Annual Cost Factors in Growing Peaches 341 



not allowed to develop large heads, so that after the trees are 

 four years old one man may be expected to prune about 100 

 trees a day. 



Spraying. — The spraying outfit on the more level, smooth 

 lands consists of a tank, a 3 or 3^ horsepower gasoline engine, 

 and other fixtures mounted on a truck and hauled by a two- 

 horse team. The number of trees an outfit and crew may be 

 expected to spray in a day will vary, of course, with the size 

 of the trees, the character of the land on which the spraying 

 is done, the convenience of facilities, as well as the purpose 

 for which the spraying is done. Three men operate each 

 outfit and in orchards six to twelve years old on smooth land 

 will spray 500 to 600 trees a day when in the dormant state 

 and 800 to 1000 trees a day when in leaf. These same units 

 would apply to apple trees at about the same age. As a rule, 

 peach trees are sprayed three times a year — once in March 

 for San Jose scale with the concentrated lime-sulfur solution 

 and twice for brown-rot and scab with the self-boiled lime- 

 sulfur mixture, once soon after the petals fall, and again 

 about three or four weeks later. In the two later sprayings 

 arsenate of lead is added to the lime-sulfur mixture as a 

 remedy for the curculio. A few have found it necessary to 

 make a third application with that mixture during the summer 

 to prevent the brown-rot, especially on the late-maturing 

 varieties. 



Digging out peach-borer. — The implements used are a 

 trowel, knife, and sometimes a piece of wire to aid in digging 

 out the borers. The trees should be gone over twice each 

 season — spring and fall. Under average conditions one 

 man will "worm" 50 full-grown trees a day. 



Thinning. — After the "June drop" the fruit may need 

 thinning. This is an operation that adds considerably to 



