AN APPLE ORCHARD SURVEY OF WAYNE COUNTY, NEW YORK. 293 



consider that good, clean foliage is necessary in order to form the next 

 year's fruit-buds and in order to store up food for the next year's crop. 



W inter treatment for apple-scab. Quite a number of farmers are con- 

 sidering the advisability of spraying for the scab before the buds open. 

 This treatment will not take the place of later applications. If one gives 

 it he should do so with the understanding that it is in addition to the later 

 sprayings, and not a substitute for them. 



" When these are made the winter treatment does not bring sufficient 

 additional benefit to justify the additional expense of making it against 

 the scab alone, but it may pay when directed also against the canker 

 disease and combined with some application which must be made against 

 insects such as case-bearers or bud-moth. 



" It is known that the scab lives during the winter on the fallen leaves 

 and in. the spring produces spores by means of which it spreads to the 

 new foliage. Probably it may exist during winter to some extent on the 

 bark of young twigs also. Granting that this is the case and that a large 

 part of the fungus on the tree is killed by winter treatment, which is 

 improbable, it is evident that when the new foliage appears it must be 

 covered with some fungicide to protect it from the spores produced on 

 the fallen leaves. * * *" * 



Method of applying the spray. In order to do effective spraying there 

 must be plenty of power back of the pump. Good work is sometimes 

 done with hand pumps; but the tops of large trees are not often well 

 sprayed, nor is the work usually as well done with these machines as 

 when power sprayers are used. The power sprayer is rapidly displacing 

 the hand pump. 



Many orchardists go through the orchard twice for each spraying 

 always spraying with the wind. The first time through may be done at 

 the most convenient opportunity. For the second wait till the wind has 

 reversed. Three sprayings therefore require six trips through the 

 orchard. This method secures thorough spraying for each side of the tree. 



Russcting of the fruit. A sound and perfect fruit sometimes shows 

 areas where the skin is reddish brown and rough. This is commonly 

 attributed to too strong a spray. It is frequently caused in that way, 

 but in 1903 and 1904 apples in many unsprayed orchards were russeted. 

 It is caused by any irritation of the skin of the fruit. This is caused by 

 too strong a spray, by late frosts that hurt the skin of the young apple, 



*Bulletin 170, New York Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y. 



