W IATS MPPENED IN THE PAST THIRTY YEARS IN THE APPLE INDUSTRY IN NEW IL\MPSHIRE 



Pest Control 



It would be interesting to try to grow a crop of apples today using the 

 recommendations in the 1927 spray schedule. The changes in pest control, both 

 in the development of materials and equipment have had a real influence on the 

 yield and quality of fruit and also on the cost of production. 



In 1927 the spray schedule for apples consisted of four pages and one of 

 these was a cover page. The spray schedule listed three fungicides: Bordeaux, 

 lime-sulfur and New Jersey Dry-Mix and two insecticides: lead arsenate and 

 nicotine sulfate. Six sprays were recommended. 



Today's spray program consists of thirty-two pages. It lists fifteen 

 fungicide or combination of fungicides and fifteen insecticides. Some of these 

 materials are effective against only one pest. 



More information is available today on the life histories of the various 

 pests which aids greatly in timing the spray application. 



The only control measure for apple maggot thirty years ago was to pick 

 up the dropped fruit at weekly intervals beginning about July 10. 



The first work to show that apple maggot larvae would mature in dropped 

 Mcintosh and Baldwin apples was done on the Carl Dearborne orchard in Weare in 

 1929. At that time there was a real controversy between some of the Entomology 

 Departments in New England and New York as to the merits of spraying with lead 

 arsenate to control apple maggot. It was not realized that apple maggot larvae 

 could mature in late varieties and since only early varieties were picked up 

 there was always as good infestation from year to year from late varieties. 



The fact that larvae emerged from late varieties and that fly emergence 

 some seasons occurred in late September was evidence that sprays later than July 

 were necessary to control apple maggot and helped to settle the controversy as 

 to the value of sprays for maggot control. 



Browntailed Moths were controlled by cutting off the nests which were in 

 the very tops of the trees during the dormant period, and the gypsy moth was 

 controlled by painting the egg masses with creosote. A mixture of lead arsenate 

 and fish oil was the recommended spray mixture for plum curculio control and 

 what a smelly mess that was. 



All of the materials suggested for use thirty years ago were injurious 

 to the fruit and foliage. This injury was not considered serious during this 

 period when materials were applied with low pressure nozzles and in very limited 

 amounts. It wasn't until the development of high pressure, large volume pumps 

 that severe injury from lead arsenate and from lime-sulfur was recognized as the 

 cause of low yields and poor finish on fruit. 



Today the less injurious effects of the spray materials on foliage can be 

 in part credited with the increased growth of the trees and higher yields as 

 well as the better finish on the fruit. The new materials cause less defoliation 

 and the trees today produce larger and greener foliage. This better foliage 

 makes more carbohydrates available for growth of fruit, spurs, shoots and 

 foliage. 



