866 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



because since the coming of the fruit growers' association, they find 

 that they can ^vt lietter and clieapei- fruit, or because as Iiusiness 

 men, ])i-ofcssi<)ual men or biborers, they l^now tliat thy fruit-grow- 

 ing industry lias greatly increased the amount of monej' retuiued 

 1o the counly, a part, and a \»'ry huge jiail of the gross returns is 

 certain (o come to them in the ustial course. 



A number have joined, if for no other reason, because they say 

 that to sit and see and hear at convention time is worth the i)rice. 

 I can see several of Ihese now, and there are others also filled with 

 the good American desire to help a good thing along. Join the 

 F'luit Growers' Association and become j:art owner of a large 

 amount of good-fellowship. You will later get a copy of the pro- 

 ceedings which will be of value to you. It is a text-book on Horticul- 

 ture; not theory, but the boiled down experience of ])ractical men. 



More than the usual care has been exercised during the past 

 .year in spraying for scale insects and for the codling moth and its 

 co-laborer, the curculio. It is impossible to expect that an}^ of the 

 tiio named or of many other pests attacking tree, foliage or fruit 

 will ever become exterminated, Ijut Ave believe that all nuty be held 

 in check by careful and timely work. 



Several of our members have noticed the same fault in spray- 

 ing opeiations, namely, that the nozzle man kept too close to the 

 tree so that some of the branch tips at about the level of the oper- 

 ator's face were entirely missed. I have called the attention of my 

 helper.s to this at least a score of times during the past season, and 

 we found at ])icking time that the few scale present were on the 

 fruit from these branches. I>y the use of bends for the rods or 

 angle' nozzles, the old fault of poorly sprayed lower branches has 

 been cured. 



To do a good spraying job, high pressure and large air-chamber 

 space are of the first importance. A good pump and a willing 

 pump-man are good, but Ihe compressed-air sprayer is the coming 

 sprayer. Either a central plant where an engine and compressor 

 can charge the power tank of the sprayer while the spray liquid 

 tank is being filled, ar the portable engine and compressor outfit fills 

 the bill as no direct pumj/ing outfit can possible fill it^. The first 

 of these two ty])es is the lighter while the second is jjerhaps the 

 safer and more efficient. This second tyjie can reach full spraying 

 pressirre while the operator is straightening out the hose and rod, 

 and it has a constantly increasing air-chamber space at maximum 

 ])ressure. 



The occurrence of Cedar Rust has been much less prevalent: during 

 1911 than during 1010, but there is apparently no way of deter- 

 mining whether this is due to climatic conditions or to tTie general 

 cutting away of the cedar trees. If the scientists are correct in 

 their statement that the cedar trees and the apple trees ai'e alternate 

 hosts for the fungus, it w(mld be sound argument to say that the 

 cutting of the cedar trees is the chief factor in the lessened amount 

 of the fungus injury. 



Many trees in the neighborhood strff'ered severely from fire blight, 

 .which is certainly the most distressing of the apple orchardist's 

 troubles, requiring a cure that is no cure, but a partial or entire 

 destruction of the tree. 



