A SPRAYING CALENDAR 53 



spray for black rot of quinces, and continue treatment 

 every two weeks until the last of August. 



August The spraying season closes this month. 

 For leaf -blight of strawberries, mow the leaves late in 

 July or early in August, and after allowing them to dry 

 where they lie, set fire to them and burn the bed over. 

 Thoroughly clean and oil all spraying apparatus, and 

 see that it is carefully stored. 



September, October, and November The months 

 of harvest. When picking fruit let one or two boys 

 follow and clean the trees of all diseased and mummi- 

 fied fruit, collecting it in baskets to burn. At the same 

 time gather and burn, as far as possible, all diseased 

 fruit which has fallen. In November clean the orchard 

 thoroughly of fallen leaves, especially if disease has 

 been prevalent, and burn them. Better to destroy 

 them now than in the spring, when the fungus fruit 

 will have come to maturity in and on the leaves. 



December The black knot fungus matures during 

 December and January ; attack it early in the former 

 month. Use the pruning knife unsparingly, cutting 

 out two or three inches above and below each knot. 

 Burn every knot and paint the wound over at once. 



SPRAYING PRECAUTIONS 



The man who uses a spraying machine assumes a 

 responsibility which he has no right to neglect. Some 

 precautions to be taken are indicated below. 



Always label all poisonous preparations in plain 

 large letters, POISON. Never leave poisonous com- 

 pounds within the reach of children, ignorant persons, 

 or domestic animals. Never spray trees in blossom. 



In using a compound with which you have had no 

 experience, and which is reported as at all liable to 

 injure foliage, use only weak mixtures, and, if pos- 

 sible, try its effects first on a small scale. 



