B. p. I.— 258. 



SPRAYING FOR APPLE DISEASES AND THE 

 CODLING MOTH IN THE OZARKS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



During the past fifteen or twenty years the Department of Agri- 

 culture and man}^ of the State agricultural experiment stations have 

 been devoting much time to the study of apple diseases and insects 

 and to conducting practical experiments in their control. Much 

 information on this subject has been accumulated and made available 

 for the use of orchardists through publications and correspondence, 

 and the apple-growing industry of the country has been enormously 

 benefited thereby. The increasing losses due to insects and diseases, 

 following their more general dissemination and an increased food 

 supply, has rendered their control imperative in the successful grow- 

 ing of tlus fruit, and perhaps no other crop derives such a large per- 

 centage of benefit from the use of remedial and preventive measures. 



Although there are many apple growers who are successfully con- 

 trolling the diseases and insect pests of their crop, perhaps the major- 

 ity have not availed themselves of the remedies at hand, or are not 

 securing satisfactory results, largely owing to lack of sufficient atten- 

 tion to details or to imperfect use of remedies. While some benefits 

 have followed careless spraying, the results in many cases have not 

 appeared to warrant the necessary outlaj^ in expense and labor, result- 

 ing in discouragement to the grower and apparent discredit to the 

 recommendations. Indeed, some fruit growers have come "to believe 

 that the recommended measures are entirely without merit. 



The treatment for the important fungous and insect troubles of the 

 apple mostl}^ takes the form of spraying, and, as will at once appear, 

 great variation is possible in the comparative thoroughness with 

 which applications may be made."" Good results also depend upon the 

 proper preparation of sprays, the efficiency of the pumps, and the 

 time applications are made. It is seen, therefore, that several factors 

 are involved, the neglect of any one of which may result in partial or 

 total failure. It has therefore appeared desirable to carry the work 

 beyond experimentation and actually demonstrate on a commercial 



283 



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