spraying Strawberry Plants 



By F. E. Beatty 



SPRAYING somewhat resembles 

 fire insurance. The satisfaction 

 of knowing that you have pro- 

 tection is worth more than the 

 cost. Just when to spray depends largely 

 upon what you intend spraying for. If it 

 is for a leaf-chewing insect, start the ma- 

 chine at first sight of the intruders, using 

 arsenite in some form. Paris green will 

 send most any insect belonging to the 

 leaf-eating family to the happy hunting 

 grounds, except the rose chaffer. 1 hese 

 seldom attack strawberry plants, but 

 should they put in their appearance, Swift's 

 arsenate of lead, used at the rate of five 

 pounds to fifty gallons of water, will turn 

 their toes to the sun. 



Arsenate of lead is an ideal insecticide 

 and can be used exclusively. The only 

 objection to it is its cost, but it never 

 should be combined with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture, because when they are put together 

 one generally will neutralize the other 

 and neither will be effective. We have 

 combined them, but the results never 

 were so good as when they were applied 

 separately. One great advantage in ar- 

 senate of lead is the fact that tender foliage 

 is not so sensitive to it as to Paris green. 

 In preparing the arsenate of lead for 

 insects like the leaf roller, sawfly or beetle, 

 take two and one-half pounds; dissolve it 

 in three gallons of hot water. Stir until 

 it becomes creamy; then add enough water 

 to make fifty gallons. The five-pound 

 strength is used only when fighting such 

 insects as the rose chaffer or hard-shelled 

 potato beetle. 



Those who are contemplating ordering 

 Swift's arsenate of lead should order early, 

 as the demand for it at spraying time is 

 far greater than the supply. It now costs 

 about 16 or 18 cents per pound for hun- 

 dred-pound kegs, and more when ordered 



in less quantities. Any wholesale drug 

 house will furnish it. 



Paris green is rapidly advancing in price. 

 If ordered at once it will cost about 28 

 cents to 30 cents per pound in hundred- 

 pound lots, and possibly more when 

 bought in smaller quantities. 



In preparing Paris green we always 

 dissolve it with lump lime. This neutral- 

 izes the acid, which greatly lessens the 

 danger o' burning the foliage. When 

 used alone, put eight ounces of Paris green 

 over two pounds of lump lime. Pour over 

 this two gallons of hot water. When it 

 starts slaking, stir to prevent burning. 

 When cool, add enough water to make 

 forty gallons. If used in connection with 

 Bordeaux mixture, ten ounces can safely 

 be used. Remember this quantity is for 

 strawberry plants and not for peach or 

 plum trees. 



If you noticed any leaf spot on your 

 strawberry plants when laying them by 

 last fall they should be sprayed with Bor- 

 deaux mixture next spring. Give the first 

 spraying shortly after uncovering the 

 plants. Repeat in ten days, and again 

 just before the buds open. If any saw- 

 fly or eating insect is present, add Paris 

 green with second and third spraying. 

 The simplest way to prepare Bordeaux 

 mixture is as follows: 



Put four pounds of blue vitriol in a coarsely 

 woven sack (coffee sack will serve), put twenty 

 gallons of water in a barrel and fasten the sack 

 containing the vitriol to top of the barrel so the 

 bottom of the sack will touch the water. This 

 allows air to come in contact with the vitriol, 

 which will assist in dissolving it quickly. Now 

 take four pounds of lump lime. Pour over this 

 three gallons of hot water. When it starts 

 slaking, stir to prevent burning. When thor- 

 oughly slaked, add enough water to make 

 twenty gallons. When cool combine the vitriol 



and lime solution which will make forty ga..ons 

 of Bordeaux mixture. 



Although Bordeaux mixture seems to 

 be quite effective after it has been made 



TYPICAL SPRAYING SCENE IN STRAWBERRY FIELD 



MAKING BORDEAUX MIXTURE 



several weeks, it is best to use it imme- 

 diately after making it if possible to do so. 



The price of blue vitriol also is advan- 

 cing, and a supply should be ordered at 

 once. The price now is about 9 cents 

 per pound in hundred-pound lots. We 

 have our order in for more than one ton 

 of vitriol and in this quantity it cost us 8 

 cents per pound. 



The advance in price of spraying ma- 

 terial only shows how rapidly the demand 

 is increasing. In fact, spraying is one of 

 the important features which go to make 

 up the complete combination in fruit 

 growing. Our hundred acres of straw- 

 beiry plants were sprayed eight times last 

 season and we shall continue to spray, no 

 matter how high the price of material 

 may go. This careful spraying is done 

 as a preventive, or in other words, to in- 

 sure our plants against the attacks of in- 

 sects or fungi. 



We realize that Bordeaux mixture is 

 merely a preventive and not a cure. 

 When leaves are continually kept copper- 

 plated it is impossible for fungi to get 

 control, as the spores cannot live in the 

 presence of Bordeaux mixture. By add- 

 ing Paris green, the leaves also are cov- 

 ered with arsenate which destroys any 

 leaf rollers before they can draw the 

 edges of the leaf together. After leaves 

 are folded tightly, it is quite difficult to 

 get the arsenate where the leaf-roller will 

 be affected by it. 



When the leaves of your plants curl 

 up, having the appearance of suffering for 

 moisture, it indicates that mildew is pres- 

 ent. At the first sign of this, spray with 

 liver of sulphur, using one pound to forty 

 gallons of water. This can be used after 

 the berries have formed, and to be effect- 

 ive it must be used when fresh. 



When strawberry plants are taken from 

 propagating beds that have been scientifi- 

 cally sprayed, and the grower follows 

 clean cultural methods, burning the bed 

 over after fruit is picked, then spraying is 

 not essential, unless weather conditions 

 are favorable to fungous growth, or some 



Pa«e 57 



