THE RELATION OF FOLIAGE TO FRUIT 45 



help, periodically at least — mine need it every year — in 

 struggling with the shot-hole fungus. The remedy is sul- 

 phate of copper in three applications. The first consists 

 of I pound of copper to 25 gallons of water (no lime), 

 applied in spray before the buds open ; the second applica- 

 tion, of 6 pounds of copper and the same quantity of lime 

 in 50 gallons of water, is made when the new growth is 

 3 to 6 inches long ; the third consists of the same solution 

 applied in July, about a month after the second. This 

 treatment in ordinary seasons enables the trees to retain 

 their leaves until frost. It did not do this last season, 

 however, for the unusual rainfall proved too much for it. 

 Bordeaux may be applied up to the time plums are half 

 grown without having it show on fruit at ripening time. 



Grapes need a similar treatment, periodically at least. 

 Quinces need it to keep down leaf-spot. Apples, I believe, 

 need more of it than they get. 



It has been noted, again and again, that apple trees 

 sprayed with Bordeaux, retaining their foliage thereby, 

 perfected their fruit better, so that it was solid, full-flavored, 

 fine-colored, and adhered to the tree later than when 

 unsprayed. The results do not stop here. Sprayed fruit 

 carries well, keeps well and suits the consumer ; in fact, 

 comes pretty near the ideal crop that we strive for. Further- 

 more, perfect foliage, retained through the full season, not 

 only perfects fruit, but stores up wood and bud material for 

 future use, — material far superior to that formed by the tree 

 with scattered or injured foliage. And here, I believe, may 

 be found the chief cause of that barrenness of tree and steril- 

 ity of blossom that all through the northern apple belt has 

 been the great bugbear of apple growing. This cause, 

 imperfect or scanty foliage, may be brought on by disease, 

 by starvation and perhaps by other causes. 



One September, when I was in central Delaware, a 

 prominent fruit grower there was trying to learn from us 

 northerners how to lay down his Cuthbert raspberry canes 

 to prevent them from winter-killing. Now the climate of 

 central Delaware is probably not so severe as to injure 

 Cuthbert raspberry canes that are in good health very often. 

 The trouble with this man's raspberry patch was that the 



