New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 855 
not only to fruit and foliage, but even to the blossoms of the 
apple. In 1900, on the contrary, the foliage, blossoms and fruit 
in the apple orchards of Western New York were generally free 
from its attacks. The benefit from spraying apple orchards, 
therefore, was generally much less in 1900 in this section than 
it was in 1898. The advantage or disadvantage of spraying in 
bloom may be expected to appear in the most striking manner 
in a season when the scab fungus and other diseases of foliage 
and fruit are most aggressive, and when the blossoms are not 
very abundant. It may be necessary to continue the investiga- 
tions for several years before satisfactory general conclusions 
on the subject are established. It is desirable, therefore, to pub- 
lish this preliminary report to give an account of the progress 
of the work and to direct the thought of those who are interested 
in the subject towards the main points which are under inves- 
tigation. 
Professor L. H. Bailey has very kindly offered the results of 
the field experiments by the Cornell Experiment Station ow 
spraying apple orchards in bloom for publication in this bulletin. 
Because of this courtesy we are enabled to present in one pub- 
lication the results of the investigations by both the New York 
and the Cornell Stations in 1900. The report of the field work 
by the Cornell Station will be presented first and afterwaids 
the work of this (Geneva) Station will be considered. 
I. FIELD EXPERIMENTS OF CORNELL EXPERIMENT 
| STATION ON SPRAYING FRUIT TREES IN BLOOM. 
L. H. BAIuey. 
There has been much discussion in the past two or three years 
as to the soundness of the advice that apple trees must not be 
sprayed when in bloom. It has been said by the experimenters 
that spraying trees when in bloom gives no additional protec- 
tion over spraying just before or just after they bloom, that it 
may interfere with the setting of the fruit, and that it may kill 
the bees which are considered to be indispensable agents in the 
