DUST SPRA YING. 



canning factory here at Simcoe realized the 

 apple situation in September as they did in 

 December, canning factory apples would 

 have been cheaper. There were large 

 quantities of apples never gathered, as they 

 had all or more contracted for than they 

 could take care of to advantage, and the ap- 

 ple buyers could not buy for shipping as 

 they were of such poor quality. 



My observation of spraying in Ontario is 

 that whether the grower owns a spraying 

 pump or does not, he is apt to be busy at some 

 other work when he should be spraying, and 

 when he ought to spray he does not, and 

 when he does sipray it is in such a half- 

 hearted way that his spraying does very lit- 

 tle good, and unless you can spray at the 

 right time and not be afraid of expense I 

 consider you are losing your time and ma- 

 terial. One grower in New York State 

 last year estimated that he lost $1,000 on his 

 20-acre apple orchard by not spraying three 

 days earlier. 



Climatic conditions may be such that we 

 may not have "any fungus disease next year. 

 Wet weather is favorable to fungus and dry 

 weather favorable to insects, so I shall con- 

 tinue to spray to hit both and insure one 

 crop. 



Care must be exercised in preparing the 

 mixtures, as I have seen whole orchards of 

 fruit ruined by not preparing the spraying 

 solution properly. You must not guess, 

 but measure and weigh, and keep well agi- 

 tated every tank or barrel of the spraying 



mixtures so as to have all go out of the tank 

 of equal strength, and soak the trees well 

 from the ground to its highest branches 

 with the finest spray possible, using Ver- 

 morel nozzles. I usually put 200 gallons 

 in my tank each time and run two Unes of 

 hose, four nozzles each, and can put on our 

 orchard 800 gallons each day with four men. 

 I have one man take a 20-foot line of hose 

 and walk under the trees and spray the 

 trunk and all the under branches of the tree, 

 while the other line of hose is used from on 

 top of the tank. 



My spraying solution for apples : 200 

 gallons water, 70 lbs. lime, 16 lbs. blue vit- 

 rol, 4-5 lb. Paris green, 4-5 lb. white arsenic, 

 I 3-5 lb. sal soda. 



The arsenic must be prepared by boiling 

 one pound arsenic with two pounds of sal 

 soda for 45 minutes. 



Time of spraying: ist, as soon as the 

 buds begin to swell; 2nd, just before the 

 buds break open ; 3rd, just as soon as the 

 blossoms fall. 



If you have a small orchard of 50 trees a 

 barrel pump will do, but for an orchard of 

 50 to 300 trees a tank, an outfit like we have, 

 is the best value, which cost about $50.00 

 complete, and for larger orchards a power 

 sprayer is the best. 



Thanking you for this valuable space to 

 benefit the fruit growers. I am, your whole- 

 hearted believer in spraying. 



James E. Johnson, 



Simcoe, Ont. 



BIRD CHERRY PICKERS 



1SEE that one of your correspondents in 

 asking advice about a succession of sour 

 cherries, says : " When my Early Rich- 

 mond cherries begin to bear I shall be com- 

 pelled to engage a great deal of help." 

 What for? Not to pick the cherries. If 

 it is there as it is here the robins, jays and 



catbirds will take everyone before they are 

 ripe. I have a dozen trees and can't get 

 enough to make a pie unless I take them 

 half ripe or be content to pick oflf the ground 

 what the birds let fall. The robins bring 

 their young, sit them on nearby limbs and 

 drop cherries into their wide open mouths 



