290 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



a very direct relation to the facilities for work 

 in the various orchards. 



Not only did the somewhat unfavorable 

 conditions noted make spraying more costly 

 than necessary, but the rather poor average 

 condition of the trees, mostly from crowd- 

 ing and lack of pruning, reduced the average 

 yield of choice fruit materially and indirecly 

 increased the relative cost of spraying. That 

 is the cost of spraying per bushel of good 

 fruit produced was considerably greater than 

 it would have been had the trees been in 

 better condition. In one orchard, for instance, 

 over half the Winesap apples from the sprayed 

 block were graded as No. 2. Though almost 

 entirely free from scab and codling moth, 

 many of the fruits were small and poorly 

 colored because of a lack of proper pruning. 

 I hat same season the same variety in another 

 orchard of the same age on similar soil and 

 not far from the first produced fruit, nearly 

 all of which, from the sprayed block, graded 

 No. 1, not because it was more free from scab 

 or codling moth but because it was of much 

 better size and color. The trees in this second 

 orchard had been more thoroughly pruned 

 than the trees in any orchard in which spray- 

 ing demonstrations were made. Fig. -.1. 



Of the five seasons covered by these 

 spraying tests, three have been unfavorable owing to the 

 prevalence of killing frosts at blossoming time. The yields 

 of fruit secured have not, therefore, been so favorable as 

 they would have been under more nearly average conditions. 

 The prices received for the fruit have, however, been good 

 on the whole, in part at least offsetting the rather poor yields. 

 Moreover the difference in value between the sprayed and 

 the unsprayed fruit has probably been as great as it would 

 have been in more favorable seasons because of the fact 

 that fpraying seems to increase the yield of fruit more in 

 an off year than in a good fruit year. 



The following statements give a summary of the results 

 obtained from the first four years' work : 

 COST OK SPRAYING. 



Number of orchards sprayed, 10. 



Total number of trees sprayed, 3,300. 



Average age of trees, 18 years. 



Average numbr of sprayings per year, 4. 



Average quantity of spray per tree each year, 13 gallons. 



sprayer outfit in operat 



ard, 1910. 



.'.verage 

 Average 

 Average 

 Average 

 Average 

 Average 

 Average 

 Average 



Average 

 Sprayed 

 Marketable 

 Culls and 



v quantity of spray per acre (50 trees), 650 gallons. 



cost of spray material per 100 gallons, $0.87. 



cost of applying spray per 100 gallons, $0.98. 



total cost of spraying per 100 gallons, $1.85. 



annual cost of spray material per tree, 11.3 cents. 



annual cost of applying spray per tree, 12.7 cents. 



total annual cost of spraying per tree, 24.0 cents. 



total annual cost of spraying per acre (50 trees), $12.00. 

 RESULTS OF SPRAYING. 



annual yield and net value per tree 



trees: 



fruit 4.4 bushels at 52 cents. .$2.28 



indfalls 1.1 bushels at 6 cents.. .07 



Total 5.5 bushels at 43 cents. .$2.35 



Brought forward $2.35 



Unsprayed trees: 



Marketable fruit 1.8 bushels at 41 cents.. $0.73 



Culls and windfalls 1.7 bushels at o cents.. .08 



Total 3.5 bushels at S3 cents $0.81 



Difference between sprayed and unsprayed trees $1.54 



Average cost of spraying 24 



Average net gain from spraying $1.30 



Average annual yield and net value per acre (es- 

 timated on basis of 50 trees) 

 Sprayed trees: 



Marketable fruit 220 bushels. .. .$114.40 



Culls and windfalls 55 bushels.... 3.30 



Total 



Unsprayed trees: 



Marketable fruit 



Culls and windfalss... 



. . .275 bushels $117.70 



...90 bushels $ 38.00 



...85 bushels 4.35 



Total 



175 bushels 41.15 



Fig. 4. A conve 



nient type of mixing apparatus showing stock solution barrels, dilu- 

 tion tanks, and elevated water power. 



Difference between sprayed and unsprayed -trees. $ 76.55 

 Average- cost of spraying 12.00 



Average net gain from spraying $ G4.55 



The records reported here records secured 

 under actual farm conditions show that spray- 

 ng pays twice its cost by increasing the yield 

 of fruit and three times its cost by both in- 

 creased yields and improved quality. The gain 

 due to spraying one-half acre of apples one 

 year will, on the average, buy a good barrel- 

 pump, 50 feet of hose, two extension rods, 

 two nozzles, and five barrels for use in mixing 

 spray materials. The sprayer will last several 

 years and can be used to fair advantage in 

 orchards up to five acres. The gain from the 

 proper spraying of five acres one year will, 

 tinder average conditions, pay for a power out- 

 fit, including a small gasoline engine, pumps, 

 rods, nozzles, hose, 250-gallon spray tank, 

 elevated spray platform, and the truck on 

 which to mount the whole outfit. One such 

 power sprayer is ordinarily sufficient for an 

 orchard of 20 acres and is often used in 

 orchards of more than twice that size. 



