PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 129 



the fruit, and also the killing of the young fruit if a bad attack occurs 

 during the blooming period. Spraying for the apple scab is quite 

 effective if properly timed. Winter applications of lime-sulphur solu- 

 tion check it materially, but a Bordeaux spraying in May is advisable if 

 spring rains are abundant. 



The sappy bark disease and wood rot is much in evidence in the 

 humid coast districts. This disease is probably parasitic, although the 

 specific fungus has not been determined. The trouble is active during 

 the winter and almost ceases in the summer. It starts from wounds, 

 and appears first as a puffy condition of the bark, which later becomes 

 watery. The bark dies and the wood beneath is attacked by a rot, 

 which continues from year to year. Large limbs are killed, and the 

 wood rot eventually enters the trunk, resulting in the death of the tree. 

 In treating this trouble the diseased limbs should be cut away con- 

 siderably below the infection. The disease may start again in the stub, 

 so it is well not to go too far back towards the trunk in making the cuts. 

 Prevention is better than cure, and as the disease starts in unhealed 

 wounds, the removal of large limbs should be avoided, and all pruning 

 confined to branches under two inches in diameter. 



We are now ready to consider a schedule of spraying and other treat- 

 ments which will meet all of the conditions previously discussed. It is 

 important that the sprays used should have as wide a range of efficiency 

 as possible, and at the same time the application be attended with a 

 minimum of injury to the trees. 



For winter use the lime-sulphur solution meets all these requirements 

 best. This lime-and-sulphur compound can be used on dormant trees 

 at any strength, but the contraction now recommended for general pur- 

 poses is 3% to 4 per cent of dissolved sulphur. This concentration is 

 obtained by diluting one part of the commercial 33-degree Baume solu- 

 tion with nine parts of water, or preparing a solution by the following 

 formula: Lime 33 pounds, sulphur 66 pounds; boil these together in 

 50 gallons of water for forty-five to sixty minutes, or until the sulphur 

 is dissolved. After boiling, strain out the coarse impurities and dilute 

 with water to make 200 gallons. This dilution should be applied with 

 great thoroughness, so as to drench the entire surface of the tree. Best 

 results are obtained when a period of dry. warm weather follows the 

 application. For this reason spraying early in December or when the 

 buds are bursting in the spring is usually most effective. The latter 

 date is certainly best for apple scab control. If the greedy scale is 

 abundant, two applications should be made with some time intervening 

 between them. 



The lime-sulphur treatment is effective against the armored scales, 

 moss (lichens) and the apple scab, but there may be a few trees which are 

 badly troubled by the woolly aphis. In this case the trunks and large 

 limbs may be sprayed with an 8 per cent distillate emulsion. The appli- 

 cation should be made during the coldest weather in December or Janu- 

 ary, because the colonies of the aphis are then smallest and least 

 numerous. Great thoroughness is necessary in order to penetrate all 

 the crevices in the bark. After spraying, the wet earth about the trunk 

 should be removed. This is a precaution to prevent killing the root 

 crown by prolonged contact with the distillate oil. If the crown is 



9 — FGC 



