118 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



destroyed by climatic conditions to make them effective on a 

 large scale. 



When we come to a fungicide, we are almost as much at sea as 

 we were ten years ago. Bordeaux mixture, our standard for so 

 many years, has caused a great deal of trouble, particularly in the 

 russeting of the apple, and by many has been discarded in favor of 

 lime and sulphur which latter is by far the most satisfactory fungi- 

 cide at present in use. When lime and sulphur is used with arsen- 

 ide of lead, it forms a most complete spray mixture both as an in- 

 secticide and fungicide, particularly for use just after the blossoms 

 fall from the trees the end of May or early June. Lime and sulphur 

 is used as a spray for scale insects on dormant trees by reducing 

 the commercial lime and sulphur about ten times. As a spray on 

 green foliage by reducing it about fifty times and the addition of 

 three pounds of arsenate of lead at this time makes a most complete 

 mixture for both insects and fungous diseases. Soluble oils are 

 used at the rate of one gallon of oil to ten or twelve of water as a 

 spray on dormant trees for scale insects. 



Arsenate of lead for leaf-eating insects alone is used at the rate 

 of four to six pounds to fifty gallons of water. 



Spray outfits can be purchased to suit the amount of work to 

 be done. Power outfits should only be used on large orchards. A 

 fifty gallon barrel and good hand-pump will take care of almost any 

 amount of fruit trees up to ten acres. A very good outfit for a 

 home garden is the knapsack sprayer holding not more than three 

 gallons of water. Nozzles should be selected to break up the spray 

 as much as possible for leaf-spraying while a flat spray is best for 

 dormant tree work. 



Another very important subject in this connection is pruning, 

 and while it is impossible to go into all the details, yet a few essen- 

 tial points can be touched on. Fruit in its development needs 

 plenty of sun and air. The trees should be pruned so that all 

 parts are open to these very necessary elements. All surplus 

 crossing branches should be removed as well as dead wood and 

 suckers. Summer pruning by pinching off strong growths has a 

 tendency to throw the tree into early fruiting while too much prun- 

 ing at one time will cause an abundance of wood growth at the 

 expense of fruit and development. All wounds larger than one 



