15 



Now, some of your station publications and schedules are a 

 little weak on one point. They say, "Spray when the shooks 

 are slipping, or when the shooks are well off," and until about 

 two or three years ago our growers were about two or three 

 days late on that spray. 



With us, the curculio begins to attack the fruit just as soon 

 as the calyx has slipped away from the stem. If it is only one- 

 eighth of an inch, then the curculio starts in, and if you ex- 

 amine tho?e peaches carefully, you can find the punctures and 

 the egg laid, so we believe you must start just as soon as the 

 calyx commences to slip. If you wait until half of them are 

 off, a lot of curculio damage will have been done. 



In our experience, the curculio question is not serious when 

 you have a very heavy set of fruit. They take off 20 per cent. 

 There is plenty left. It is serious when you have just enough 

 to make a crop. Then you can't afford to give any away. 

 Then it is important to put on that spray early enough. 



The curculio last year got fooled somehow with the weather. 

 It did not show up with us until the peaches were three- 

 quarters of an inch in diameter, so we had very little dropping 

 of the fruit as the result. But that is an exception to the 

 rule. 



Mr. Roach. What Avinters, in your experience, would you 

 say would be the most detrimental or the most favorable to the 

 perpetuation of brown rot? 



Mr. Blake. What kind of winter? The question is, what 

 kind of winter would be the most favorable or detrimental to 

 brown rot? I do not believe the winter would make very much 

 difference. I believe the disease is able to stand cold as well as 

 heat, but I doubt whether the winter would have very much 

 effect. These cankers will produce spores the next spring if 

 the weather is favorable. They will continue to produce them 

 during the spring and summer, so it is summer spraying you 

 must depend upon to hold it in check. 



Mr. Chess]vl\n. After a good winter freeze, I would like to 

 ask a question as to whether you would advise light or mod- 

 erate or severe pruning. 



Mr. Blake. In my experience, that would depend on the 

 age and condition of the tree. If the injury were slight and I 



