66 



would like to know if anybody has got as far as that. 



Mr. Henry. Perhaps someone in the audience can an- 

 swer that question : I can't. I have had no experience 

 whatever. 



Mr. Sprague. I would like to ask Mr. Harold Frost 

 what experience he has had as to its affecting the fruit. I 

 would like to tell you an experience we have had. "We 

 sprayed our young trees and where we had no fruit on the 

 younger trees we have had to pick the browntails this win- 

 ter, and we are a little bit afraid on some varieties where 

 we had fruit to spray at that time. Personally, I come from 

 western New York where the buyer is very anxious to see 

 the spraying on the apples and I am not so much afraid ta 

 spray as they are here, and we sprayed our Mcintosh this 

 year when they were badly spotted, so badly spotted that 

 the apples beneath the spray didn't turn red until very late 

 in the season and we successfully controlled the browntail 

 there and I don 't think the apple was hurt ; in fact, some of 

 those apples took prizes at the New England Fruit Show this 

 fall. 



Mr. Frost. "What date was it ? 



Mr. Sprague. The first week in August, from the 7th 

 to the 10th, I believe. 



Mr, Frost. What did you spray with, and what 

 strength? 



Mr. Sprague. We used arsenate of lead, about three 

 pounds to 50 gallons. 



Mr. Frost. What date ? 



Mr. Sprague. About the first of August, I think. We 

 were a little bit late. 



Mr. Ellsworth. Any further questions to ask the speak- 

 er or anyone else? We don't want to waste a moment. 



Mr. Frost. I would like to state to the gentleman who 

 asked the question about spraying for the browntails on the 

 shade trees we are doing a great deal of work in the con- 

 trolling of the browntail and we find it cheaper than cutting 

 off the nest; but is is very dangerous, I think, to use it where 

 there is fruit on the trees, although you might not poison 

 anyone. But I know there was a case in Maine where the 

 owner sprayed a crop and the information was spread a- 

 round that those apples had been sprayed with arsenate of 

 lead, and he had great difficulty in marketing apples. If 



