spraying Ten Acres of Apples: Cost and Results' 



AN orchard of ten acres will contain 

 on an average 400 trees. To op- 

 erate a power outfit, the labor of 

 tiiree men is required — two men to 

 handle the spraying; rods and one to drive 

 the horse. The labor of the first two at 

 $1.50 per day would cost $3; the team 

 and man, $4.50; total, $7.50. The ca- 

 pacity of a power outfit should average 

 about 1,500 gallons daily. The cost per 

 gallon therefore would be one-half cent. 



For my first spraying, I use 

 the commercial lime-sulphur at the 

 strength of one to eleven. This is 

 used just before the buds are opening. 

 The concentrated lime-sulphur costs $10 

 a barrel of forty gallons. Diluted at the 

 strength mentioned, this would make 480 

 gallons of spraying mixture which would 

 cost 2.08 cents per spraying gallon. Add 

 this to the cost of labor per gallon and 

 we have a total cost of 2.58 cents per 

 gallon. The average tree will require 

 five gallons of the mixture. At 2.58 

 cents a gallon, the cost per tree for the 

 first spraying would be 12.9 cents. 



For the second spraying for codling 

 moth and fungi, which is done just as 

 the blossoms have fallen, I use commer- 

 cial lime-sulphur at the same cost per 

 barrel but dilute it one to thirty, which 

 makes 1,240 gallons at a cost per gallon 

 of .83 cents. To this I add arsenate of 

 lead which can be bought in small pack- 

 ages at 14 cents a pound or less. I use 

 five pounds of this to 100 gallons of 

 water. This makes the arsenate of 

 lead cost .7 cents a gallon. The labor 

 costs just the same for the second and 

 third sprayings as for the first. For this 

 second spraying, the total cost is 2.03 

 cents per gallon of spraying material. .At 

 five gallons a tree, this makes the second 

 spraying 10.15 cents a tree. 



The third spraying should be given 

 ten days to two weeks later than the 

 second. The cost is the same as the .sec- 

 ond, namely 10.15 cents per tree. The 

 total cost therefore of the three spray- 

 ings per tree is 33.2 cents for the season. 

 At this rate 400 trees on ten acres would 

 cost for spraying $132.80. Ry using four 

 gallons per tree and eliminating the third 

 spraying which is not necessary in all 

 seasons, the 400 trees may be sprayed 

 for $73.76. 



EQUIPMENT 



I prefer ga.soline engines for power 

 because they are most efficient and the 

 cheapest to operate. A gasoline engine 

 can be operated for ten or fifteen cents a 

 day for gasoline. The gasoline engine 

 may be used for other purposes when 

 not needed for spraying. I prefer a pres- 

 s ure of 1 75 jounds on the averagre. 



_ "Thp BUbstancp of an address on "SprayinR 

 Ion Acros of Apples: Cost. Einiipmrnt and Rp- 

 "iilts." ?iven at the last convention of the On- 

 tario Fruit Growers' Association. 



Max C. Smith, Burlington, Ontario 



High pressure is particularly necessary 

 for the second spraying as you cannot 

 drive the material into the calyx cups 

 with a pressure of only sixty or seventy 

 pounds. Use a pump of good capacity 

 and one that will give the high pressure 

 required. For best results use two large 

 nozzles on each hose. Use the best qual- 

 ity of hose that you can buy. Spray 

 thoroughly and use lots of material. 



RESULTS 



During the past season I sprayed 

 about 100 acres of fruit, including ap- 

 ples, plums, pears, cherries, grapes, cur- 

 rants and gooseberries. The results with 

 the currants were especially marked. 

 The foliage was very heavy, the cur- 

 rants large and I marketed them at high- 

 er prices than ever before. I did not 

 have a blistered currant in the lot. In 

 the case of the cherries, only those that 

 were thoroughly sprayed were worth 

 buying. I spray cherries just before the 

 buds swell and again just after the small 

 cherries form. Only two applications 

 are made. I use the same strength as 

 for apples. 



I had equally good results with ap- 

 ples. One orchard that I took over and 

 which had not been sprayed, pruned, 

 plowed or fertilized in twenty years, gave 

 me 2,000 barrels of fine fruit, the result 

 of one year's attention, including spray- 

 ing. I controlled the fungus completely 

 and the codling moth to the extent of 

 about eighty per cent. 



It might seem a big item of expense to 

 spend thirty-three cents a tree for spray- 

 ing, but let us see. A bushel of culls is 



worth fifteen cents, and a bushel of good 

 apples is worth fifty cents, a difference of 

 thirty-five cents. The average tree should 

 produce ten bushels and if you convert 

 one bushel of culls into one bushel of good 

 apples, you are making thirty-five cents. 

 If you have a tree of apples bearing ten 

 bushels and do not spray them, you will 

 have half culls. If you convert that five 

 bushels into good apples, you will make 

 $1.75 profit on that tree, or $700 profit 

 on 400 trees. This is over and above 

 what you could get if you did not spray. 

 Take the cost of spraying off and it 

 leaves a net profit of $567. Besides this, 

 you will strengthen the trees and make 

 them produce better another year. 



Controlling Gooseberry Mildew 



About three years ago, mention was 

 made in The Canadian Horticulturist 

 of the success of Mr. Joseph Tweddle, 

 Fruitland, Ont., in controlling goose- 

 berry mildew. As his method of control 

 has been verified by later experience, it 

 is well worth mentioning again. 



The remedy used is the lime-sulphur 

 wash prepared as for San Jose scale. One 

 application is sufficient and this should 

 be applied thoroughly just as the buds 

 are swelling. The 15 — 20 — 40 formula 

 is used in making the mixture. This is 

 boiled vigorously with steam for one 

 hour. Mr. Tweddle 's five years experi- 

 ence with this remedy for gooseberry 

 mildew should encourage all persons 

 who desire to grow the English varieties 

 which are susceptible to this disease. 



Tkt Power Sprayer it the Most Efficient and Economicil for Lirge Areat 



The one illustrated is manufactured by the Friend Manufaoturing Co., Oaeport, N.V. 

 iJ 



