July, 1917 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
325 
enough to keep new growth covered, are help- 
ful in preventing and controlling all of these 
things. Fortunately they can be used in con- 
nection with arsenate of lead, making a “com- 
bination ” spray which, if used systematically 
on plants likely to be attacked, will ward off 
both injury by eating insects and by blight or 
rust. Spraying should be begun early in the 
plant’s development, and repeated as often as 
required to keep up with the growth. 
SIMPLE AND COMPLETE PROTECTION 
For real garden protection — as a complete 
insurance against insect and disease injury 
as can be had — the following simple plan 
which is not expensive considering the pro- 
tection afforded, is probably the best that can 
be followed. 
On all plants likely to be attacked by either 
eating insects or disease, use a combination 
arsenate of lead and bordeaux preparations 
at intervals of ten to fifteen days, 
whether any trouble is in sight or not. This 
list would include: beans, cucumbers, melons, 
potatoes, squishes, and tomatoes. In addi- 
tion to this, a forty per cent, nicotine extract 
should be kept on hand to add to this spray 
on the first sign of plant lice, or other sucking 
insects- 
Or, if more convenient, the bordeaux-lead 
spray may be applied in powder form, with a 
dust gun; and the nicotine kept on hand for 
instant use when required, as at the first ap- 
pearance office on peas, melons, or cabbage. 
These precautions, with a good sprayer or 
dust gun, kept in perfect- condition, and 
cleaned and oiled like a repeating rifle, will 
enable the gardener to “ do his bit” creditably 
in fighting the insect and disease enemies in 
his garden, which are, this year at least, 
enemies of his, country. 
Do Sprays Cause Any Injury? 
BY ALDEN FEARING, MASS. 
TN THE course of my experience as an 
amateur orchardist, I have run up against 
some perplexing questions regarding the spray- 
ing of apple trees. In seeking answers to 
these questions I consulted several fruit 
For gardens of any size the portable barrel sprayer will be 
found serviceable as it holds a quantity of material 
growers of experience, several state experi- 
ment stations, and the U. S. Department 
of Agriculture. The resulting correspondence 
has proved of considerable value to me, and 
may perhaps be useful to somebody else. 
I shall have room to give only brief excerpts 
but the net result of these opinions is, I think, 
conclusive. 
A timely question is as follows: 
Does the use of bordeaux mixture as a 
fungicide, with or without lead arsenate, tend 
to russet the fruit ? • 
This has bothered me a great deal, for I 
have had considerable trouble with the rus- 
seting of fruit, particularly Rhode Island 
Greenings and young trees just coming into 
bearing. To secure a combined insecticidal 
and fungicidal effect, I used a compound of 
bordeaux mixture and lead arsenate. The 
advice of other fruit growers led me to suspect 
the bordeaux as the cause of my trouble, and 
I sought expert advice. 
In the first place, the manufacturer in- 
sisted that the bordeaux was not responsible. 
He said: 
“ I have seen fruit rusted just as badly where lime and sulphur 
have been used as where bordo-lead have been applied. I 
have also seen apples rusted where the trees have not been 
sprayed at all, which was due to the hot sun after a rainy spell. 
It is the climatic conditions with the insecticides tnat causes the 
trouble in almost every case.” 
Mr. H. L. Frost, who has conducted exten- 
sive experiments in his orchards at Littleton, 
Mass., writes: 
“My experience, based on observations carried on for the 
last five years, has been that when we have an excessive amount 
of moisture during the early summer, rusting of the fruit invari- 
ably occurs on certain varieties of apples. This rusting is quite 
materially aggravated by spraying, both with bordeaux mix- 
ture and lime and sulphur, possibly to a slightly greater ex- 
tent where bordeaux is used. During these five years there 
have been two years when the weather conditions were such 
that the rusting was very bad, especially 1916. In 1912 I 
found a large number of apples badly rusted which had never 
been sprayed. I also found the rusting much worse in tjie 
valleys than on the hilltops, which led me to believe that the 
presence of fog was materially affecting the condition of the 
fruit. If the spraying is done immediately after the dropping 
of the blossoms, I do not believe the fruit will be much affected; 
but if it is delayed, or if an application is made after the fruit 
is pretty well formed. I believe, when there is an excessive amount 
of moisture, the rusting will be increased. My conclusion is 
that this injury to the apple is caused primarily by climatic con- 
ditions, and is aggravated by spraying with any material, 
possibly a little worse by copper fungicides. I would recom- 
mend less spraying of certain varieties of apples with fungicides 
during an extremely wet season, especially the Baldwin.” 
From Mr. M. F. Barrus, of the U. S. De- 
partment of Agriculture: 
“ Bordeaux mixture has been held responsible for the condi- 
tion known as russeting which sometimes occurs on apples, es- 
pecially of the light-skinned varieties. It does not always occur 
when bordeaux is used, but it occurs so commonly that growers 
were not at all reluctant to give up bordeaux for the lime-sulphur 
solution, which does not seem to bring about so great an in- 
jury.” 
Prof. M. B. Waite of the same department 
writes at considerable length, saying that 
bordeaux may be safely used as a fungicide late 
in the season, but not in May and June. 
“It has been abundantly demonstrated that bordeaux 
mixture, either with or without arsenate of lead, applied to 
the young fruit and tender foliage of the apple, causes russet- 
ing of the skin of the fruit and more or less copper poison- 
ing, spotting, and reddening, and finally defoliation of the 
leaves. We have had so much trouble with this that we have 
finally abandoned bordeaux mixture entirely in our recommen- 
dations for the early treatment of the apple.” 
Mr. F. C. Stewart of the New York station 
writes: 
“ It is undoubtedly true that the russeting of apples is fre- 
quently caused by the use of bordeaux mixture as a spray, 
though weather conditions have much to do with it.” 
From Professor Sears, Amherst, Mass.: 
“I think there is no question whatever that bordeaux mix- 
ture is likely to russet fruit. We have given it up as a summer 
spray on apples.” 
From E. H. Jenkins, director of the Con- 
necticut station : 
For dusting on sulphur, dry bordeaux, arsenates, etc., 
there are many bellows. Middle one used for liquids 
“I am quite sure that bordeaux mixture, used with arsenate 
of lead or by itself, is likely to cause a russeting of the skin of 
the apple.” 
From Mr. Clinton, New York: 
“W T e are now recommending the bordeaux mixture 4-4-50 
only for the first spraying on the unfolding leaves before tbe 
blossoms open, in order to avoid rusting of the fruit which 
would occur with later sprayings.” 
For the later sprayings he recommends lime- 
sulphur and lead arsenate. 
Mr. Gourley writes quite fully on this point, 
to the effect that he has seen the bordeaux 
burn fruit so badly that the crop would have 
been better off if not sprayed at all, though 
this is not always the case. He also testifies 
to the contributory effects of moisture, and 
adds, 
“Varieties vary a great deal in their susceptibility to this 
injury. There is probably none that is worse than the Ben 
Davis. The Twenty Ounce, Greening, Baldwin, and many 
others are bad, while McIntosh, Rome Beauty, and some others 
are very often not affected.” 
He states that lime-sulphur has largely 
superseded bordeaux in New Hampshire. 
Mr. Woods also testifies to the varying 
susceptibility of different varieties, stating 
that on the Ben Davis bordeaux and lead 
arsenate have invariably produced russeting, 
leaf spotting, and partial defoliation. 
I his whole question is summed up most 
thoroughly in Bulletin No. 287 of the New 
York Agricultural Experiment Station at 
Here is a serviceable type of outfit— power pump with strong 
container and a length of hose to reach well up the trees 
