31 



harvest as the grower is. It is a fight between the grower and the 

 pest, and it must be admitted that the latter has generally had the 

 best of the battle. The farmer has not been properly equipped. He 

 has often had invisible foes to contend with, foes which he did not un- 

 derstand, and which he could not assail. It frequently occurred that 

 an entire crop was ruined in a day or two, and tho causes remained un- 

 seen and unknown ; and even if it was visible, almost the only remedy 

 upon which the grower could rely with certainty was mere force, first 

 catching th-i pest and then destroying it. As this could be done with 

 profit only in rare cases, it was little b >tter than no remedy, and the 

 general result was that the insect or the fungus obtained an ample 

 supply of nourishment, and the grower took what was left. Indeed, 

 this method is still followed by many cultivators, but it is not the safest 

 nor is it the most profitable one. 



" The best is generally the most profitable commodity, and the 

 poorest is the least so ; and the grower of to-diy has it in his power 

 to produce the best. It rests entirety with him whether his apples 

 shall be wormy or not, whether his trees shall retain their foliage or 

 lose it from disease. There are few evils that affect his crops which 

 he cannot control, in m my cases almost absolutely. Only a few dis- 

 eases remain which still refuse to submit to treatment, but the number 

 is rapidly decreasing, and the time will come when these also will dis- 

 close some vulnerable point wnich will allow of their destruction. 



" Foremost among the operations by means of which cultivated 

 plants are protected from their enemies is spraying. This consists in 

 throwing upon plants any fluids, or semi -fluids, in the form of a fine 

 rain or mist. It rests upon the general principle of covering the 

 plants, or the parts of plants to be protected, with a thin but uniform 

 layer of some material that is poisonous, caustic, or offensive to the or- 

 ganism which it is desired to destroy 



" Three points cannot be too strongly emphasized : — 



" First, be on time. Make an application when it will do the most 

 good, and never allow time to pass if it can possibly be avoided. 

 Every delay is of advantage to the parasite, and it will be used so well 

 that in most cases the injury cannot be repaired. The destruction of 

 one insect may mean the destruction of hundreds, and one application 

 made at the right time may mean, an 1 generally does mean, the pro* 

 tection of a plant against n.illions of spores and fungi which are en- 

 deavouring to gain a foothold. Be ready for action at a moment's no- 

 tice, and when the moment comes, spray ! 



" Second, be thorough. When spraying a plant, spray it well. With 

 a little care, a complete success may be obtained instead of only a par- 

 tial one. When the work is finished, the grower should have the feel- 

 ing that it is well done, and then no fear as to the result need be en- 

 tertaiued. Spraying is not always pleas mt work, and the tempt ttion 

 to slight it is often strong; but the operator will be rewarded just to 

 the extent to which he has been painstaking, and to that extent only. 



Third, apply sprays intelligently. This is really the most impor- 

 tant factor in the work, although good crops can be obtained without it, 

 provided directions are followed. The first two points cannot be ne- 

 glected without injury to the crops but this one can be. The crop is 

 in need of the applications only, but the grower should know the reasons 



