1899-] SPRAYING APPLE TREES. 183 



At the outset, then, let us ask if this disease is really responsible 

 for this enormous failure; and if so, could the loss have been averted? 

 The opinion held by many throughout the state in regard to the cause 

 of the failure of apple orchards during the season of 1898 is that there 

 was imperfect, or, in many cases, entire lack of pollination, due to the 

 cold, wet weather during the time of blooming. That this was not true 

 can be proved by calling attention to the fact that most apple orchards 

 did set a considerable quantity of fruit, which, however, dropped prema- 

 turely in from one to four weeks after fertilization; or, again, by 

 noticing the fact that one or more orchards did bear fruit and that of a 

 superior quality in places where hundreds in the same localities failed 

 to produce any. In each such instance that has come under our notice, 

 the productive orchards were the only sprayed ones. According to our 

 observations at the State Experiment Station and elsewhere, the true 

 cause of the premature dropping of apples during the season of 1898, 

 throughout the greater portion of Illinois at least, was an attack of apple 

 scab fungus on the young apple and along its stem, thus cutting off the 

 food supply from the fruit. If there had been no fertilization there 

 would have been no development of the ovary whatever. If there had 

 been imperfect pollination, the fruit would have been one-sided or de- 

 formed, as a result of the failure of one or more carpels to obtain pollen. 

 Each apple has five cells called carpels, each usually containing two 

 seeds. These pairs are fertilized by pollen which falls on the stigma 

 attached to that carpel. If it chance that no pollen falls on a certain 

 stigma, the seeds in that carpel will not develop and the apple will be 

 one-sided. But a careful examination failed to bring to light fruit of 

 this latter character, and in no instance did an examination of the fallen 

 fruit show non-presence of the apple scab on the stem and fruit. But, 

 again, if lack of fertilization was the cause of failure, why should one 

 or more orchards out of a hundred or more in any particular locality 

 escape the fate of the majority? Surely not because fertilization had 

 taken place in but one orchard, but because that orchard had been 

 systematically sprayed for several seasons, and had received judicious 

 and careful cultivation, which enabled the tree to secure the necessary 

 moisture for the production of strong fruit buds. 



It is undoubtedly true that no one cause is responsible for the re- 

 curring failure of apple crops in this state, but it is a fact that the 

 greatest loss is sustained as a result of the two above named enemies — 

 the apple scab fungus and the codling-moth. The object of this bulletin 

 is to arouse a greater interest in this subject among the mass of our 

 Illinois apple producers. It has been said, and doubtless rightly, that 

 the fruit grower who has not a belief in spraying and the results ob- 

 tained thereby, has only himself to thank for lack of success. The 

 many experiment station bulletins, horticultural society reports and 



