EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS 223^ 



the spores that fall upon them so long as it remains. The importance of thorough 

 spraying will also be recognized, since, if any of the leaves or even portions of the 

 leaves are not reached with the spraying mixture, there will be no effect in stopping 

 the entrance of the germs. 



One of the most troublesome diseases of the peach is commonly known as leaf- 

 curl. Although of a fungous nature it seldom appears except during the spring and 

 early summer of seasons when the weather is cold and wet. 



For several years this disease has been quite troublesome in the orchards' about 

 South HaA^en, and in many instances the entire crop has been lost as a result. As 

 long ago as 1892 the peach trees upon the sub station grounds at South Haven 

 were sprayed with fungicides and the results indicated that the disease could be pre- 

 vented. Since that time the sprayings have been repeated nearly every year, and 

 good results 'have been secured. In the spring of 1898, arrangements were made to 

 test the effect of early with late spraying applications. One tree of a variety, of 

 nearly one hundred kinds, was spra.ved on the 25th of March, with Bordeaux 

 mixture and on the 23rd of April another of each variety was sprayed. At that 

 time, although the buds wore much SAvollen, the.v had not opened. On the first 

 appearance of the foliage, a marked difference was observable upon the two lots of 

 trees, as where the spraying was done in March, comparatively few leaves were 

 attacked, and in no case was it suftlcieut to reduce tlie crop, while on the trees 

 sprayed April 23rd, a considerable amount of curl was observable, but much less 

 than upon other unsprayed trees. Upon the 23rd of May all of the trees were 

 treated with Bordeaux mixture, and Paris green was added at the rate of three 

 ounces in forty gallons for the destriiction of curculio and other insects. While the 

 weather during the early part of the season Avas very favorable to the development 

 of the leaf curl, the warm and comparatively dry weather that followed the blossom- 

 ing of the trees checked further development and little if any benefit could be de- 

 tected fi'om the second spraying, so far as the leaf curl alone was concerned. Its 

 use, however, was undoubtedly profitable in preventing the spread of brown-rot and 

 the attack of leaf eaiting insects. With varieties subject to attack of brown-rot. a 

 second application of Bordeaux mixture can generally be made with profit, and if 

 the weather is favorable for its development, it will often be advisable to spray the 

 trees with a sohition of copper sulpha^te, at the rate of one pound to two hundred 

 and fifty gallons of water, when the fruit is two-thirds grown. If the unfavorable 

 conditions continue, another application of the copper sulphate solution should be 

 made, within ten days. 



The arsenites having been used upon all of the fruit trees in connection with 

 Bordeaux mixture, the leaf-eating insects Avere readily held in check, but some 

 trouble was found from the attack of black and green plant lice, especially upon 

 the cherry and plum. For this a strong decoction of tobacco water was used and 

 where any sui'vived the first application, a second was made Avithin a few days. 



The woolly aphis having made its appearance on some of the apple trees, a bushel 

 of wood ashes was scattered about each tree to destroy the form that infests the 

 roots and the tops Avere at the same time sprayed with kerosene emulsion. This- 

 pi^oved an effectual remedy, but in sections where wood ashes cannot be readily 

 secured, tobacco dust upon the roots gives fully as good if not better results. The 

 action of the dust can be hastened if the soil is scraped away about the trees down 

 to the roots and replaced after the tobacco dust has been applied. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



As stated in the report of last year, the fifteen acres occupied by the sub-station 

 is now practically covered with fruit trees and the bush fruits. A small area Avas 

 planted in 1897 to str.awberries, but no planting was made in 1898, as it was 

 thought best, under the crowded condition of the land, to discontinue further tests 

 of this fruit at the sub-station, relying upon tlie tests made at the Agricultural 

 College. The tabular notes and the descriptions that follow have been made from 

 the plantation of 1897. The fruit was set, as in previous years, so as to give each 

 plant a space of about eighteen inches, and while one-half of them were kept in 

 hills, the others were allowed to form narrow matted rows. Thorough cultivation 

 was given during the season, as in the fall oats were sown betAA-eeu the rows to- 

 provide a winter mulch. The oats Avere soAvn about September first, and made a 

 fair groAvth during the fall. The tops were killed during the Avinter, but Avith the 

 mild climate at South Haven many of the stools were able to send up shoots in the- 

 spring, and made additional work necessary in order to prevent their gi-owth. 

 While oats may answer well in other sections, this liability to pass the winter and 

 grow in the spring makes the crop of doubtful value along the lake shore. 



