34 EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 351 



These results show that gas storage properly regulated is feasible for 

 one who wishes to open that storage and remove part of his apples at any 

 period. The remaining fruit will still keep better than that held the full 

 period in common storage. He will be able to place on the grocers' shelf 

 a product which will hold up longer even during adverse conditions. 



R. Eggert 



Spray Management 



Orchard spray management varies greatly from farm to farm and 

 from year to year on the same farm and is associated with variations in 

 and quality of fruit. Actual average yields range from 55 to 290 per cent 

 of the expected normal for the 40 farms studied. The lowest yield re- 

 ported for any one year was 19 per cent of normal and the highest was 

 371 per cent. Actual productions on 32 farms over a four-year period 

 was 312,290 boxes of commercial apples compared with an expected nor- 

 mal yield of 271,607- boxes. For nine farms the average yield was below 

 the expected normal and for nine other farms the yield was 50 per cent 

 above. 



Individual orchards fluctuated from year to year. In one instance 

 yield and quality of fruit. Actual average yields range from 55 to 290 per 

 cent of the expected normal for the 40 farms studied. The lowest yield 

 reported for any one year was 19 per cent of normal and the highest was 

 four-year period. In another orchard yields were 87, 371, 69, and 133 

 per cent of normal. In several instances, yields were consistently low; 

 for example, one operator reported yields of 35, 60, 41, and 48 per cent 

 of normal. 



For 28 of the 40 farms the control of diseases and pests was con- 

 sidered commercially satisfactory based on yield and quality of fruit. The 

 remaining 12 farms were classed as having unsatisfactory commercial con- 

 trol. Seventeen orchardists applied more than six sprays per year and all 

 but three obtained satisfactory control. On the other hand, seven or- 

 chardists applied less than five sprays and only one of this group obtained 

 satisfactory control. All growers who applied over 40 gallons of spray 

 per mature tree equivalents and 60 per cent of those who applied from 

 20 to 40 gallons obtained satisfactory control. Some producers who ap- 

 plied more than the usual number of sprays and used more than an average 

 amount of material per application failed to secure control, and on the 

 other hand, a few producers who applied only five sprays and less than 20 

 gallons per mature tree equivalent obtained good results as determined by 

 yield and quality of fruit. 



Further analysis of the data indicates that thoroughness and skill in 

 applying the spray and the proper timing of the application are also im- 

 portant items in control. Observations by the field worker support this 

 conclusion. The four best examples of most successful control had few 

 if any apple trees more than 30 years of age. It is more difficult to apply 

 a spray into the tops of the older and higher trees and many orchardists 

 fail to recognize the need for covering adequately all portions of the tree. 



H. C. WOODWORTH 



