April, '15] 



PARROTT: CODLING MOTH SPRAYING 



165 



profitable production of the orchard. The objection to such a prop- 

 osition by the average orchardist at first thought is, I fancy, that of 

 cost; it being urged that most growers are already putting more into 

 this operation than can be afforded, and one which, in addition to 

 other objectionable features, calls for a cash outlay. A study of 

 orchards under Station control suggests that the problem is in reality 

 not so much a matter of cost as a matter of time,- — ^to find time to spray 

 the trees thoroughly at each critical period, and yet not neglect other 

 orchard operations or other crops when they too demand proper 

 attention. 



As to expensiveness of spraying, the Auchter^ orchard, now in 

 its fourth decade, has yielded the Station during the past decennium 

 a net profit per year of $120.60 per acre. On the cost sheet for a 

 barrel of apples are nine items of expense amounting to $1.29, which 

 covers the growing, harvesting .and delivery of the fruit to the rail- 

 road station. In order of importance as regards extent, spraying 

 ranks as fifth in the list, and amounts to only 7J per cent of the whole 

 cost involved in producing a barrel of apples for the market. This 

 sum is not large, and considered in the light of losses sustained, it 

 appears that more, money could well be expended for spraying oper- 

 ations. Under present conditions this would necessitate more spray- 

 ing rigs and additional crews of men, with the attendant difficulty of 

 finding profitable employment for both horses and men when their 

 presence was not needed in the orchard. These considerations 

 suggested the wisdom of purchasing and testing out a high-pressure 

 outfit as one possible means of developing economy and raising the 

 efficiency of spraying practices in New York. It was thought that 

 with an outfit of large capacity and power not only could more acres 

 of orchard be sprayed within a given time, but that with a great vol- 

 ume of spray under high pressure, more effective work could be done 

 against such pests as fruit-puncturing capsids, pear thrips, apple 

 aphides and perhaps the codling moth. 



Because of unfamiliarity as regards the essentials for such an out- 

 fit we sought the advice of Dr. A. L. Melancler and, in accordance with 

 his specifications, we purchased a spraying machine which is capable 

 of maintaining a pressure of 300 pounds or more and discharging a 

 flow of spraying mixture as high as fifteen gallons per minute, with a 

 set of four Clipper" nozzles. The hose was in two lengths of fifty 

 feet, furnished with extra long couplings and equipped with eight-foot 

 brass-cored extension-rods. The outfit, when carrying a load of two 

 hundred gallons of spray, had a weight of about 3600 to 3800 pounds, 

 which is less than that of some machines we have used in the past. 



1 Geneva BuUetin .376, 1914. 



