-6- 



TEIINC- OF EARLY SPRAY APPLICATIONS COLiFARED 



Insect development, unlike scab and other diseases which thrive 

 in cool, v/et weather, is dependent on temperature and usually keeps pace 

 with tree grovrth. 



Cool, vet v;eather in early May has held the orchard insects in 

 the background. Many aphids have hatched and most of them have been killed 

 by cold v/eather. European red mite will hatch during the pink bud stage 

 and will not multiply rapidly except in a period of warm weather. Vilhere 

 dori.iant or delayed dormant applications of oil have been applied this year, 

 red mite should not be troublesome until late July or early August, if at 

 all. 



Many growers are concerned about the slov/ tree development this 

 spring but it is not unusual. The history of our spraying operations at 

 Waltham shavs that 1947 has started about like 1940 and 1943. Therefore, 

 we can assume that many of the pest problems, and perhaps the crop prospects 

 in your orchard can be compared with these years. If you have kept a spray 

 record or diary, why not look at it? 



Record of spray applications at the Walthara Field Station; 



YEAR P RE-PINK PINK BLOOM CALYX 



Vfith Mcintosh fruit spurs almost as a standstill bordering 

 late delayed dormaiit and early pre-pink,yet with scab perethecia freely 

 discharging primary spores during the long cold, wet period , growers are 

 obviously curious to learn how protectant fungicidal applications have 

 succeeded. 



No doubt there will be many disappointments and much evident 

 foliage scab before caljoc to require special eradicant sprays to control 

 the disease. The battle with protectaiit fungicides to control primary 

 scab infections must continue until mid- Juno, or therejabouts. In the mean- 

 time, careful observations should be made for the first signs of primary 

 foliage scab infections. There should be evidence T primary scab sometiiiie 

 around May 15 - 20. This may be during bloom because scab is early and 

 tree development is lato this year, ho i_^row'-jr can afford to let scab 



