42 THE BITTER ROT OF APPLES. 



Plat S. Early spraying without the winter treatment. — Same as above, 

 with first treatment left off; that is, second, third, fourth, and fifth 

 sprayings. 



Plat If,. Early spraying continued until summer. — Second, third, 

 fourth, and fifth sprayings, with four or five more treatments at inter- 

 vals of two weeks until about the middle of Ausrust. 



Plat 5. Late spraying. — Begin when the fruit is about an inch in 

 diameter and spray four or five times. These sprayings may be on 

 the same dates as the last four or five treatments of plat 4. 



Before giving the results obtained from the spraying in Missouri 

 and Illinois, it may be well to state that the bitter rot appeared in a 

 comparatively light form during both years in which the experiments 

 were made. The experiments illustrate once more the necessity of 

 carrying on tests of this character for a long period of years under 

 the same or similar conditions as previously stated. In view of the 

 fact that the attack of the disease for the past two years was a light 

 one in some of the orchards experimented in, the conclusions reached 

 must be considered as preliminary ones which simply go to swell the 

 number of isolated results of spraying operations alread}' referred to. 



Replying to the questions which are enumerated above, the follow- 

 ing general answers may be given at this time: 



(1) Can Bordeaux mixture, by proper spraying, be made to protect 

 apples from bitter rot? — To a certain extent, varying from 10 to 75 

 per cent, Bordeaux mixture surely does prevent the ravages of the 

 bitter rot. The extent to which it will do so will depend largely on 

 the following factors: 



(a) Making the Bordeaux mixture. — Although the literature dealing 

 with the making of this fungicide is voluminous, there is still much of 

 it made in an improper manner. The standard Bordeaux mixture, 

 i. e., 6 pounds of copper sulphate, 4 pounds of lime, and 50 gallons of 

 water, is still preferable. The copper sulphate should be dissolved in 

 one vat; the lime in another. Only freshly slaked lime should be 

 used, and the slaking should be brought about with small quantities 

 of water added from time to time, so as to get an even slaking. The 

 solutions of copper sulphate and of lime should be diluted separately 

 and then both should be run simultaneously into a third tank. A 

 very convenient arrangement which can be constructed anywhere is 

 shown in figure {). The two smaller tanks are elevated on a rough 

 platform, high enough above the third tank to allow the solution to 

 be turned readily into the latter. This third tank in turn is elevated 

 sufficiently to allow the finished Bordeaux mixture to run into the 

 tanks on the spraying wagon without pumping. Such an arrange- 

 ment can be built at the edge of the pond or well, from which the 

 water for the spraying mixture is obtained. A force pump drives the 

 necessary water into the upper smaller tanks. (Treat care should be 



