THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



29! 



CO-OPERATION IN SPRAYING SMALL ORCHARDS. 



For the most partj the commercial orchards of the state 

 are now being sprayed. On the other hand, the small home 

 orchards that receive this attention are exceptions rather 

 than the rule. 



Nearly every farmer in eastern Nebraska has fruit trees 

 growing about his place, though he may consider this a very 

 minor phase of his farming business. The mere fact that 

 fruit growing is incidental to his general farming, coupled 

 with the seeming trouble of mixing and applying the ma- 

 terials, is why these small orchards are neglected. Early 

 in the spring is the time when there are many things de- 

 manding the farmer's attention. This is the time also when 

 the important sprayings have to be made if the apples are 

 to be protected from codling moths and scab. The average 

 man with an acre or two of orchard does not feel he is 

 justified in spraying it if his other work is interrupted. This 

 same man would probably appreciate sufficiently the differ- 

 ence between sprayed and unsprayed fruit so that he would 

 be willing to pay a reasonable price to have some one else 

 spray his fruit. 



If some method were introduced whereby these small 

 orchards could be sprayed, a great need would be met. 

 Spraying outfits could be run on the same plan that thresh- 

 ing machines are operated in this state. The figures given 

 above might be used as a basis for determining the charge. 

 A five- or ten-acre orchard is enough to justify a man in 

 getting a power sprayer. The capacity of such a machine is 

 easily twenty acres. Under these conditions the owner of 

 the outfit might co-operate with fifteen or twenty of the 

 small orchard owners in his immediate locality to the extent 

 of spraying their trees. He could in this way make his 

 machine pay for itself, besides reducing to a minimum the 

 possibility of infection to his own orchard from outside 

 sources. 



MIXING AND APPLYING SPRAY MATERIALS. 



The two pests of chief concern to apple orchardists 

 at the present time are the apple scab and the codling moth. 

 All careful experimental tests have shown that it is pos- 

 sible to keep both of these pests under control by spraying, 

 providing the sprays are properly mixed and applied in 

 sufficient quantity at the right times. As one of these pests 

 is a chewing insect and the other a fungous disease, the 

 same spray will not do for both. 



- For apple scab, some fungicide is necessary the com- 

 mon one being Bordeaux, although lime-sulphur is beginning 

 to be used considerably as a fungicide. Bordeaux mixture 

 is composed of copper sulphate (bluestone), lime and water 

 the copper sulphate being the active agent. Various 

 formulas, containing these materials in different quantities, 

 have been tried. At present, the 3-3-50 formula is believed 

 to be sufficiently strong to kill the germinating spores of 

 apple scab. This formula is made up as fol- 

 lows: 



Three pounds of copper sulphate (blue- 

 stone). 



Three pounds of lime (unslacked). 

 Fifty gallons of water. 



The lime that is used in the spray neutral- 

 izes the injurious effect of the bluestone and 

 it. also causes the spray material to adhere 

 better to the foliage. In making Bordeaux, 

 it is necessary that the lime and copper r >i1- 

 phate solutions be kept separate until they 

 are ready to be united in the sprayer. They 

 should also be mixed together in dilute and 

 never in concentrated form if best results 

 are to be expected. 



In some rather recent experimental tests. 

 we have found commercial lime-sulphur to be 

 a good fungicide. This material can be pur- 

 chased on the market in concentrated form. 

 As a summer spray for apples, about a gallon 

 of the concentrated solution is mixed with 

 30 gallons of water. 



Sometimes self-boiled lime-sulphur is 

 used as a fungicide, especially for the second 

 spraying, since it does not "russet" the fruits 

 as does Bordeaux. As this spray is gradually 



becoming of more importance, it is advisableto consider a 

 few points in its preparation. This self-boiled lime-sulphur 

 is mainly a mechanical mixture of lime and sulphur the 

 only heat used in its preparation being that generated from 

 the slacking lime. In making it, flowers of sulphur and 

 good unslacked lime are used. As a common spray for 

 apples, this mixture should be used in the proportion of ten 

 pounds of lime and ten pounds of sulphur to 50 gallons of 

 water. 



In mixing self-boiled lime-sulphur, place the proper 

 amount of lime in a barrel and pour on water until the 

 lime is almost half covered. The sulphur should be run 

 through a sieve to break up the lumps, and, as soon as the 

 lime begins to slack, the sulphur should be added to it. 

 Enough water should then be added to the mixture to 

 facilitate the stirring but not enough to check its boiling. 

 Allow the mixture to cook until the lime is well slacked, 

 about 10 to 15 minutes ; then' add enough water to prevent 

 further boiling. The mixture is then ready to 'be strained 

 into the spray tank and diluted for use. If made in rather 

 large quantities, say 30-30-150, better cooking will result. 



SPRAYING CALENDAR. 



The first spraying is chiefly for apple scab and of course 

 for this Bordeaux or lime-sulphur alone is sufficient. If 

 the canker-worm should be working on the foliage of the 

 trees at the time of the first spraying, which does occasionally 

 happen, the poison should be added to the fungicide. The 

 first spraying is given just as the leaves are beginning to 

 develop. Because of the open condition of the trees at this 

 time, the sprayer can thoroughly coat the twigs and expand- 

 ing leaves with spray, which should be done. 



The second spraying, given when the petals have fallen, 

 is the most important of all applications. It is always the 

 most important spraying for the codling moth, and in a good 

 .many years it is the chief one for. apple scab. This second 

 application should also be the heaviest one given. As the 

 trees have a mass of foliage that must be thoroughly- 

 covered, we shall find the spray dripping from the trees 

 after the job is completed. Under normal conditions the 

 first flowers will be the ones to set fruit. For that reason 

 the second spraying may have to be given before the petals 

 have fallen from the late blossoms in order to fill the 

 closing calyx cups with the poison. However, a too early 

 spraying is undesirable, as it would kill many bees which 

 are pollinating the blossoms. The reason for thoroughly 

 filling the calyx cups is that a large number of the codling 

 moth larvae will enter the apple through the calyx. In 

 careful tests, it has been found that fully 75 to 80 per cent 

 of the larvae enter in that manner. Although the eggs of 

 the moths are not hatched until two or three weeks after 

 the second spraying, if a sufficient amount of spray has 

 been placed in the calyces at this second spraying, enough 

 will be held there to destroy the larvae as they enter. Strong 

 Bordeaux at this spraying will be apt to "russet" the fruits. 



Fig. 



Mixing apparatus, showing method of combinirg the streams from dilution 

 tanks before they enter the sprayer. 



