Miscellaneous. 363 



ing of the foliage or russetting of the apple. We spray our or- 

 chard in six hours. It required six days with the old barrel pump. 



I am not here to discourage anyone that is using the liquid 

 process. If I knew nothing better I should continue its use myself, 

 but I know positively from my own practical experience that there 

 is a better way, and I am here to tell you of it. 



With the liquid spray we wait until the bloom has fallen to do 

 the first spraying. Now, we have noticed that the period of bloom 

 tfor most varieties of winter apples extends three weeks and over, 

 and the bloom that came out first had been gone for two weeks be- 

 fore the later opening bloom on the same trees had gone. And 

 have you noticed the calyx cups on at least ten per cent, of the fruit 

 are closed when the bloom has all fallen ? 



Right here is one of the main causes of poor success with the 

 liquid, in that, for fear of injury to the bloom, you must wait until 

 a portion of your fruit has closed its cups before you can begin to 

 spray, and the failure to get a dose of poison in these cups results 

 in giving the first brood of worms a good start. 



With the dust we have no fear of injury to the bloom, and can 

 do our first spraying as soon as the bloom commences to fall, our 

 second one when the bloom is half gone, and the third spray just 

 as the last bloom has fallen. In this way we are practically sure of 

 getting a good dose in each cup. 



Again, I would ask, have you ever examined, under a good 

 glass, a small apple from the size of a soup bean to that of a wal- 

 nut? If so, you found it covered with a fuzz or woolly-like sub- 

 stance, placed there by nature, to protect the skin of the apple from, 

 an excess of moisture. This fuzz is a resistant to liquid spray and 

 makes it very difficult to reach the skin, while the dust sifts through 

 to it very readily. Then, again, as the apple reaches a larger size, 

 you liave noticed that the skin becomes oily — another resistant to 

 liquid, but a substance to which dust adheres naturally. 



I have omitted a great many details of which I should like to 

 have -written, but I feel that I have already taken too much of the 

 valuable time of this convention. 



I thank you for your attention and will be glad to answer any 

 questions you may care to ask. 



E. L. Stewart. 



— Prosser- Washington. 



