270 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The total quantity of spray used varied according to the size of the 

 trees sprayed, from about 5 gallons to nearly 15 gallons per tree, with 

 an average of nearly 11 gallons per tree, or a little over 2 gallons per 

 tree for each application. The cost of material varied, from a little less 

 that! a cent a gallon to nearly a cent and a half, and averaged exactly 

 one cent per gallon. The difference in cost was due largely to the kind 

 and amount of poison used. The average cost of applying a gallon of 

 the spray was a trifle greater than the cost of the material. The varia- 

 tion in cost of applying the spray, from a little over a half cent to a 

 cent and a half per gallon, was due mainly to differences in conveniences 

 for preparing and mixing the materials, different kinds of spray pumps, 

 etc. In most of the orchards the expense of applying the spray could 

 have been reduced materially by providing more convenient arrange- 

 ments for mixing the materials. The average cost of applying the spray 

 in the three orchards using hand pumps in barrels was nearly one and 

 a half cents a gallon, as against two-thirds of a cent per gallon in the 

 three orchards where power pumps were used. When we figure the 

 cost per tree of applying the spray, the difference in regard to conven- 

 iences, kinds of spray pumps, and the like is very striking. For in- 

 stance, in two of the orchards where the trees were nearly the same 

 age and size and where almost exactly the same quantities of spray were 

 used per tree, the cost of applying the spray in one case was 5.6 cents 

 and in the other case 13.2 per tree, and in two other orchards, where the 

 size and age of the trees and the quantities of spray used were also 

 practically the same, the cost of applying the spray was 9.3 cents per tree 

 in one case and 19.8 cents per tree in the other. The total cost per tree 

 for all the sprayings varied from about 12 cents to over 33 cents, and 

 averaged a little over 21 cents, or only a little over 4 cents per tree for 

 one spraying. 



In addition to the records from the orchards where these spraying 

 demonstrations were made, reports of the cost of spraying have been 

 received from orchards in two other counties of eastern Nebraska. 

 Marshall Bros., Arlington, Neb., "Washington Co., report the cost of spray- 

 ing 12-year-old apple trees with 3-4-50 Bordeaux and 5 ounces Paris green 

 per barrel, using a barrel pump, to be 2| cents per tree for one applica- 

 tion, or almost exactly the same as in one of the demonstration orchards 

 where the conditions were very similar. E. F. Stephens, Crete, Neb., 

 Saline Co., sprayed 3,700 trees from 18 to 32 years old four times, using 

 37,500 gallons of spray. The work required the time of three men and 

 two teams for 18 days. For the first three sprayings, 4-6-50 Bordeaux 

 and arsenate of lead were used, and for the fourth spraying arsenate of 

 lead was used alone. In the first spraying 2 pounds and in the other 

 three sprayings 2i pounds of arsenate of lead were used for each 50 

 gallons of spray. The cost of the first three sprayings was Hi cents 

 per tree, or 3.8 cents per tree for one application. The last spraying 

 cost about 3 cents per tree. This was less than it cost to spray similar 



