago Mr. Hillis of McFall, Mo., a practical grower, 

 sent me some literature upon the subject of dust spray. Fruit 

 growers are under lasting obligations to him for the discovery 

 of lime dust as a carrier to convey the mixture. If the idea of lime 

 dust as a conveyor had originated in an experiment station growers 

 would be using it all over the country. But coming as it did from 

 a man upon the farm, and in competition with a system which had 

 been introduced years before, backed up by the capitalists in the 

 manufactorjT- of wet spray apparatus, has made the introduction of 

 the process a difficult matter. Yet, with all of these difficilties to 

 meet, it has been growing in favor until it is being used by many 

 of the best and most practical growers in the country. It matters 

 not from what source the opposition may arise, being championed, 

 as it is, by growers who are succeeding in its use, it will yet com- 

 mand the attention of practical growers, and finally surmount every 

 opposition. 



The process has been severely criticised and condemned by the 

 advocates of liquid spray, and especially so by the manufacturers 

 of wet spray apparatus. We are cognizant of the fact that the 

 system is not perfect, but we are under obligation to our critics, 

 for they have enabled us to bring the process to a more nearly per- 

 fect solution of the question. 



I can't understand why any grower should use his influence 

 against the dust system. You may believe the liquid is the best; 

 if so, use it. I want my neighbor to spray if his orchard joins 

 mine. I don't care which process he may use. 



The first year I used the dust I made a practical test of the 

 two methods. I divided my orchard into four blocks, ten acres 

 in each block ; sprayed two with the liquid and two with the dust, 

 spraying each block the same number times, on the same days, 

 having both sprayers going at the same time. Where I used the 

 dust gave much the best results. One blqck of the dust sprayed 

 was a part of the orchard which was badly affected with fungus. 

 There I gathered my best fruit. The evidence was so strongly in 

 favor of the dust that I discarded the liquid. This is seven years 

 that I have used the dust. For six years T prepared my dust, but 

 this season I have used the dust mixture made by the Dust Sprayer 



