BELIEVER SPRAYING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 12, 30 August 1911, Page 3

BELIEVER SPRAYING.

Air A. M. Lea, the new entomologist of the Adelaide Museum (says the “Advertiser”), is a firm believer in tho efficacy of spraying as a means of minimising, if not eradicating, various posts'which are a source of worry! ard financial loss to gardeners particu-j Inly. Having had ample opportunity i of proving the value of the system ' of dealing with fruit trees and potato - ( y.f..ts i . Tasmania, Mr Lea is a staunch advocate of its universal adoptinii. “Even if every (roe in tho "hate were thoroughly sprayed, and ovary cop of potatoes similarly sprayed,” ho remarked, “there is no doubt the destructive little posts would still he found, lint spraying ro- ■ flucos thi> army of destroyers to an enormous extent. I have heard people r’v (ini whatever good spraying may do in the case of trees, its efficacy is doubtful in the case of potatoes rdfeclrd by Irish blight, because tho pset appeals to do all its work on |!c under part of the leaves. It's quite .i mistake to think tint because (ha spray cannot be easily applied to ,ti a under part, the past is nmvlfected by it. As a matter of fact, the top of km leaf is a lodgment for tho spores, ard it any glower in an Irish blight dial rhl is in doubt about: the value of spraying, let him spray a small section of his garden and leave the red to the pest. Before long ho will admit his mistake. I would Hire sneli sceptics to have scon a paddock

we treated in Tasmania to show the value of spraying. It was a badly affected area, and we sprayed part of tiie garden, first walking, say, north, and then walked south to apply the spray to both sides. Six weeks later the Irish (night came along, as wo expected it would do, and destroyed the whole ol tho crop, with the exception of the sprayed part, which remained healthy and green, and as satisfactory in appearance aany crop of the tubers could look. Xo better proof of the value of the spray could have been produced, and of course the leaves were not turned upside down to ho treated. It would not pay to lulve to do that, hut, as 1 have said, there is no need for it. The surface application meets all requirements. Bordeaux mixture was used. Some of the spray reaches the soil by dripping from (he plants, and it is a great advantage, because spores which fall from the leaves work tlieii way down, and affect the tuber itself.”