560 



Apple Growing in New York State, [dec, 



base of the tree, whereas, since the small feeding roots are most 

 numerous at some distance from the tree, it should be distri- 

 buted over the whole area. The importance of green manuring 

 is particularly emphasised, as the soil in many orchards was 

 found deficient in humus. 



Spraying. — A large part of the crop in this county is used for 

 evaporating, and for this purpose the same price is very often 

 paid for apples regardless of their condition as regards apple 

 scab. In consequence, about one-third of the orchards are 

 seldom or never sprayed ; in 1903, 41 per cent, of the bearing 

 trees were sprayed. The damage from insects and the apple 

 scab in 1903 was much less than usual, but even in that year of 

 few insects and little fungus, when most people " saw nothing to 

 spray for/' spraying was found to pay. The average yield of the 

 sprayed orchards was 27 bushels more per acre than that of the 

 unsprayed. The average price of 8,430 barrels of sprayed apples 

 was 8s. 4jd. per barrel, and of 6,365 barrels of unsprayed apples 

 7s. 6d. per barrel, and the average price of sprayed apples for 

 evaporating was also higher, 110,445 bushels (sprayed), aver- 

 aging is. 4d. a bushel, and 96 345 bushels (unsprayed), is. 2d. a 

 bushel. The income per acre from the sprayed orchards was 

 £16 3s. 1 id., and from the unsprayed ones only £\-$ 2s. 6d. 

 Most of the sprayed orchards were treated but once, and apples 

 from many of these brought no higher prices than unsprayed 

 ones, but some of those that were well sprayed gave very much 

 better yields and secured much higher prices. Arsenical washes 

 are most used, but the principles of spraying are not appar- 

 ently very well understood.* 



Distance of Trees Apart. — Great importance is attached to the 



* In this connection the following simple explanation of the different kinds of 

 spraying solutions may be reproduced : — 



There are three general classes of sprays : (1) poisons ; (2) spra)s that kill insects 

 by contact ; and (3) fungicides. 



The insects that bite are the only orchard enemies that we can expect to kill with 

 Paris green, arsenic, or other poisons of this nature. Lice, San Jose scale, aphides, and 

 other insects that suck their food, are not hurt by poisons, for the very simple reason 

 that they cannot eat poison. We w^uld not expect to kill a mosquito by putting 

 poison on the hand and letting him suck the blood from under it — his food, the blood, 

 is not poisoned. These insects feed in a similar manner. They suck the juices from 

 the plant and do not take any material from the surface. They may be killed by 

 paraffin, whale-oil soap, lime salt and sulphur, or some other spray that kills by 

 contact. Only those that are struck by the spray are killed. 



The various fungi are plants. We might call them weeds that have chosen to giow 

 on the apple. They cannot eat Paris green, nor are they killed by paraffin and 

 similar sprays. For them some fungicide, such as Bordeaux mixture, must be used. 



