HOW TO GROW AND MARKET FRUIT 



As an instance of varietal differences, York Imperial apple 

 leaves are always badly infected by cedar rust whenever any 

 spores are near, while the leaves of Greening and Ben Davis 

 trees are little troubled. On the other hand, Ben Davis fruit 

 will be seriously infected, while both the Greening and York Im- 

 perial fruit will be clean. In certain sections a particular enemy 

 may be especially bad, and almost entirely unknown in another 

 section. So the differences go. Plum is tougher than peach, but 

 not nearly so tough as cherry, nor cherry as pear. You must 

 adapt your spraying to the kind of tree to be sprayed. 



The importance of knowing the class, the life history and 

 the habits of your little enemies can not be over-emphasized. 

 Spraying is of no use unless the proper mixture is applied at the 

 right time, in the right strength, and in the right way. You 

 seldom can kill an adult bug you can kill only the young at a 

 certain stage of their life, and so prevent the coming of a new 

 generation. The life of insects generally is short and they eat 

 little when matured. Adult enemies will not do much harm, and 

 soon will disappear if they are not allowed to produce young. 



Often there are only two to four days during which the spray- 

 ing can do any good. All the trees have to be gone over then 

 every leaf and twig and inch of bark. Rainy weather may cut 

 even this short time down to one-half or one-third the time, 

 and you must have men, machines and materials ready to do 

 the work quickly. A great many of the enemies hatch just 

 about the time buds are opening and just when the petals 

 begin to fall from blossoms. Those are spraying times. Some 

 insects hatch two or more broods in a season; so to destroy them 

 requires several sprayings in one summer always at a certain 

 time, to catch the young at the right period. 



Study the enemies. Learn to know them well to know 

 what they look like, their habits and when to expect them. 

 When you know these things, you can fight them successfully. 

 Merely to "spray," without knowing, will be the poorest of 

 guess-work, with little chance of success. Even when you feel 

 there are no large numbers of enemies in your orchard, spray 

 for insurance. You can protect absolutely a hundred dollars' 

 worth of fruit with two dollars' worth of spraying and it pays. 



Thoroughness is the key to success in spraying. All the bark 

 and both top and bottom of every leaf must be wet. If you miss 

 a branch in the top or center of the trees or the under sides of 

 a few leaves, enough insects may be left to cover the tree again 

 in a week. It is something like the case of the woman who 

 worked all day at killing flies in her home. When night came 

 there was just one pair left, which, in the kindness of her heart, 

 she let live. But, as she sorrowfully said afterward, "Early 

 next morning there were a million." 



Put the spray material on with force. At least 100 pounds' 

 pressure should be used, while in some cases 150 or 200 pounds 

 is best. Drive it into the cracks and crevices in leaves and 

 bark. Get nozzles close to all the twigs and branches, and use 

 hose rods, wagon towers and high-pressure pumps that will 

 enable you to do the work right. 



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