April, 1916. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



g» 



Spraying Methods in Nova Scotia. 



L. D. Robinson, Berwick, N.S, 



SO far as Nova Scotia is concerned, 

 spraying is the most important 

 factor in the production of first- 

 class fruit. Here, pruning, cultivation, 

 fertilization and thinning count for 

 little, where thorough spraying has been 

 neglected. In the Annapolis Valley, 

 especially, the congestion of orchards, 

 aggravated by numerous wild apple- 

 trees growing in pastures, on the road- 

 side, and even in the woods, greatly 

 facilitates the spread of orchard pests, 

 and places a high premium on spraying. 

 Since the introduction of lime sulphur 

 . s a fungicide, the popularity of Bor- 

 deaux has steadily declined, owing to 

 its greater tender cy to cause spray 

 injury. At present, Bordeaux is pro- 

 hibitive on account of the demand for 

 copper for war purposes. A new rival 

 if lime sulphur, "soluble sulphur," was 

 placed on the market last year. 



Notwithstanding some serious burn- 

 ing that resulted from its use, there are 

 good reasons for regarding it as the 

 coming spray. Experiments conducted 

 by Prof. G. E. Sanders, on the premises 

 of S. B. Chute, Berwick, appear to prove 

 conclusively that "soluble sulphur" 

 gives excellent results when used with 

 lime arsenate, instead of lead arsenate. 

 However, the wise orchardist will not 

 give up the use of lime sulphur till 

 further experiments make assurance 

 doubly sure that a better fungicide hah 

 displaced it. 



Insecticides. 



In combining insecticides with fungi- 



cides, care must be taken that reactions 

 injurious to fruit and foliage do not 

 occur. If these combinations result in 

 the presence of free arsenic, burning is 

 sure to follow. Paris green will com- 

 bine well with Bordeaux, but not with 

 lime sulphur. Lead arsenate is an ex- 

 cellent insecticide to use with lime sul- 

 phur or Bordeaux, but causes excessive 

 burning when used with soda sulphur 

 (soluble sulphur) as many proved last 

 year, to their sorrow. Lime arsenate 

 being a stable compound, can be used 

 without danger of spray injury, with 

 either of the three fungicides. 



Lead arsenate at the rate of five 

 pounds to one hundred gallons, should 

 be used in all sprays for the orchard. 

 This should first be reduced in water, 

 and poured into the spray tank when 

 the machine is in full motion. It should 

 be remembered that the poison in all 

 properly prepared sprays is not a liquid, 

 but a fine powder in suspension. A few 

 moments must always be allowed after 

 starting the machine, to stir up the 

 poison, before the nozzles are opened. 



Examine fruit buds carefully before 

 applying the first spray, for apple scab, 

 and if aphids are present, add Black- 

 leaf forty to this spray, at the rate of 

 one pint to one hundred gallons. 



Dilutions of Lime Sulphur. 



The margin between the effective 

 strength and danger point in the use 

 of lime sulphur spray is narrow. It is 

 very important that accurate dilutions 

 should be made, and this can only be 



The product of this ciop of tomatoes averaijed one dollar a plant. The first fruit was picked 



Feb. 10, 1916. It was grown hy II. Hem stock, hardener for J. B. I>aldlaw, 



The Granse, Whttby, Ont. 



accomplished by the use of the hydro- 

 meter. AVhen this instrument is allowed 

 to come to rest in pure water 60 degrees 

 F., the figures 1,000 appear at the sur- 

 face. If salt be now added, the glass 

 will rise in exact proportion to the 

 quantity dissolved. When placed in 

 any dilution of lime sulphur, the deci- 

 mal part of the reading at the surface 

 denotes its strength. 



Careful experiments have shovni 

 that the strength of lime sulphur dilu- 

 tions for use on foliage, and the time of 

 application should be as follows : 



1st application, when blossom buds 

 show green, 1.009. 



2nd application, when blossom buds 

 show red, 1.008. 



3rd application, when most blossoms 

 have fallen, 1.007. 



4th application, 10 to 12 days after 

 3rd application, 1.0069. 



5th application, when apples are the 

 size of large crabs; if wet and cold, 

 1.0069. 



When scale or bark louse is present, 

 use dormant strength for 1st applica- 

 tion, 1.03. 



Place the hydrometer in a portion of 

 the concentrate to be used. Suppose it 

 to come to rest with the figures l.?88 at 

 the surface. The decimal .288 denotes 

 its strength, and the decimal .009 that 

 of the first spray for apple scab. It is 

 evident that the dilution figure will be 

 found by dividing .288 by .009, which 

 gives 32. This means that to make a 

 dilution 1.009 hydrometer strength, 

 each 32 gallons must contain exactly one 

 ,gallon of the concentrate. To find the 

 number of gallons concentrate to use in 

 making 160 gallons, we simply divide 

 160 by our dilution figure 32^ which 

 gives us five gallons. 



We can obtain the same result more 

 briefly as follows : 

 160— .288 



=160X009 



.009 =5. 



288 

 Hence the following simple rule for 

 making any dilution from any lime 

 sulphur concentrate: Multiply the 

 number of gallons dilution to be made, 

 by the decimal part of the desired 

 strength, and divide this result by the 

 decimal part of the strength of the con- 

 centrate used. The result will be the 

 required number of gallons concentrate 

 to be used in making the dilution. 



Apparatus. 



The power sprayer is necessary in all 

 orchards producing upwards of five 

 hundred barrels yearly. A good ma- 

 ehine should combine simplicity, light- 

 ness and durability. It should contain 

 a blade propeller agitator, and be cap- 

 able of maintaining a pressure of at 

 least two hundred pounds on two lines 



