LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, 
Washington, D. C., March 10, 1892. 
Sir: Lhavethe honor to transmit herewith for publication a bulletin pre- 
pared in accordance with my direction by the Divisions of Entomology and 
Vegetable Pathology, to be included in the series of farmers’ bulletins of 
this Department, treating of the practice, methods, and effects of spraying 
fruit trees for insect pests and fungous diseases. This practice has been 
widely extended during the past few years, largely upon the lines laid 
down by this Department as the result of careful and extended experi- 
ments. The fact that the compoundsas generally used are slightly poison- 
ous in their character has led some persons to express apprehension lest 
their application should injure the fruit for consumption. This appre- 
hension has been shown over and over again to be ill founded, frequent 
experiments under all possible conditions having shown that no spray- 
ing as prescribed by the Department experts has ever resulted in the 
slightest deleterious effects upon the fruit subjected to it. While this 
bulletin presents the subject of spraying in the most practical manner 
for the information of the orchardist and fruit-grower, it is mainly in- 
tended for the information and satisfaction of the consumer, by show- 
ing him exactly the character of the spraying recommended, and the 
utter impossibility of evil consequences to him. 
The publication of this bulletin in this brief and practical form is ren- 
dered especially necessary and timely by the fact that persons antag- 
onizing, from interested motives, the importation of American fruit into 
Great Britain have indulged in the frequent assertion that spraying as 
practiced in this country must necessarily have deleterious effects upon 
the fruit and injure it for consumption. It is believed that the present 
bulletin, and the simple facts therein arrayed, will serve a useful pur- 
pose in thoroughly exploding the baseless charges which have been lev- 
eled on this score against American fruits in Great Britain and other 
countries. 
Respectfully, 
EDWIN WILLITS, 
Assistant Secretary. 
Hon. J. M. RUSK, 
Secretary. 
