FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT. 27 



(fronting trees. When the 1ree comes into bearing it does not depend 

 upon the age of that tree as to the crop it produces, but more upon the 

 fruit-bearing surface of that tree, and as far as the young orchard 

 is concerned when it comes into bearing the production of the orchard 

 does not depend upon the age or upon the number of trees, but upon 

 the fruit bearing surface of that orchard. So everything should be done 

 in the early life of the orchard to promote a strong, vigorous growth, 

 so as to have as large a fruit-bearing surface as possible when the 

 trees come into bearing. How common it is to see in this State our 

 young cherry orchards defoliated by leaf spot and peaches by leaf 

 curl and even on some of our best fruit farms w T e often find excellent 

 young orchards defoliated in the middle of the summer through, neglect 

 of spraying. It means that these trees were stunted and only made half 

 a growth. If such a condition happens, precedes a hard winter then they 

 are more subject to winter kill. 



During the early years of an orchard it is not necessary to spray as 

 frequently as it is a bearing orchard, because with a young orchard we 

 are protecting the growth of the branches and foilage, whereas with 

 the old orchard we are protecting the foliage and the fruit. Where one 

 or two sprays may be necessary therefore in the new orchard, it may 

 take four or five sprayings to meet the requirements in an old orchard. 

 The whole aim of the grower is to promote a healthy growth of the 

 trees. We may have a good site, good soil, practice good cultivation 

 and fertilization — we may have all the conditions present for a strong 

 and healthy growth, — we will then get a good tree provided it is not 

 injured b}* some fungus or disease. I do not want to belittle the im- 

 portance of cultivation — cultivation of a good strong, healthy tree is 

 a preventive against disease. A healthy tree is not as susceptible to 

 most diseases as a weak tree. At the same time, given all these con- 

 ditions, there are many of the diseases that will strike a strong tree as 

 well as a weak one, so we should insure our trees against these dis- 

 eases and insects the same as we insure our barns and houses against 

 loss by fire or other cause. The beginner is liable to look at this spray- 

 ing proposition in the wrong way. We get letters at the college saying 

 that in certain localities the trees are badly infested with leaf curl 

 or leaf spot — "What shall we do?" He looks upon this spraying propo- 

 sition as a cure instead of a preventative. We spray our orchards as 

 a preventative not as a cure. We spray at the college for San Jose 

 scale, to prevent it. We are not certain that the scale will be injurious 

 if we don't spray. It is simply as an insurance against that trouble. 

 And so it is right along the whole question of spraying — it is a pre- 

 ventative, rather than a cure. 



I will not go into detail to tell you of the different sprays and when 

 to apply them — all that information is given in our bulletins, but I 

 will speak of some fundamental principles of successful spraying. 



First, it is necessary, if we are going to prevent these troubles, to 

 study the insects and diseases that infest the particular trees we are 

 growing in our localities. Some localities may have no scale; in that 

 case we would not advise you to spray for the scale. But, if there 

 is scale around in your locality, even though you do not have it on 

 your own place, it becomes necessary to spray for it as a preventative. 



