178 ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE 



this enemy. After much experimenting, they dis- 

 covered a poison spray now called the Bordeaux 

 mixture. It is used all over the world to-day to 

 kill the fungi that are injuring gardens and orchards. 



Spraying Machines. A farmer who has not more 

 than five acres in his orchard can use a spraying 

 machine worked by hand. There are many kinds of 

 good spraying outfits. (Fig, 95.) It is chiefly im- 

 portant to be sure that the liquid is well stirred by 

 some means, so that the poisons will not settle to 

 the bottom of the barrel instead of reaching the 

 tree. The best fruit growers spray their trees regu- 

 larly. (Fig. 96.) Peaches and prunes are usually 

 not sprayed unless they are attacked by the scale. 

 In many places apples are sprayed three times — 

 once just before the blossoms open, again just before 

 the blossoms fall, and a third time about ten or 

 twelve days later. The mixture used is three or 

 four pounds of copper sulphate, five pounds of lime, 

 and a half pound of Paris green in fifty gallons of 

 water. 



Thinning Fruit. Some fruit growers are now 

 urging the thinning of the fruit crop. A part of 

 the fruit on heavily-loaded trees is taken off before 

 it is half grown, so that which is left may grow to 

 a larger size. Though it costs a good deal to thin, 

 the growers argue that it costs no more to pick the 

 fruit when small than when it is full grown; and 

 the fruit that is left to ripen is so much larger and 

 brings so much better prices that it is well worth 



