THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



to give one or two applications before 

 blooming time. This is also the best 

 time to combat fungus. To be effective 

 against the Codling moth, the apple's 

 worst insect enemy, the applications 

 should be made immediately after the 

 bloom has all fallen, and then again 

 ten or twelve days later, before the 

 calyx cavity has closed up, as it is in 

 this cavity the most of the worms are 

 killed. Care should be exercised to 

 select a time when the air is quite still, 

 and when appearances point to at least 

 two or three fine days to follow, and 

 spray with the greatest care. 



But of all the reasons of failure in 

 spraying, the last mentioned — " lack of 

 thoroughness in work " — is the most 

 prevalent. Some men appear to think 

 that as long as the solution is thrown at 

 the tree the work is done, but it must 

 be remembered that " whatever is worth 

 doing is worth doing well.'' Every part 

 of the tree should be covered, from the 

 point where the soil encircles the trunk, 

 to the tips of the longest and highest 

 limbs. The trees should not be drenched, 

 but sprayed. If one holds a piece of 

 glass over the mouth of a teakettle, it 

 soon becomes covered with what ap- 

 pears like a heavy fog or dew. Hold it 

 few seconds longer and the dew will 



drop off in the form of water drops' 

 Just so will the solution act upon the 

 leaves of a tree. When the leaves and 

 branches become coated with the spray 

 the tree should be left, as but a very 

 little more will cause the solution to 

 begin to drip ; it will then run to the 

 edges of the leaves and drop off, and 

 they will simply have had a wash, and 

 the insects will eat away unharmed. 

 That this may be done successfully, the 

 spray must be broken up into very fine 

 particles. To thoroughly spray trees, it 

 is necessary to have a good spraying 

 outfit. The pump must have great 

 power, the hose and extension must be 

 of good length, and the nozzles must 

 break the spray into very minute parti- 

 cles. At this work one should act as at 

 voting time — " early and often." 



With the exercising of more care in 

 the preparation of solutions and apply- 

 ing the same, better results would fol- 

 low, and many who now condemn spray- 

 ing would be loud in its praise. 



Note. — The writer has had charge of 

 the Government spraying experiments 

 in the " Eastern " division for two sea- 

 sons and has had ample opportunity to 

 prove the effectiveness of thorough 

 spraying. 



392 



