The Bulletin. 25 



The following letter from a farmer who attended one of these demon- 

 strations, and who then went home and put the matter into practice, is 

 worthy of notice : 



R. F. D. No. 1. Walnut Cove, N. C, October 7, 1908. 



Dear Sir: — My apple trees are still full of dark green leaves and very few. 

 if any, have fallen. I have the finest lot of apples by far that I have ever had, 

 and fewer with rotten specks than ever before. From fifteen bushels of 

 Winesaps gathered from my sprayed trees I did not get over one-fourth of a 

 bushel of specked apples, and practically none were wormy. The Virginia 

 Beauties showed a little rot. but I can safely say it was fifty per cent less 

 than ever before. The Ben Davis fell off worse than any of the others that 

 were sprayed, but showed no signs of rot. The Royal Limbertwig showed 

 very little rot and hung on the trees until gathered. As yet they show no 

 signs of rotting, although heretofore very bad to rot. My neighbors say that 

 I am well repaid for the money spent for spray pump and the labor of spray- 

 ing. Yours respectfully. j G Rosg 



We claim that these demonstrations and letters from the growers con- 

 stitute an argument and a proof that cannot be denied or weakened. It 

 pays to spray! 



A similar series of demonstrations, including a larger number of local- 

 ities, is already under way for 1909. 



Our fruit growers must spray. They must learn how to make and 

 when to apply the Bordeaux Mixture and Paris green. It will result 

 in more fruit, better fruit, better prices and healthier trees. Spraying 

 must come to be the regular practice of the majority of our fruit growers, 

 and not practiced regularly by an insignificant number and trifled with 

 spasmodically by a few more. The western part of our State has great 

 natural advantages in the production of winter apples for the Southern 

 markets, but until we learn to spray and to grade and pack our apples 

 properly we will continue to sell our apples at profitless prices, while 

 the more progressive growers of the North and West send their fancy 

 fruit to our markets and sell it at fancy prices, to the exclusion of North 

 Carolina apples. 



Just so soon as our growers learn this lesson and make it a vital part 

 of their practice, they will find fruit growing profitable, but not before. 



ORCHARD INSPECTIONS. 



The prevalence of the San Jose Scale in many parts of the State, and 

 the great harm that it often does before it is discovered by the grower, 

 plainly indicates the value of maintaining a systematic inspection of the 

 commercial orchards of the State. Accordingly the Board of Agricul- 

 ture, at its regular meeting in December, 1906, provided for the employ- 

 ment of an assistant in the Division of Entomology to be especially 

 assigned to the work of inspecting the orchards and nurseries of the 

 State. 



The Avork was begun in February, 1907, with Mr. L. M. Smith as in- 

 spector, and he continued until September, when he resigned. He was 

 succeeded by Mr. S. C. Clapp, of Guilford County, who has continued 

 since that time. The work has therefore been in progress for the two 

 whole years of 1907 and 1908 (except January, 1907) . It is to be remem- 



