216 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the light yield corresponded very closely to the area where the fires went 

 out and frost formed. 



There was not another orchard in Cass county, or anywhere in eastern 

 Nebraska coming under our notice, where the crop was so even as in this 

 orchard, and this condition was attributed to the artificial heat. Almost 

 every tree in the heated area, except those on the north and west sides, 

 carried a full crop, and it was evenly distributed all through the trees. In 

 other orchards similarly located and equally well treated, other than the 

 heating, the crops were more or less spotted and uneven. Quite often the 

 yield was mainly from one side of the trees or from certain parts of the 

 orchard. 



The orchard was sprayed four times during the season. The first 

 application was of Bordeaux mixture, which was applied just after the 

 cluster buds opened, but before the individual flowers opened (about April 

 20). This application was directed mainly against apple scab and other 

 fungous diseases. The second application was made when the ground 

 began to appear white from falling petals. This was directed mainly 

 against codling moth, and two pounds of lead-arsenate to fifty gallons of 

 water was used. One and one-third gallons of commercial lime-sulphur 

 was added to each fifty gallons of the above mixture, and which was 

 directed against fungus. The third application was of the same material 

 as for the second and was applied about twenty days after the petals had 

 fallen. The fourth application was of the same material and was applied 

 about seven weeks after the third. 



The spraying was a success, the insects and fungus were kept almost 

 completely under control. Fungous injury was nowhere in evidence, and 

 in no part of the orchard was the fruit more than 5 per cent wormy, tree 

 run. The Jonathan were less than 1 per cent wormy, while the orchard 

 as a whole ran less than 3 per cent wormy fruit. The lime-sulphur was 

 used as a fungicide after the first spraying, and the fruit was absolutely 

 smooth, showing no spray injury, as is often the case when Bordeaux 

 mixture is used for the later sprayings. 



Thorough cultivation was practiced throughout the season. The 

 orchard was gone over with the reversible extension disc at frequent inter- 

 vals, at all times maintaining a clean surface and a soil mulch. The 

 results of the cultivation were very satisfactory. Although the season was 

 extremely dry in eastern Nebraska, neither the trees nor the fruit suffered 

 to any great extent from the drouth, while in uncultivated orchards there 

 was more or less drouth injury, resulting in small fruit and weakened 

 trees. 



The older part of the orchard bore heavily. The winter varieties aver- 

 aging almost four barrels per tree, the total production being in excess of 

 10,000 bushels. Several thousand bushels of this fruit was still on the 

 trees at the time of the severe freeze, November 1, and was rendered unfit 

 for anything but cider and vinegar. Our inability to secure sufficient 

 experienced help and the early freeze were the cause for this loss of fruit. 



The bulk of the crop was packed in barrels and placed in storage in 

 Omaha. One carload of boxed fruit was put up by an experienced western 



