February, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



Orchards Sprays 



A. W. Cook, Guelph, Ont. 



THE successful horticulturist of to- 

 day has more to contend with 

 than those of some few years 

 ago. New insects and fungi have come 

 to combat his efforts, and naturally 

 such conditions have forced the fruit 

 grower to experiment with modern ap- 

 pliances, leading sprays, and resort to 

 putting into practical experience better 

 methods of spraying and a thorough 

 understanding of what to spray for, 

 what to spray with, when to spray, and 

 the results of thorough spraying meth- 

 ods. If he were to neglect spraying 

 "the most important" of the factors 

 which determine success in horticul- 

 ture, his adventure in fruit growing is 

 more than apt to spell disaster, not only 

 on his part, but upon those who live 

 about him. The key note of success in 

 fruit growing is thorough, efficient 

 spraying. 



Spray materials are divided into two 

 classes: — fungicides and insecticides — 

 the former being used to control such 

 diseases as scab, bitter rot, powdery 

 mildew and brown rot. These are fun- 

 gus diseases and are tiny plants, but 

 live upon other plants. Fungicides are 

 also used to control San Jose scale and 

 Oyster scale, also a few minor insects. 

 Insecticides are for the plant's protec- 

 tion against such insects as the bud 

 moth, codling moth, and aphis ; these 

 being the most serious insect pests 

 which we have. 



There is no small amount of differ- 

 ence in the estimation of fruit growers 

 with regard to the relative value of 

 our two well-known fungicides, lime 



sulphur and bordeaux. Both of these 

 have their strong advocates, but the 

 happy medium is found to be a combin- 

 ation of the two. This opinion is firm 

 with mayy of our leading authorities, 

 and is being upheld with an increasing 

 number of practical men who have 

 proven it to be best to their own satis- 

 faction. It is true that with some of 

 our orchard fruits individual fungicides 

 have proven to be superior over the 

 others, bin we find in our apple orch- 

 ards that the combination of using lime 

 sulphur for our dormant spray, bor- 

 deaux for our second spray, and lime 

 sulphur for the succeeding sprays, will 

 prove to be more efficient in controlling 

 not only the apple scab, but also pro- 

 duce apples free from rust. Many 

 years, when lime sulphur was used for 

 the second spray, it left our apples with 

 a russety coating, which was objection- 

 able at packing time. The result was 

 that many apples had to be discarded 

 on this account. Lime sulphur is more 

 efficient and more practical in most in- 

 stances with all our orchard fruits. 

 However, bordeaux can be used more 

 successfully in the control of rot in 

 sweet cherries than lime sulphur, be- 

 cause of the fact that it may be applied 

 at later dates after the fruit has set, 

 while if lime sulphur was used it would 

 stain the fruit. 



Arsenate of lead has been found to 

 be more efficient as an insecticide than 

 Paris green in controlling leaf-eating 

 insects. It is mixed more readily in 

 solution and is more convenient, be- 

 sides being a great deal more effective. 



Work of Fruit-tree Leaf-roller on young apples. (Natural size.) 



However, it will not control sucking in- 

 sects such as aphis. To control insects 

 with such habits, we must resort to in- 

 secticides which will cover their bodies, 

 and so block their breathing organs, or 

 eat their bodies and so destroy them. 

 Black Leaf Forty is most suitable, this 

 being in a very convenient form to use 

 to destroy such insects. 



The three chief units in spraying are 

 — spray in time, spray thoroughly, and 

 know why j ou use a certain spray and 

 the results from their use. 



The size of our orchards should be 

 understood, because of the necessity of 

 completing our spraying in the proper 

 time. A few days late, with an ineffi- 

 cient machine, will cost more than an 

 outfit of the proper size. Where one 

 has an orchard of from five acres up, a 

 power outfit is almost a necessity. Un- 

 less one has all the help that is required 

 to apply thoroughly, the spraying is apt 

 to be only a partial success. One must 

 always keep in mind that spraying 

 must invariably be done at the proper 

 season, especially where fungi is to be 

 controlled, and there is no better insur- 

 ance against a possibility of not being 

 able, than an efficient spray outfit which 

 is capable of spraying more trees than 

 you have in your own orchard. When 

 one is a little behind in his spraying, 

 it is a general rule that the orchard 

 does not receive a thorough spraying. 

 The results from such spraying are not 

 encouraging to others. 



Thorough spraying means clean fruit,^ 

 of a more saleable quality. To ensure 

 thoroughness, one must have pressure 

 behind the material which has been in- 

 telligently prepared. Spray with at 

 least 150 lbs. pressure. This means 

 that the uppermost limbs may be thor- 

 oughly covered, and it also means that 

 our insecticides are driven into the 

 calyx of our fruit. The importance of 

 this cannot be overestimated. One 

 must spray so that the mixture will 

 drop from the limbs of our trees. It 

 is best by far that we apply more than 

 what is really necessary, rather than an 

 insufficient quantity. The orchardist 

 who trys to save on his spray material 

 will invariably fall short at packing 

 time. Beginners should apply until it 

 drips, and with experience ithey will 

 learn just what amounts are really 

 necessary. 



The importance of knowing one's 

 materials, so that he may mix them to 

 produce the best results, is great. It 

 is of no material value how well the 

 spraying has been done, so far as con- 

 trolling fungi and the various insects, 

 unless one has his spray properly and 

 thoroughly mixed. While it is possible 

 to deviate from set formulas to a small 

 extent, it is always advisable to adhere 

 to the regular proportions as have 

 proven to be most satisfactory. These 

 are to be had in the form of a regular 



