December, '17] SAFRO: SPRAY ECONOMICS 521 



The Real Estate Board Undertook the raising of finances for the 

 work by public subscription and met with a hearty response. The 

 cost was as follows: 



Salaries for six inspectors, laborers, etc $1,133.02 



Supphes 157 . 94 



Stationery, postage, leaflets 194 . 75 



$1,485.71 



The newspapers assisted admirably by giving the work the needed 

 publicity. At least every week a story was run by each city paper. 

 The general public also gave their hearty support, only two cases of 

 refusal to comply with our requests occurring. The demand for the 

 continuance of the work seems universal over the city. 



WHEN DOES THE COST OF SPRAYING TRUCK CROPS 

 BECOME PROHIBITIVE? 



By V. I. Safro, Louisville, Ky. 



At this time, the item of cost of insect control work is receiving 

 considerable attention. Many entomologists, as well as growers, 

 have had the general impression that when the cost of spraying reaches 

 within an appreciable fraction of the profit expected, it becomes pro- 

 hibitive. They forget that the investment itself represents very often 

 a much larger amount of money than the profit expected. 



In the writer's experience, an incident occurred that will be of interest 

 in this connection. In one case it was necessary, for various reasons, 

 to spray a certain patch of th rips-infested onions as many as eleven 

 times in one season, each application costing from $1.50 to $2.50 per 

 acre. Manj^ entomologists would consider this cost entirely pro- 

 hibitive. However, this procedure was not only not prohibitive, but 

 was an economic necessity. 



In the example mentioned, the grower concerned made this state- 

 ment: ''We have already spent our prospective profits; we cannot 

 make any money; but if the spraying is a success, we may break even." 

 When, as was the case, from $150 to $175 per acre has been expended 

 in growing onions and a severe epidemic of onion thrips threatens, it 

 is certainly good business to spend ev^en as much as $50 per acre, if 

 necessary, in spraying to save even as little as $100 of the original 

 investment. 



The cost of the spraying of fruit trees for any season, or a series of 

 seasons, cannot be figured as easily on the basis of annual returns as 



