SPRAYING PEACH TREES FOR PROTECTION OF THE BUDS. 



there was 2 1 deg. difference between the 

 white and purple thermometers. 



The theory looked all right, and we 

 decided to put it to the test. We se- 

 lected 100 young and vigorous trees of 

 the following varieties : Stephens Rare- 

 ripe, Wheatland, Smock, Centennial, 

 Early Rivers and two seedlings, and 

 gave them a good whitening, going over 

 them twice, late in December, again in 

 February and a third time in March. 

 The material used was fresh stone lime 

 slacked with hot water and used as thick 

 as it would work through a Bordeaux 



Fig. 1503. — Sections of unwhitened (a) and whitened (b) 

 buds of Heath Cling Peach, taken March 20th, 1896, 

 showing that the unwhitened bud had swollen and thrown 

 considerably and had an imperfect pistil, while the whiten- 

 ed bud was nearly dormant, and had a perfect pistil — 

 Whiten, Mo. E.xp. SUtion, Bull. 38. 



nozzle. One fifth milk was added to 

 each barrel to make it adhere to the 

 tree. The trees were completely coated 

 and some of the wash remained on them 

 all'summer. 



The trees thus treated were later in 

 blooming than those untreated ; but it 

 was impossible to judge of the benefit 

 as all the trees came through in splen- 

 did condition and we had a fair crop 

 considering the very heavy crop of the 

 previous year. However, we shall try 

 again this winter, and our programme is 



as follows : — In the latter part of De- 

 cember we will spray with the following 

 solution : 40 gallons of water and skim 

 milk or butter-milk, about one-fifth be- 

 ing milk if possible, copper sulphate 4 

 lbs., salt 5 lbs., and enough lime to bring 

 the whole to as thick a mixture as will 

 work readily in the pump. As soon as 

 this is dry we will follow with the same 

 mixture only omitting the copper sul- 

 phate We will spray also, early in Feb- 

 ruary and early in March, using the 

 solution without the copper sulphate. 

 We expect this will be all that is re- 

 quired, but should the coat of 

 whitewash at any time be- 

 come thin we would make 

 an application at once. 



There was a considerable 

 amount of curl leaf on the 

 trees in 1897 and for fear 

 of a recurrence of the dis- 

 ease in 1898 we decided to 

 treat them with Bordeaux 

 mixture. 



In April we sprayed the 

 whole orchard excepting 

 one side of each of three 

 rows, and gave a second 

 application in May. The 

 mixture used in both cases 

 was of standard strength and 

 each barrel was tested with 

 the ferrocyanide of potash test. 



The application made in April while 

 the trees were dormant caused no injury, 

 but in May, after growth had srarted, it 

 injured the twigs badly on the narrow 

 leaved varieties, the Lx)nghursts drop- 

 ping almost all their foliage and fiuit. 

 The fallen foliage appeared perfect, the 

 trouble being apparently with the twigs, 

 which afterward shrivelled and died. 

 No damage was done to broad leaved 

 varieties. 



Otherwise than the damage referred 



19 



