-3- 



the interval the amount of paste should be lovrered in steps from 10 to 5 lbs, 

 to 100 gallons of water. 



The handling of paste in practice should not be cumbersome. Handling 

 is simplified by marking off on a pail the volumes corresponding to the weights 

 of paste desired; i.e. 10, 20, 30 lbs,, etc. Accuracy is not too important 

 since 1 or 2 pounds more or less to the tank would be of no consequence. The 

 traditional user of dry materials will find nothing cumbersome in the handling 

 •of paste sulfur, once he has acquired the routine of its use. 



Once the barrel of paste is opened, water should be added to prevent 

 drying. Drying destroys the fine particle state of paste and converts the 

 material into grit. The paste should be kept covered with a little water at 

 all times to prevent this change. Sulfur paste should not be added directly 

 to the spray taink. It should be diluted in a pail with a little water and 

 made into a thin soup, then poured through the screen in the tank. This pro» 

 cedure is important to avoid "gumming up" the intake strainer in the bottom 

 of the tank, or clogging the spray nozzles. 



Combined sulfur and lead arsenate is generally not advisable on Red 

 Delicious, Starking, and Baldwin varieties due to the russet injury to the 

 apples from the combination. Paste sulfur offers no exception. Russet can 

 be avoided on these varieties by substituting Fermate for sulfur, particularly 

 in the "pink," "Calyx," "First and Second Covei" applications. 



Paste sulfur offers some means of economizing in materials, but its 

 chief merit is its fineness and its fungicidal efficiency, the latter being one 

 of the major objectives in plugging up the loop holes or weaknesses in our ap- 

 ple spraying program, 



— E. F. Guba 



AN EARLY SPRING 



The spring of 1945 is by far the earliest in many years. April weather 

 in March started growth and on April 2 apple trees were about as far advanced 

 as they were a month later in 1944. The average date of full bloom of Mcintosh 

 in the College orchards is about May 14. The buds are now (April 12) in the 

 Pink stage and will be in full bloom in a very few days if the present warm 

 weather continues, or about a month ahead of the average and two weeks ahead of 

 any previous record. The cold morning of April 7 (27°p.) was a narrow escape 

 from disaster. Five degrees colder would have cleaned out the crop. The av- 

 erage minimum temperature for April at Amherst is 22° and for May it is 31,2°, 

 If a temperature of 2 or 3 degrees belov/ the May average occurs later this year, 

 it v/ill cause great damage. If we get by this spring it will be almost a 

 miracle. Our native fruits are able to withstand the following temperatures 

 for 30 minutes or less. 



Buds Closed but Showing Color 

 Apples 23-25° 



Pears 26-27 



Peaches 25 



Cherries 28 



Plums 25 



Grapes 30 



— J, K. Shaw 



