FRUIT-BLOSSOMS. 



FRUIT-BLOSSOMS. 



coidd not afford to spray during frnit-hlooming 1 

 tmw, because spraying-Hquids thai are suffi- 

 ciently strong to kill insect pests are decided- 

 ly harmful to the delicate reproductive organs 

 and to tlie pollen of thefloxoers themselves. 



Some prominent fruit-growers who once 

 were of the contrary opinion, and who < 

 sprayed during full bloom, have since found 

 their mistake to their sorrow. In some in- j 

 stances they confessed to losing nearly one 

 tliousand dollars. 



Some spraying-fluids are not poisonous. 

 Take, for example, the lime-sulphur washes, 

 the kerosene, and other emulsions of crude 

 oil; but even these should not be sprayed 

 when the trees are in bloom. Hellebore, or 

 any of the Bordeaux mixtures, especially if 

 tliey contain Paris green, or any of the 

 aisenites, will be poisonous, of course : such 

 fluids are too strong for the delicate pistils 

 and stamens of the flower. 



Spraying is practiced to kill the fungi and 

 injurious insects. The codling moth that is 

 responsible in the ma-n for wormy apples 

 lays its egg in the bark df the trees. As 

 soon as the larva hatches, it seeks out the 

 blossoms about the time the petals fall 

 and begins to burrow into them. If they 

 liave a coating of poison it dies before it 

 can do any mischief. Otherwise it makes 

 its temporary home in the maturing fruit. 



THE STATEMEXT OF A HIGH AUTHOPaXY IX 

 FRUIT CULTURE. 



'The American Apple- orchard" is the 

 title of a book by F. A. Waugh, published 

 by the Orange Judd Co., of New Yoik. It 

 contains over UOO pages of interesting and 

 valuable matter. Price SI. 00. 



Those fruit-growers in the vicinity of our 

 bee-keeping friends, who insist on spraying 

 at the wrong time in spite of the advice of 

 experiment stations all over the United 

 States, and up-to-date fruit-growers, should 

 Vie shown a copy of this work. If they are 

 so behind the times as to spray while the 

 trees are in bloom they have a lot to learn, 

 and it would be dollars and dollars in their 

 pocket to purchase a copy of this work and 

 read it carefully. We are not sure but that 

 bee-keepers can afford to buy it and loan it 

 out to their fruit-growing neighbors. We 

 copy a portion of chapter 11, entitled "The 

 Insect Campaign."' Under the head of 

 ■•Codling Moth,"" the worm that so often 

 turns one's stomach as he bites into an ap- 

 parently sound apple he says : 



This i.s one of the be.st known and most widely di.s- 

 tributed enemies of the apple. Newly settled dis- 

 tricts have nearly always enjoyed a temporary im- 

 8 



munity from this pest, but experience has shown 

 that the moth can not long be kept out of any com- 

 mercial apijle- erovvlng district. Apparently the 

 ravages of the codling moth are more serious in 

 central and southern latitudes, where two or three, 

 or even as many as four, broods are hatched in a 

 year. However, the campaign against this insect 

 is an annual one, and has to be fought in ijractical- 

 ly all the commercial orchards in the country. 



The principal preventive of damage is the spray- 

 pump, using poison spray.s. Paris green is largely 

 used at the "present time, but is being generally sui>- 

 planted by lead arsenate. Thorough spraying at the 

 right time with these insecticides will very greatly 

 reduce the percentage of damage. Indeed, in many 

 cases the work of the insect is practically eliminat- 

 ed. As in dealing with every other insect or fun- 

 gous pest, thorough spraying at the proper time is 

 highly essential. The proper time in this case is 

 within one week to ten days after the falling of the 

 blossoms. A longer delay can not be made with 

 safety. After about 10 days the calyx, or blossom 

 leaves of the young api>le, close and the apple turns 

 to a pendant position. Before this time the newly 

 set fruit stands erect with the calyx lobes open. A 

 poison spray properly distributed falls into this ca- 

 lyx cup and the poison lodges there. As many of 

 the young larvae enter the apple by eating in at this 

 blossom end they secure with their first meal a 

 taste of poison which usually prevents any further 

 apple-eating on their part. 



Special attentiun should he called to the fact that ap- 

 ple-trees .should not tie xprayeil uhile in hlo.ssoiii. 

 Sprayinff at this time is not always totally \nthout 

 value, Ijut in many instances it is not only unnece.ssury, 

 hut even highly dangerous to the crop. Under all cir- 

 oumntances it ii very likely to poison the bees working 

 on the apple-blossoms. This sort of damage is far- 

 reaching in many cases; and as the bee is one of the 

 fruit-grower's best friends we can not afford to murder 

 whole swarms in this ivay. 



This early spraying, just after the blossoms fall, 

 will not usually catch qviite all the codling moth, 

 even all the first brood. When the second or third 

 brood hatches later in the year a still smaller per- 

 centage can be poisoned by the arsenical sprays. 

 Nevertheless it pays to give additional .sprayings 

 for this purpose in case the second and third broods 

 appear to be large. 



Note the special paragraph in italics, 

 which are ours. 



The average manufacturer of spraying- 

 outfits usually gives directions for making 

 the spraying liquids : and so far as we know 

 there is only one who advocates spraying 

 when the trees are in bloom. We respect- 

 fully suggest that our readers investigate 

 very carefully, and be sure that they do not 

 buy from parties who give such advice. We 

 do not usually advocate the boycott, but we 

 do think in this case that it is entirely 

 proper to — buy of the other man. 



In a number of States, laws have been 

 enacted making it a misdemeanor to spray 

 during blooming-time : but there are many 

 ignorant fruit-growers— stubborn as well— 

 who persi-st in administering the poison- 



