200 THE APPLE 



When to spray. The first spraying is all-important, and upon 

 its timeliness and thoroughness depend the grower's chances of 

 success. When the calyx cups have been filled with poison and 

 the calyx lobes have closed upon it, the fortification of the apple 

 against infestation in that direction is complete, for the first 

 food taken by the young larva as it seeks to enter will result 

 in death. 



First spraying. Following the shedding of the bloom, the young 

 apple soon reaches the proper condition for the first spraying. The 

 outer cup is so shaped as to catch and retain the liquid poison, but 

 the entrance to the inner cup is obstructed by the pistils and their 

 encircling stamen bars. It is plain that it is not enough merely to 

 fill the outer calyx cup. The spray must be applied with sufficient 

 pressure and volume to force itself past the obstructing stamen 

 bars, otherwise maximum good results will not be effected. 



The experimental work of the past two years has demonstrated 

 that the best results are obtained by applying the spray to the fruit 

 with a nozzle throwing a heavy, coarse spray under high pressure 

 — from 200 to 300 pounds. Only in this way can the inner calyx 

 container be impregnated with poison. The fruit clusters at this 

 stage point up and down and to all parts of the compass, and to 

 drive the spray directly and forcibly into them the nozzle must be 

 carried to all parts of the tree and be used at all angles. On 

 tall trees the bloom ends of the highest fruit clusters which point 

 upward cannot be reached by a spray from the ground ; they must 

 be drenched from a tower mounted on the spray wagon. 



The imperative necessity of filling the cluster cups at this time 

 demands thorough, conscientious work. Too much stress cannot 

 be placed upon making the spraying liberal and painstaking. The 

 material used in this spraying should be from half to twice as 

 much as in any subsequent treatment. All expenditures of time 

 and care and money will yield rich returns in the cleanliness and 

 value of the mature fruit. 



It is recommended that 3 pounds of arsenate of lead to 50 gal- 

 lons of water be used, to which should be added a milk-of-lime 

 solution made from 3 pounds of slaked stone lime. All constitu- 

 ents — lead, lime, and water — should be carefully strained into 

 the spray tank or barrel. 



