April, 1919 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
103 
clusters showing pink. Use 
powdered arsenate of lead IV 2 
pounds to 50 gallons of water. 
For plant diseases (scab) add lime 
sulphur 5 quarts to 50 gallons of 
the above spray. 
Second spray — spray just after 
the petals fall and before the calyx 
cup closes. Use arsenate of lead 1 
pound to 50 gallons, adding 5 
quarts of lime sulphur for scab. 
Third spray — applied two weeks 
after the second, using the same 
materials. 
Fourth spray — this spray should 
be applied 60 to 65 days after the 
third application or about the 5th 
to the 15th of August. Use same 
spray as in 2 and 3. (If weather 
is rather hot and sunny, Bordeaux 
mixture 4-4-50 formula should be 
substituted for lime sulfur.) 
In spraying plums and cherries 
apply only the first three sprays. 
Spraying Fruit Trees in Bloom 
Is it necessary to spray fruit 
trees in bloom? The fruit grower 
should cooperate with the bee- 
keeper in the spraying of his trees 
and should not spray them during 
the blooming period except un- 
der very unusual conditions. The 
results are apt to be as detri- 
mental to the fruit grower as to 
the beekeeper. There has been 
considerable discussion as to 
whether or not bees secure poison 
which may have settled in the 
flowers. However, until this is 
definitely proven, it is safer to 
work on the basis that bees may 
be poisoned in this way Bees 
and other insects are of the great- 
est importance is cross fertiliza- 
tion and we have for several years 
know that this is not only 
necessary for some plants but de- 
sirable for plants that are self- 
fertile. Fruit growers should 
therefore plan not to spray their 
trees until after the petals have 
fallen. 
Protect Early Cabbage and Cauli- 
flower Against Root Maggots. 
L. G. Gentner. 
Agricultural College. 
Every year early cabbage and 
cauliflower beds, especially in the 
southern half of the state are seri- 
ously injured by the whitish root 
maggots which burrow in the 
roots of the plants. Cauliflower 
is as a rule, more seriously in- 
jured than cabbage and often en- 
tire plantings are wiped out. It 
is sometimes necessary to replant 
cabbage two and three times. In- 
fested plants which are not killed 
outright are usually dwarfed and 
sickly. 
Protect your plants by placing 
tarred felt discs around the stems 
of the plants as they are being 
set out and pressing them down 
against the soil so that they lie flat 
The discs prevent the adult flies 
from laying the eggs from which 
the maggots hatch. They are of 
no help after the maggots have 
once begun to work in the roots. 
Infested plants should be dug up 
and destroyed. All stumps and 
refuse should be gathered and de- 
stroyed as soon as the crop is har- 
vested and the ground plowed 
deeply. 
The discs may be made by hand 
with a tool made for the purpose, 
or they may be bought from 
Smith Brothers, Green Bay, Wis- 
consin, at 20c per pound (160 to 
the pound) or from the Plant Pro- 
tector Company, Rochester, X. Y. 
at $2 per thousand. Order the tar- 
red felt discs now so that they may 
be on hand ivlien the plants are 
transplanted. 
Cabbage Injured by Striped Flea 
Beetle . 
L. G. Gentner. 
Agricultural College. 
I 11 some parts of the state these 
tiny striped flea beetles cause very 
serious injury to cabbage seed- 
lings in the seed bed. Sometimes 
from 25 to 65% of the seedlings 
are either killed or made unfit for 
transplanting, and it becomes nec- 
essary to ship in plants. 
Control Measures. — Flea-beetles 
are not readily controlled by pois- 
ons but may be kept off of the 
plants by thoroughly spraying 
these with Bordeaux mixture 
which is made up as follows: 4 
ounces bluestone, 4 ounces quick- 
lime, 12 quarts water. Dissolve 
the bluestone in a wooden or 
earthenware vessel, using hot 
water, and then add water to 
make 6 quarts. Slake the lime by 
adding water a little at a time. 
When slaked make up to 6 quarts. 
Pour the two solutions together 
through a strainer while stirring 
and the spray is then ready to ap- 
ply. Sometimes a combination of 
Bordeaux mixture and lead arse- 
nate is used. 
At times the flea-beetles attack 
the seedlings as soon as they 
begin to push through the soil. In 
such cases sprays seem to be ot 
little value and the only thing 
that can be recommended where 
this occurs year after year is to 
grow the seedlings under a cheese- 
cloth screen to keep out the in- 
sects and remove this as soon as 
the beetles begin to disappear so 
as, to harden up the plants. 
The best of garden seed is the 
cheapest in the long run. Demand 
seed not of low cost but of high 
quality. 
