102 



liold in check the leaf curl. That is probably a common 

 l">ractice here is it not? 



THE CHA1R]\IAN : Yes. 



PROF. PARROTT: The leaf curl is not caused by an 

 a])his, it is caused by a fungus. There is much about the 

 life history of the fungus that has not been worked out, but 

 we do know that the attack by leaf curl comes on early in 

 the spring at the time when we get the first high tempera- 

 tures following winter and the buds begin to break. The 

 object in making that early treatment is to prevent infec- 

 tion of the buds and if that infection is stopped, there is 

 little danger of injury to the foliage from the disease. 



Now then, the other sprayings ; a great many of our 

 peach growers do hot make subsequent applications, but in 

 those sections susceptible to attacks from plum curculio and 

 from peach brown rot, they either make an application of 

 arsenate of lead when the petals drop from the trees, using 

 the lead alone, or they apply Scott's self-boiled lime-sulphur, 

 eight pounds lime and eight pounds sulphur to fifty gallons 

 of water. To every barrel there are added two pounds of 

 arsenate of lead. Another application is made when the 

 husks drop from the young fruit. The poison of course 

 destroys the curculio while the sulphur controls the rot. 

 "When both pests exist use the combined spray. 



A MEMBER: In spraying for the peach curl do you 

 wait for the green to appear? 



PROP. PARROTT : No, we spray in New York just as 

 soon as the freezing temperatures are over and it is safe to 

 drive on the ground, that is as soon as you can safely move 

 about the orchard following the thawing and melting of the 

 snow. The object in spraying so early in the case of peach- 

 es is to prevent that early infection of the leaves by the 

 disease-producing organism. One ought not to wait until 

 the buds are green, because there is great danger of infec- 

 tion in the meantime. 



Now then, just one more point; In making my outline 

 •for a talk here I really intended to tell you of M>hat has been 



