L'II2 NEBKASKA STATIC IK i li T ICI I/II IIAL SOCIETY 



SPRAYING APPLES AND GRAPES. 

 J. R. Cooper, Horticultural Dept., University of Nebraska. 



The most serious annoyance of the fruit grower of today is the lia- 

 bility of attacks on his crops by insects and fungous diseases. The 

 crops are few indeed which are not damaged by the depredations of 

 some enemy, either insect or fungous. Especially is this true of orchard 

 crops. This being the case, measures must be taken to combat these 

 common enemies. There is no reason why, with the present knowledge 

 of spraying and culture, the orchardist need fear these insect and fung- 

 ous pests any more than the farmer fears the weeds which begin growing 

 as soon as the crops are planted and with which he must wage unrelent- 

 ing warfare if he is to realize any benefits from his labors. Clean cul- 

 ture and proper spraying with the right materials at the right time will 

 protect the crops from insects and disease just as surely as good cultural 

 methods will conserve moisture and protect the plants from weeds. 



With the spraying season so close at hand, preparations should be 

 made at once for the season's work. Machinery should be gone over to 

 be sure that it is in perfect working order before time to begin spraying, 

 and a full supply of spraying materials should be laid in. A delay of a 

 few days, when it is time to spray, often means wormy and diseased fruit. 



Success lies in knowing, first, what is causing the injury to the plants; 

 second, the remedy for the trouble; and third, thorough treatment. We 

 find many enemies which appear at different seasons of tlie year, work in 

 different ways, and require different treatments; but by using good judg- 

 ment in the combination of materials and in the time and manner of appli- 

 cation of the same, these may all be controlled. 



It is usually best to spray apples four times. The sprayings should 

 be concentrated at the beginning of the season in such a manner that 

 the foliage and fruit may be covered with a protective coat while young 

 and tender, for it is at this time that disease spores are germinating and 

 the young insects are making their attacks. 



The first spraying with Bordeaux and arsenate of lead, bluestone 

 three pounds, lime four pounds, arsenate of lead two pounds, fifty gal- 

 lons of water, should be done just as the flower buds are turning pink 

 and before they unfold. The spray should be applied as a very fine mist 

 and only in large enough quantities to cover the foliage, branches, and 

 trunks of the trees with a very thin film. If the spray is applied in coarse 

 drops or in such large quantities that it collects and runs together, it 

 is liable to burn both the fruit and foliage. This spray is intended to 

 control apple scab, rust, curculio, canker and worms, bud moth and leaf 

 feeders. 



The second spraying with commercial lime and sulphur, and arsenate 

 of lead, IV2 gallons lime and sulphur, 2 pounds lead, 50 gallons water, 

 should be done between the falling of the petals and the closing of the 

 calyx cups. It is best, if a large number of trees are to be sprayed, to 

 begin operations when about three-fourths of the petals have fallen. For 

 this application the spray should be coarse and delivered at very high 



