92 



regular part of the routine prescribed by the latest and most 

 approved spraying schedule. 



The cost of spraying is gradually increasing as new 

 pests often require for their repression extra treatment or 

 special combinations of insecticides, Avhich add to the ex- 

 1 ense of such operations. Formerly lime-sulphur and 

 arsenate of lead — a two-in-one mixture — sufficed for the 

 principal ills that the apple is heir to, but now the grower 

 must needs use a "three-in-one spray" — lime-sulphur and 

 arsenate of lead- pins other substances; and according to 

 present usage nicotine is the most popular third constituent 

 in the combination of spraying materials. 



Individually and collectively the growers of New York 

 are confronted with what may prove to be a gr.eat economic 

 problem. In addition to the necessity of maintaining a high 

 state of culture at increasing expense, they are apparently 

 facing a period of diminishing returns. As a result more 

 serious thought than ever before is being given to a study of 

 methods of producing maximum yields of high-grade fruit 

 at minimum cost. A partial solution of the dilemma is to 

 improve spraying practices, at least as to the character, if 

 not number, of the treatments. In ^pite of present methods, 

 injurious insects are responsible for great reductions in 

 financial returns. 



Moreover, in addition to direct losses, failure to main- 

 tain a high level of spraying practices may have the effect 

 of neutralizing, if not actually destroying any benefit by 

 other standard operations, as pruning, thinning, cultivation, 

 etc., so essential today for the upkeep and profitable pro- 

 duction of the orchard. The objection to such a proposition 

 by the average orchardist, at first thought is, I fancy, that 

 of cost; it being urged that most growers are already put- 

 ting more into this operation than can be afforded, and one 

 which in addition to other objectionable features calls for a 

 cash outlay. 



A study of orchards under control of the Geneva Sta- 

 tion suggests that the problem is in reality not so nuu^h a 



