Sprays and Spraying

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 July 1915, Page 2

Sprays and Spraying

At the meeting of the llorowheiiua Fruitgrowers' Association lield 011 Friday July L). Mr Pierce the orchard inspector addressed members 011 the mosJ effective sprays to deal with various orchard pests.—

Mr Pierce said the best spray tor aphis was the oil spray. Badly infected part of the tree, or isolated infected parts in summer should be painted with it, undiluted or at least mixed with only an equal quantity of water. Spraying with oil should be done with such force as to drive the protective secretion away and let tho spray reach the aphides. A pressure of at least 1351bs should be used and the nearer to L'OOlbs the hotter. Lime sulphur and kerosene emulsion also were good

sprays for it. The main thing was to keep the tree free from infection from the lirst. The knots 011 the tree caused by the pest gave it cover. The red mite (confused with the red spider) also was controlled by red oil at one 111 thirteen—-one spraying about August. Lime sulphur is not as good as red oil. Mussell scale should be dealt with in the same way in August. Then the eggs protected by the scale formed by the female, are beginning to swell, causing the scales to lift a little, thus letting the spray reach the eg'gs. For scab 011 pears, 0110 of tlio hardept things to control (as with" all fungi) it should be checked by spraying when tlie buds are pink, sprays to be used being Bordeaux mixture (o — 0—50) and lime-sulphur, tho latter may be used

while the fruit is on the tree. It doe.s not russet tin; fruit as does the Uordeaux mixture. There was 110 definite cure for silver blight. It was not yet known whether it was a fungi disease or an insect pest. Another insect thai required suppressing at its inception was the black aphide. It "was ar. insect which laid eggs and at tin 1 , same time perfectly formed mites, hence the need for.three sprayings in 1 about ten or fourteen days, Tho best sprays were oil sprays 111 the winter at lin2uto lin 30. At other times jane sulphur, kerosene emulsion, McDougall's mixture or tobacco wash were elfective. For leave curl Bordeaux mixture at 10—10—10 should be used when the buds are swelling. In adding lime to bluestone spray to counteract the burning action of the bluestone there was 110 definite proportion to be used; it depended 011 the quality of the lime. For testing blue litmus paper was tho cheapest and best method. It it turned pint there was not sufficient lime present, and if it 'did not change colour the spray was lit lor use. -The only thing to control powdery mildew was a preliminary spraying with .Bordeaux mixture when Hie buds were swelling, and then continue' spraying with dime-sulphur. Lateral bearing fruit trees were greatest sufferers from this disease. llegarding brown rot, it was a disease very hard to control anil all in foot iruit and portions of trees should destroyed and .Bordeaux mixture iime-sulphur used throughout the'w: ter. It was a disease little understood and was a serious problem >n America and it should not bo giv.en a chance to spread. The best way to deal with bronze beetle was to keep the orchard free of weeds and tlie trees open. Spraying with arsenate of lead just when the petals were about to iall was elfective.