222 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



NOTES FROM THE SOUTH nAVE:NT SUB-STATIOI^, 



BY L. R. TAFT AND T. T. LYON. 



Bulletin 169. — Horticultural Department. 



Nearly ten years ago the Board of Agriciilture, realizing the importance of tlie 

 fruit industry of 'NA'estern Michigan, established a fruit testing sub-station at 

 South Haven, in order that the growers of tiiat section might be informed as to 

 the varieties likely to thrive with them, as the climatic conditions at the main 

 station near Lansing are quite different from those that prevail on the lake shore. 

 The charge of the Avork was placed in the hands of T. T. Lyon, at that time Presi- 

 dent of the State Horticultural Society, and who has for many years had a national 

 reputation as an expert pomologist. The worlv has been conducted in a satis- 

 factory n^anner under the direction of Mr_ Lyon, and at the close of each season he 

 has presented a complete report of his operations with notes upon varieties under 

 test. This has been published as a bulletin and has had a wide circulation. Dur- 

 ing the past year Mr. Lyon's health has failed, and although he was able to direct 

 the work, he did not feel that he could prepare the report, and that the public 

 might not lose the results secured during the season, the writer has undertaken to 

 compile the report from notes prepared by Mr. Lyon and his assistants. The task 

 has been greatly lessened by the completeness of the notes, and by the occasional 

 visits that have been made to the station each year since it was established. For 

 two years specimens of all the new varieties have been sent here, that they 

 might be photographed, and descriptive notes were also taken of them. This 

 greatly aidt^d the preparation of the bulletin. 



EXPERIMENT IN SPRAYING. 



Aside from the applications required to control the insects and diseases, various- 

 experiments to determine which materials were most satisfactory and the best time 

 to apply them were undertaken. For use as fungicides, Bordeaux mixture and 

 solutions of copper sulphate of various strengths were tested. It has been 

 thoroughly demonstrated that, for use after the foliage has started, Bordeaux 

 mixture is the most satisfactory fungicide that we now have, but for the treatment 

 made previous to the opening of the buds, fully as good results have been reported 

 from the use of a solution of copper sulphate, at the rate of about one pound to 

 fifteen gallons of water, and in order to satisfy ourselves fully upou this point, 

 arrangements were made to spray a portion of the pear and apple trees with the 

 copper sulphate solution and others with Bordeaux mixture of the usual strength, 

 (four pounds copper sulphate, four pounds lime and forty gallons of water). As 

 the plantation contains two trees of each variety, we were able to test the matter 

 upon a large number of kinds. The spraying was given upou the 12th of April, the 

 2nd and 27th of May, and the 16th of June. Other applications of Bordeaux mixture 

 were made to all of the trees. As a result of this thorough spraying, no scab or leaf 

 blight appeared upon any of the trees, although unsprayed trees were badly 

 affected. Examination at frequent intervals to compare the effects of the spraying 

 with the copper sulphate solution with those secured with Bordeaux mixture, 

 showed no difference whatever, and from the fact that the solution is less ex- 

 pensive as well as being easier to prepare and apply, it is to be recommended for 

 the early spraying in preference to the Bordeaux mixture. The use of the applica- 

 tion made dtiring the dormant period of the trees is to destroy the mycelium and 

 spores that h.ive wintered upon the branches, and for this purpose it is not strange 

 that the copper sulphate g-ives fully as y-ood if not better results than Bordeaux 

 mixture. On the other hand, the applications made after the growth has started 

 are designed to prevent the germination of the spores that fall upon the young 

 growth. From thefact that it is possible to use only a very weak solution of copper 

 sulphate and that this is readily washed from the trees, Bordeaux mixture would 

 naturally give better results, as it can not only be used of a strength several times 

 greater than would be safe with a clear solution of copper sulphate, but the lime 

 holds it for a long time upon the foliage and makes it possible to destroy any of 



