152 .NKr.KASKA STATl': lloU'llCt I/I'IKAL SIXIICI'V. 



bj' means of data compiled from this experimental work. Another thing 

 I want to touch upon is the relative importance of the lime-sulphur 

 sprays as compared with Bordeaux as a summer spray for apples. 



Another topic which really comes nearer to the assigned topic than 

 either of the above is the matter of what is to be done with the small 

 home orchards of Nebraska? I will have a few suggestions to make in 

 this connection. 



SPRAYING DEMONSTRATIONS. 



In 1906 the experiment station, in co-operation with the United States 

 department of Agriculture, began a series of spraying demonstrations 

 in eastern Nebraska apple orchards. The results of the first year's 

 work were published in Bulletin 98, entitled "Spraying Demonstrations 

 in Nebraska Apple Orchards." In 1907 the work was continued by the 

 experiment station alone and the results reported in Bulletin 106 under 

 the title "Does It Pay to Spray Nebraska Apple Orchards?" In 1908 

 the work was again conducted jointly by the experiment station and the 

 United States department of agriculture and in 1909 and 1910 the exyeri- 

 rcent station was alone in the undertaking. The work of the last thre*^ 

 years has not been reported previously. This paper was compiled by 

 Professor Emerson and will appear in a bulletin later. During the nve 

 years demonstrations have been made in twenty-two orchards, represent- 

 ing eighteen localities, in thirteen counties. 



Before the work was begun it was well known that it was possible 

 by proper spraying to control scab and codling moth, the most generally 

 troublesome pests of apple orchards in this state. There was available, 

 however, very little definite information regarding the cost of spraying 

 or the profits to be derived from it under our conditions. The majority 

 of farmers made no attempt at spraying. Many of the more prominent 

 commercial orchardists, even, were trying to produce apples without 

 spraying, and those who were spraying more or less regularly were, 

 with few exceptions, not sufficiently thorough in their work to get the 

 best results. On account of the lack of knowledge of the proper means 

 to employ in combatting the common orchard pests many orchardists 

 had come to believe that apple growing was not a profitable business. 

 And under the conditions prevailing in many orchards, this was a per- 

 fectly correct conclusion. 



It was, therefore, planned from the start not merely to demonstrate 

 the possibility of controlling apple insects and diseases, but also to deter- 

 mine whether they could be controlled profitablj'. To accomplish this 

 it was necessary to know exactly what it cost to spray, vhat sprayed 

 fruit yielded, and what it v.'as worth in comparison with unsprayed 

 fruit from the same orchards. In every spraying demonstration the 

 time spent in mixing and applying the materials and the quantity of 

 material used were recorded. The cost of labor, of men and teams per 

 hour was taken at the orchard owners' estimates and the cost of materials 

 was charged at the prices actually paid by the orchardists. In every 



