Another reason for giving this information on the effect of Lime-sulfur 

 on yield is to emphasize the importance of studyirig the effect of all of the 

 ne-m pest control materials on yield and injury to the trees, as viell as on 

 pest control. Not enough emphasis is placed in spray research on the effect 

 of the various materials on returns to the grower over a period of years. We 

 are all looking for an easier way out, A year or tvio of experimental v;ork 

 does not tell the whole story cm the merits of the various materials offered 

 for sale by numerous insecticide and fungicide conpanies. Just because a 

 material will control a pest doesn't guarantee it a place in a spray program. 

 Use the old tried and tested materials until you are sure there is something 

 better. 



Be not the last to try the yet imtried nor yet the first to cast the 

 old aside, 



OFF-FLAVOR IM PEACHES SPRAYED V.'ITH BHC 



Benzene hexachloride has been so effective in the control of plum 

 curculio that it looked very promising for the control of this pest on peaches. 

 It was very disappointing to learn that BHC causes the development of off- 

 flavors in some varieties, when canned. 



Trees of the early varieties, Greensboro, Mikado, Ilarigold and Oriole, 

 were sprayed three times, liay 29, June 3 and June 10, With a combination spray 

 containing 2 pounds per iCO gals, of 50?^ vrettable BHC, containing 6>b gajrana 

 isomer. Check trees were sprayed v/ith a similar combination, without BHC, 

 At harvest time samples from both BHC sprayed' and check trees v/ere taken to 

 the Department of Food Technology for canning, freezing and later testing. 

 Fruit of 32 other varieties, all of which had been sprayed with the BHC 

 combinations, were likewise canned and frozen. 



No off-flavor was detected in the fresh, canned, or frozen fruit of the 

 check lots. Likevfise, no off -flavor was detected in the fresh fruit of bhe 

 BHC sprayed lots. However, among the canned lots of BHC sprayed fruits, a 

 few varieties had a very strong off-flavor which made them practically inedible, 

 Some varieties had a strong off-flavor which was bad enough to be unacceptable 

 to some people. Other varieties had a slight off-flavor v/hich would probably 

 not be detected by many people, A few had no off-flavor. 



After BHC sprayed frozen peaches were thawed and warmed to room tempera- 

 ture for tasting, no off-flavor of the BHC type could be detected. However, 

 when peaches of nine of these varieties were reprocessed by canning, a slight 

 off-flavor developed in five of them. It appears that heating brings out the 

 off-flavor caused by BHC in certain varieties. 



There v/ere both white and yellow fleshed varieties among thoso which 

 developed an off-flavor. Time of ripening made no difference, Greensboro 

 (65 days from last spray to picking) and Eclipse (85 days) had a very strong 

 off-flavor. Among those v;ith a strong off-flavor v^cre Mikado (65 days from 

 last spray to picking) and Belle of Georgia (103 days). 



