FL DLR BY HOWARD2E’ RESGL f-s of Spraying Irish Potatoes at the Vermont Experiment Station ae ——— SS Se Se SPRAYED UNSPRAYED Total yield of sprayed potatoes per acre, 291 bushels Total yield of unsprayed potatoes per acre, 9914 bushels Profit of spraying, 19114 bushels per acre Plate I Spraying for Profit A Practical Handbook Describing Best Methods for Suppressing the Nore Common Injurious Insects and Fungous Diseases 6< Sprayolégy ” Simplited Howard Evarts Weed, M. S. Landscape Architect Formerly Entomologist and Horticulturist Mississippi Experiment Station Revised and rewritten 1906 Horticultural Publishing Company Rogers Park Chicago LIBRARY of CONGRESS | Two Copies Recelved NOV 16 1906 Copyright Entry Ltr. 9.1904 CLASS & XXc,, No: FEC 2 Af COPY B. Booklets by the same Author The Ornamentation of nie City Lot The Home Beautiful The Landscape Architect and his Work Park Cemeteries COPYRIGHT, 1899 — 1906 BY HOWARD EVARTS WEED CONTENTS PAGE RP EHOUUCIIOR Sooke sas ha ee OP olen ae a are Re RUS Bia Ale ee stems eter 9 CHAPTER I Some General Principles tea SOUS WISCASES@: ts nacnie tat sce Ge ee coe ceo ares ape see ges 13 eerChemial IDISCASES ees oR cae aes CI ne ae Se naw See ee 14 eat eabine [ISOCES a eRe ce eh aes ce ect ers weet 15 CUES WYSE RS pa a aE ITM ae RM Ae a 16 eer MISECES Si ssarn 5 sain Na eS ee eo Sens 16 Me ACE csc Ear oe Meh a le aie eee ig cohen eeraincin 17 ibice- on omestic Animals 88 iso ee, Sess A as aaa ie 18 Some Things to Remember ...... et oa eee pare 18 CHAPTER II é Materials Used in Spraying SACI ES, wise oe ee eee Sa USE Sis eo, SO Slee ae maul Z1 MEG CEICTO@ ES 82g hei s Ha ae Soe te an Naan cee en ee rade ae can Zk Prone. Wits Seid wana acaba eral eceae aia Daeg cieceee Zi iasecticides with: Bordeaux 5 sayin, oe Soak Mics sss ate eek 24 mammontacal.. Copper Carponates.s.2.-22 och. odo, ae neonate 25 Ibe and: Sulphur Solon s 285-25 oe oy. sy ayer erate 26 HSER OS CMC i ins SS aes eons a LOE SEN: 27 paisa reehe 0 .cae mix: Poke esha OO ee Me ER care 28 PREEGEMALCW Oil Lieder cs cir cs saber as. t cals, cpa cirel koe oes) sk eee 29 Special -Préparations,. 2s. acce Sea ate dee ee 30 Paguid or Dry Application? oe: sock. a ctten ho Sic cenee se 30 CHAPTER III Spray Pumps and Outfits Sprays bellows and Atomiusers ee an. 4 sc ote mes tots et 33 Bucket sopray £ UM ps essa oe ee Boi ioist on bins see 34 PenapsackoSpiayers-is Mires oo ee Rae as coe eee ae nomi 34 6 CONTENTS Barrel. Spray Pumps. 622. 2 ese sae ee 35 Compressed ‘Air Outhits a6 ees tae ee ee 55) Power -Sprayers' 3:20 Soo. ee ee eee 36 Kerosene Sprayerse..j.se82 6 Oona eae ae ee on Extensions (3... 96 3%: er eee ee ee ee Sv Field > Sprayers: i722..0.5 un de. oa ae ee eee 38 Nozzles 5 obs ated ce 4 Btn ie De ee ee 38 The Proper ‘Outitts> <2... Ab newest ee ae ee 39 Caré- ofan’ Outiit 2 oo acca eee eee ae 40 CHAPTER IV Summary of Spraying Plants PAGE. PAGE. Apple ss sick Se sie See 43° Ni elo. is +S ee 50 Beaty eset ee 46. -Oratbe 2 22 eee Bf Blackberry <....scna soe 47”. “Peachy .encc.3 fe 51 Cabbage:? 522.05: .cs eee 47 3? Peat! C2200 54 53 Celery — 700 See 37.2 Plum) Reo ete eee 54 Cherny aoe ee eee 48 Potato: FN eee 55 Corn 32.4.0. sae eee AS Quince set ee ee 56 Cotton's... ee eee 43° "Raspberry *2*.J.25 ee 56 Cucumber. Se. 49° ‘Rose eS. ee 56 Guckantess von Se: See 49.* Strawberry ©. ae eee 57 FLOWERS: 8 cheeks syete en AQ. Shade Trees.) Sven 52 Gooseberry’ -:..3...\, 249 Squash 25 one 58 Gripe etn eee = ee 50 Lobaceo . >. 23 See 58 Grasse ee ee eee 50° Tontator "}: $205 ae 58 CHAPTER V Summary of Spraying Domestic Animals Cats. 7. hoes ee 62... Horses: 224 eee 62 FOREWORD TO REVISED EDITION The methods of combating the ravages of injurious insects and fungous diseases have been so materially im- proved since the first edition of this little work in 1899, accompanied also by improvements to spraying machines themselves, that a revised and entirely rewritten work has become necessary. That the simplicity and “boiledowness” of the booklet has been appreciated by the thousands daily using spraying apparatus, is shown by the fact that twelve distinct editions of the work have here- tofore been issued. The aim in the preparation of this work has been to place before the farmer and fruit grower a practical condensed hand-book describing the how, when, and why of the application of the more common insecticides and fungicides in daily use for the destruction of injurious insects and prevention of fungous diseases. Its originality lies in its simplicity, but while the work is condensed, nothing of general importance has been omitted. Growers of special crops will need to consult the many excellent bulletins issued by the Department of Agriculture and the Agricul- tural Experiment Stations, relative to spraying these crops. With the revised work has also come a change in form convenient to the coat pocket. We place a large-sized volume aside, expecting to read it tomorrow, only to find that on the morrow we have even less time for reading than today. It is hoped that the work in its present form may find a place in the pocket of every man “behind the nozzle” to 8 FOREWORD TO REVISED EDITION serve as a guide to the many useful purposes for which a spray pump can be used. A careful study of each chapter is needed to give one a thorough knowledge of the science and art of Sprayology. If the first three chapters are taken up as a study, page by page, it will be found that the remaining chapters giving a summary of spraying particular plants and domestic animals can be more readily understood. In fact the last two chapters should only be consulted after a thorough understanding of the preceding chapters. Rocers Park, Cui1caco, October Ist, 1906. INTRODUCTION Estimates as to the annual loss to agriculture caused by injurious insects and fungous diseases show that the yield of all crops is lessened by them fully twenty-five per cent. This means an annual loss of more than five hundred mil- lons of dollars in the United States alone. By proper spraying fully seventy-five per cent of this great loss can be prevented. This statement needs no proof, as all prac- tical fruit growers have demonstrated time and again. Spraying was first practiced about 1878 by the applica- tion of Paris green to potatoes for the destruction of the potato beetles. Soon thereafter it was found that for some reason the Paris green spray was also useful in preventing apples from becoming wormy, and then the entomologists gave us the life history of the apple worm which explained the how and why. It is often important that we know the life history or transformations through which an insect passes in order that we may understand the reason for sprayiiig at some particular time. Thus in the case of the apple worm, after we know that the. tiny eggs are laid in the blossom end of the young apple, we see the importance of placing a small amount of poison upon each forming apple in order to kill the young worms as they eat through the skin into the fruit. It was not until after the establishment of the various state Agricultural Experiment Stations in 1887 that spray- ing came into general practice as a recognized necessity. The many experiments conducted at the Stations showed that spraying was of practically universal application for the destruction of injurious insects and the prevention of 10 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT fungous diseases. Spraying is now recognized as _ the practical method of saving crops and a spray pump of some sort is as necessary as a plow. - “The man with the hoe” is closely followed by the man with the hose—and the nozzle. But while all admit—for seeing is believing—the great loss caused by injurious insects and fungous diseases, only a few realize as yet that this loss is really :a benefit to every progressive farmer. For as the loss can be prevented by intelligent effort, it is only the shiftless—the “Peter Tumble- downs’—who do not put spraying into practice. This gives the active, progressive, thinking farmer an immense advantage. The market demand for inferior fruit does not pay for its harvest, for it stands little chance for sale along- side the choice fruit. Select fruit must of necessity be sprayed fruit. While spraying means work, it more than pays for itself-in the increased market price obtained. As an example of the evolution which injurious insects and fungous -diseases have brought about in farm practice, take the example of peach growing in Georgia. In former years every Georgia farmer raised peaches in plenty. Some years ago, owing to a steadily in- creasing demand for ,. Georgia peaches, large additional tracts of orchards were set out. But at a time when the markets would have otherwise been glutted, the San José scale made its appearance in the orchards.- This scale—shown in Fig. Wigaw. The San Jose Scale. 1—caused the death of thousands of INTRODUCTION 11 trees. The average Georgia farmer became discouraged and gave us peach growing entirely. Others were not will- ing to let a tiny insect smaller than a pin head drive them out of peach growing, so they increased their orchards, studied the science of spraying and purchased materials and pumps. Today Georgia peach growing is in the hands of specialists whose success lies in the fact that they have become spraying experts. However, the spraying must be done intelligently or the labor is wasted. Complaints such as the following are common: “I noticed worms on my currant bushes, so sprayed them. But it did not seem to do much good.” Upon further inquiry it is usually discovered that the spraying was done after the worms had stripped the bushes of their leaves. When failure occurs it may usually be attributed to the lateness of the application. Spray ie time. Study the subject thoroughly. Spraying is not a cure-all. It will not bring back to life a dead plant, nor restore the leaves of a tree after they have been eaten off by some caterpillar. The best results are not obtained the first year, especially when spraying for the fungous diseases. Spraying 1s plant insurance. Success lies in giv- ing attention to details. Plate II. The Apple Scab. CHAPTER I. Some General Principles Fungous Diseases—Most diseases of plants are caused by low forms of vegetable life known as fungi which live upon and within the tissues of the higher plants. ‘They are thus parasites which obtain their nourishment by the breaking down of the cells of the plants on which they exist. The main difference, other than size, between the fungi and the higher plants is the lack of the green coloring matter so abundant in the higher order of vegetation. The methods of development in the fungi are very similar to that of higher plants, but their microscopic size renders their study more difficult. The parasitic fungi spend the winter mostly within the living and dead vegetable tissues and during the first warm days of spring send out small spores which correspond to the seeds of the higher plants. These spores are disseminated by the wind and other- ~ wise from plant to plant. With favorable conditions as to moisture and warmth, the spores send out small branches which penetrate into the living tissues of the higher orders of growth. Here new branches are formed in immense numbers which soon sap the vitality of the plant and cause it to become diseased. New spores are developed on the exterior of the plant from time to time, but more especially in damp warm weather, and thus a fungous disease may become widely disseminated in a very short time. By the application of a fungicide to a plant we destroy the spores which have found lodgment upon it and thus prevent the development of additional spores which would cause its disease. Just as long as the tissues of plants are covered with a thin even coating of a fungicide, no fungi can develop upon them. Thus if a fungicide is applied at 14 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT regular intervals of about two weeks during the spring and early summer, a plant disease may be held entirely in check. Thus a fungicide is a preventive, and its application should begin long before the disease has advanced far enough to manifest itself to any extent. We should profit by the experience of former years and when our grape vines, for example, are affected with rot this year we should begin the spraying with a fungicide next year long before the time of the manifestation of the disease. It is a well- known fact also that the Bordeaux mixture has a beneficial effect upon growing plants other than its action as a fungicide. For this reason many nurserymen and others make a regular practice of its application simply to pro- mote a healthful growth. The application of Bordeaux mixture is thus good plant insurance. Applied to Irish potatoes, it causes the vines to remain green much longer than would otherwise be the case, and this in turn causes the formation of larger tubers. It will thus increase the yield of potatoes more than enough to pay for its applica- tion, even though potato diseases may not be present. Some fruits—the apple, grape, peach, and plum—are nearly always susceptible to fungus diseases and should be regularly sprayed with the Bordeaux mixture every two or three weeks during the spring and early summer. This will do much towards insuring a good crop each year. Bacterial Diseases—Unifortunately not all diseases in plants are caused by the fungi. A few are caused by other low forms of vegetable life known as the bacteria. These are the “germs” which also catise so many diseases in man and the domestic animals. It will suit our purpose, in this connection, to explain the difference between the fungi and the bacteria by saying that the fungi develop their spores on the exterior of the host plant, while the bacteria SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES 15 develop and multiply entirely within the plant. The appli- cation of any substance, even a fungicide, upon a plant practically does not affect the growth of the bacteria within that plant. Thus the purely bacterial diseases cannot be remedied with any form of spraying. About all that can be done, with our present knowledge of the subject, is to practice rotation of crops, select resistant varieties and give proper cultivation. The above explanation is made in this connection in order that it may be understood why spraying is not a specific in all cases of plant disease. Perhaps the best known bacterial disease is the twig blight of the apple and pear, known also as the “fire blight” of the pear. The Leaf-eating Insects—There is a marked distinc- tion in the manner in which insects take their food. Some eat the leaves while others suck the plant juices. Without knowing to which of these two general classes a particular insect belongs, one is unable to intelligently apply a remedy. Insects which eat the leaves have their mouth parts formed for biting off bits of vegetable matter and in this way eat their food in much the same manner as do the higher animals. The insects which suck the plant juices, on the other hand, have their mouth parts formed into a beak which is inserted into the plant tissues. Thus a large number of the sucking insects on a plant will soon extract so much of its vitality as to cause it to wither and die. Some of the best known of the eating insects are the Irish potato beetle, cut-worms and the various caterpillars. While these insects can be destroyed by either an external irritant insecticide or a stomach poison insecticide, it is best to apply the last named. These are:the various poisons which kill by being eaten by the insects: when taken into the alimentary canal or. stomach-along with particles of food. We thus apply this class of insecticides. to the plants; 16 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT making no effort to apply it directly to the insects. Ap- plied to the plants upon which the insects feed, small par- ticles of the insecticide will be taken into the system and will soon kill the insects by its action as a poison. Cut=-worms—These are the larval form of many species of moths. They attack a great variety of plants and are always more numerous upon land which has been in sod for a year or more. To destroy cut-worms moisten a quantity of corn meal or wheat bran with water, to which add and mix thoroughly a small amount of Paris green or other poison and a little molasses. Place small quanti- ties of this in various portions of the field where the worms are at work, being careful to place the poisoned meal upon the ridges and not in the hollows. Of course it should not be placed where accessible to poultry. Scale Insects—These are small sucking insects which in former years were introduced into the orchards through the nurseries. Now, however, owing to the various state laws requiring an inspection of all nursery stock by competent entomologists, this source of infection is reduced to the minimum. Unfortunately nursery inspection has only been practiced for a few years past and the various scale insects have become widely disseminated. Owing to the small size of the scale insects their. presence is not generally known until the injury caused by their work becomes apparent. A main branch of a fruit tree dies back and upon examination is found to be covered with an incrustation of some sort showing many dark specks. We then find that the tree is infested with the San José scale shown in Fig. 1. While most scale insects are very small and only appear as minute specks, others are a quarter of an inch or more in diameter. An example of such is shown in Fig. 2, the Cottony Maple Scale, so common in some SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES 7, years upon the soft maples. ; For all scale in- }f sects we should ap- ' ply a contact insecti- s cide directly upon i Fig, 2. the insects. This will The Cottony Maple Scale. kill them by penetration and irritation. Plant Lice—These are the lice so common upon a great variety of plants throughout the summer. They may be green in color as is the case with the lice on the underside of rose leaves and omthe flowers of the common snowball in June. Some are red, a common form occurring on Rudbeckia or the Golden Glow in August. Still others are black, such as the common Cherry Aphis. Green, how- ever, is the more prevalent ‘color. Plant lice may or may not have wings, both forms being shown in Fig. 3. The most common form during the summer months are the wingless females which produce living young. Winged males appear in the autumn. Some species lay eggs in autumn which are not hatched until the following, spring, while the females of other species are pro- tected in winter by ants, who carry them to the inte- rior of their nests and in the spring place them upon Fig. 3. the proper food Plant Lice, 18 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT plant. The ants feed upon the “honey dew” which is no more nor less than the sap of plants pumped out by either scale insects or plant lice. Whenever large numbers of ants are seen upon a plant it is a good indication that either scale insects or plant lice are present. The remedy for the plant lice is the same as for the scale insects—the application of an external irritant insecticide. Lice on Domestic Animais—These exist in great va- riety, the different species of animals having a different kind of lice attacking them. Animals infested with lice should be sprayed or dipped in Kreso using one or two per cent solution. For lice on poultry dip thoroughly in a one per cent Kreso and for mites in poultry houses spray the houses thoroughly with a two per cent Kreso. SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER Spray intelligently, having a definite aim in view and knowing the results that are expected to follow. Spray thoroughly or not at all. This can be accom- plished by the application of a small amount of the spray liquid on every part of the plant, top, middle, and bottom. An excess of spray at any particular point is both wasteful of material and may cause injury to the foliage. Never spray fruit trees when in bloom. The spraying is apt to wash off the pollen and when this occurs no fruit will set. The bees of the neighborhood may also be pois- oned. Label all poisons so that you will know just what they are: Keep all poisons away from children and domestic animals. When using a solution of a strength that may damage SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES 19 foliage, spray but one or two plants at first. If no damage results after three days, it may be safely applied on a larger scale. : Never use a tin vessel in making the Bordeaux mixture or other solution containing copper. Have a good spraying outfit, one especially adapted to the work in hand. Spray in Time—A plant cannot be saved after it has been half destroyed by insects; nor will it fully recover after its tissues have become infested with a fungous disease. Plate III. Strawberry Leaf Blight. CHAPTER II. Materials Used in Spraying Fungicides are substances used in destroying fungi, which are low vegetable organisms causing disease in plants. More correctly speaking, the’ fungicide acts as a preventive of plant disease by obstructing the germination of the spores of the fungi causing such disease. Since these spores grow upon the exterior portion of plants, if we cover the plants with a coating of a copper salt or other chemical deleterious to the germination of the spores, the reproduction of the fungi is held in check and thus plant disease is prevented. Insecticides are substances used in killing insects. Those used in spraying are readily divided into two-general classes: The internal poisons and the external contact irritants, known also as the internal and external contact insecticides. The internal poisons are only used for insects with biting mouth parts and they kill because of their poisonous action. The external contact insecticides act by their penetrating and irritant qualities and while more or less useful for the destruction of all insects, they are espe- cially used against all insects whose mouth parts are formed for sucking. Bordeaux Mixture—This is the standard fungicide and consists of a combination of copper sulphate, fresh lime and water. As it is used for the prevention of nearly all fungous diseases, its proper preparation is a matter of con- siderable importance. The proportions and manner in which the various ingredients are combined so largely affect the resulting mixture that it would be a difficult matter to make identically the same mixture twice in suc- 22 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT cession. The formula in most general use is the following: Coppercsulphatew.-2acr. nee 2s 4 pounds. Fréeshitime! cis, Aten oes 4 pounds. Water tozinake sone... shoes 50 gallons. For preparing on a small scale the copper sulphate should be dissolved in 25 gallons of water, using a half barrel for such purpose. To dissolve the copper sulphate readily, it should be placed in a coarse cloth bag and suspended in the water so that the sulphate is just covered. It will not dis- solve readily if the copper sulphate is placed at the bottom of the vessel. The fresh lime should be dissolved in an- other vessel, using only a small amount of water at first, adding more as the process of slaking progresses. Then dilute to 25 gallons. The copper sulphate solution and the milk of lime should then be poured together into a third vessel, which may be the spray barrel. It is best to strain the materials when pouring them together. For such pur- pose a copper strainer of 18 or 20 meshes to the inch is best. It is important that practically equal amounts of the two solutions are poured together at the same time as illustrated in Fig. 4. Do not pour the copper sulphate into the milk of lime or vice versa, but both together into the third vessel. Otherwise the proper chemical combinations will not take place, sediment will form in the bottom of the spray barrel which will produce clogging at the nozzle and the proper results will not be obtained by the spraying. If only a limited amount of the Bordeaux mixture is to be used, the above method of its preparation should be fol- lowed. If, however, extensive orchards are to be sprayed the following methods should be employed: Stock Solutions of Lime and Copper Sulphate— Weigh out a given number of pounds of fresh lime and measure out the same number of gallons of water. Slake MATERIALS USED IN SPRAYING 23 the lime by the addition of a small amount of water at first and finally the whole amount. When this milk of lime is thoroughly stirred each gallon of the solution will con- tain Oe pound of lime. In this way a barrel of lime can be slaked at once, so that there is no loss by air slaking. Dissolve any number of pounds of copper sulphate in a like number of gallons of weter. A gallon of this solution when thoroughly stirred will contain one pound of the sul- phate. Use only a copper or granite-ware measure. Both Fig. 4, Making Bordeaux Mixture. of the stock solutions can be kept almost indefinitely if proper measures are taken to prevent evaporation of the water. To Make Bordeaux Mixture—In making a barrel of Bordeaux mixture from the stock solutions, take four gal- lons each of the copper sulphate and lime and dilute to 25 gallons of water in separate vessels. Then pour the diluted 24 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT solutions together into a third vessel or the spray barrel as already described. It is always advisable in extensive spraying operations to prepare the Bordeaux mixture on a raised nlatfort con- veniently arranged so that the spray mixtures can be drawn off into the spray barrels by gravity. A convenient water supply will materially aid in saving time during the busy spraying season. A properly prepared Bordeaux mixture is of a sky blue color. With inferior or partly air slaked lime a greenish hue results. In such case the proper chemical combina- tions have not taken place and damage to the foliage is apt to result. Damage to foliage is the result of too little lime. A good method of testing the mixture is to dissolve an ounce of yellow prussiate of potash in five ounces of water and place in a bottle for use. After thoroughly stir- ring the mixture add two or three drops of the prussiate of potash. If a reddish-brown color is formed it indicates that free copper is present and more lime is needed. If no discoloration takes place it shows that sufficient lime had already been added. In spraying peach foliage it is always advisable to have an. excess. of lime: .-In fact aimixture made=with?tagee pounds of copper sulphate, nine pounds of lime to fifty gallons of water is recommended for this special purpose. This strength is sometimes mentioned as the “Peach Bor- deaux mixture.” Insecticides with Bordeaux Mixture—In spraying many varieties of fruit trees it is advisable to add some of the stomach poisons, such as Paris green or arsenate of lead, at the rate of one-quarter pound to fifty gallons of Bordeaux mixture. In this way spraying for both insects and fungi is accomplished in a single operation. The com- MATERIALS USED IN SPRAYING 25 bination of Bordeaux mixture with the contact insecti- cides, however, is not advisable, as it would lessen the adhesive properties of the Bordeaux mixture. In the use of Bordeaux mixture the hands soon become stained. This can be removed with dilute cider vinegar or dilute acetic acid. The vinegar is also useful in cleaning the sprayer after Bordeaux mixture has been used. When applied to fruit late in the season some traces of Bordeaux mixture may remain on the fruit which will lessen its at- tractive appearance. To remove, dip in vinegar and then in clear water. Where much spraying is to be done, the copper sulphate should be purchased by the barrel from a wholesale druggist and should then cost not more than six cents per pound. Ammoniacal Copper Carbonate—This is used as a fungicide when the stain of Bordeaux mixture upon ma- turing fruit or ornamental plants is objectionable. It is a clear light blue solution and leaves no stain. It is inferior as a fungicide, however, to Bordeaux mixture and is also more apt to cause injury to foliage. It loses strength when standing in open vessels, but may be kept indefinitely in closed Mason jars or “stoppered” bottles. Formula for making is as follows: Copperrcatponate... 2.255. -\- +. 5 ounces. Strom aiiimMoniay shi. «cee sine is 1 quart. Water to make...... Ee Rose eee 50 gallons. Dilute the ammonia with two gallons of water. Add enough to the copper carbonate to make a thin paste, pour on about half the ammonia and stir thoroughly. Allow the mixture to settle and then pour off the top, leaving the undissolved portion behind. Repeat this operation, using small portions of the remaining ammonia until all the copper sulphate is dissolved, using no more ammonia than 26 SPRAVING. FOR PROFIT is necessary to complete the solution. Then add the re- mainder of the required amount of water. Lime and Sulphur Solution—This is an effective spray material being both fungicide and insecticide in its action. It originated on the Pacific coast, but in more recent years has come more extensively into general use for the destruc- tion of scale insects and prevention of fungous diseases. It can be used only in winter or early spring, while the trees are dormant. It is most effective when applied just before the buds begin to swell. Of the many formulas used in its pre- paration, the following is perhaps the best: Fresh lime... -ss-: sacra eee 20 pounds. Flowers .of sulphur... a eee 15 pounds. Salt. ota ee eee 10 pounds. Water tOcinake-naoe oe ae 50 gallons. If a good grade of lime is used which has not at all become air slaked, 15 pounds will probably be sufficient, but with partly air slaked lime 20 to 30 pounds will be needed, as lime absorbs an equal weight of water in be- coming air slaked. To prepare the solution, place the lime in an iron kettle, or vat if steam is used, and slake it with hot water, adding water enough to make about ten gallons. The sulphur and salt are then added and thoroughly mixed. Now boil the ‘mixture from 40 to 60 minutes, stirring it constantly. When the sulphur is all dissolved further cooking is un- necessary. As the sulphur dissolves more readily in a concentrated mixture with lime, it is best not to have too much water during the process of boiling. The mixture, however, should not be allowed. to become pasty and water should therefore be added during’the boiling whenever it seems necessary. Upon the completion of the cooking process, pass the mixture through a wire strainer and dilute MATERIALS USED IN SPRAYING 27 to the required amount of water. It is preferable to use hot water for the dilution or else have a boiler sufficiently large to bring the mixture to a boil after the dilution. The salt increases the adhesiveness of the mixture, but many orchardists leave it out with apparently good results. The mixture is best applied to the trees while still hot, as it is then less liable to clog the nozzle. When allowed to stand over night, reheating is necessary owing to the forma- tion of sulphur crystals. It is therefore best to prepare the mixture only as needed for immediate application. When large quantities are wanted, arrangements should be made whereby a connection with a boiler may be had and the cooking accomplished by steam. Kerosene—Petroleum has long been a standard as an insecticide of the external irritant class, killing by its pene- trating and irritant qualities. It cannot be applied to plants, however, in an undiluted state without causing considerable injury. As it cannot be diluted with water, various other materials have been introduced to accomplish this result. The methods of dilution which have received most attention are kerosene emulsion, the kerosene-lime mixtures, and the kesosene sprayers, which automatically mix oil and water in the act of pumping. Kerosene emulsion was first introduced about 1878 by the making of either a milk or soap emulsion. The milk emulsion, however, was never satisfactory. Neither was the soap emulsion, for that matter, until 1904, but for twenty years past the agricultural papers and Experiment Station bulletins have repeatedly contained the directions for its preparation simply because we had nothing better to take its place as a contact insecticide. The trouble has been that the making of an emulsion has required boiling soap suds and much agitation. Hence the emulsion has never been in 28 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT general use in spite of all that has been said in its favor. In 1904, however, the writer sprayed two thousand maple trees with the emulsion, using a special soft soap containing 40 per cent naphtha and sold under the trade name of “Tak-a-nap” soap. This proved so satisfactory in making the emulsion on a large scale that no one need now hesitate in using the emulsion on account of difficulty in prepar- ing it. Similar soaps containing a large percent naphtha will do as well. : : To make a 10 per cent emulsion with the naphtha soap, dissolve one pound of the soap in two and one-half gallons of water by thoroughly stirring for a few minutes. Then pour two and one-half gallons of kerosene into the dis- solved soap and mix thoroughly by pumping it twice through a bucket sprayer. Then dilute with 20 gallons of water, thus making 22% gallons of water to 2% gallons of kerosene or 10 per cent kerosene to the entire mixture. Any desired per cent of emulsion can be made by simply varying the amount of water used for dilution. For a description of the special kerosene sprayers, where- by dilution is accomplished during the act of pumping, see page 37. For two years past attention has been called to the desir- ability of making a kerosene-lime emulsion by means of a special grade of hydrated lime. Should this way of pro- ducing the emulsion prove what its advocates claim, it will be a very satisfactory method of making a combined spray- ing mixture. Different sprayologists, however, report such varying results with its use that it is doubtful if the mix- ture will come into general use. Paris Green—This is the “old reliable” insecticide used for all insects that chew their food. But there are certain disadvantages in its use and the arsenate of lead is rapidly coming into favor as a better insecticide. The Paris green & MATERIALS USED IN SPRAYING 29 is often adulterated. It does not remain long in suspension in water and thus requires much agitation during the pro- cess of spraying. In order to prevent injury to foliage it is always best to add a little fresh lime when spraying tender foliage like the peach. The Paris green is generally used at the rate of one-fourth pound of the green to fifty gallons of water, or a teaspoonful of the green to a bucket of water. When mixing the green with water, add only a small amount of water at first to make a paste. Or when adding the green to Bordeaux mixture make a paste first and then stir into the entire amount of Bordeaux. Arsenate of Lead—This is a stomach poison which is rapidly taking the place of Paris green for such purpose. Its great advantages are that it adheres well to the foliage and hence the spraying does not have to be repeated as it does not readily wash off by rain. It also remains sus- pended well in water so that an even distribution can be obtained. It is white in color and shows just where it has been applied. But perhaps its principal advantage les in the fact that it does not injure tender foliage. It is thus worthy of very general use. It can be purchased in the market under the trade name of “Disparene,” or can be prepared by the following formula: PUESeHALESOLOSOUAy 29) oh. bane ee 4 ounces. NCCI AEP OLeleAGu nes. hb. a ewes 11 ounces. NEN Wes ek 3 een a a ae Brule it a me 16 gallons. Dissolve each separately in a half gallon of warm water, mix together and add water to make sixteen gallons. The commercial arsenate of lead can be purchased ready for use from the seed stores or any deter in other insec- ticides. Other Insecticides—There are many other insecticides used in spraying but none are as good as those here given and their use is not. recommended. The same may be said 30 ‘ SPRAYING FOR) PROFIT regarding other fungicides. It is far better to use only a few substances and know how to use these properly than to experiment with others of less value. Special Preparations—Many of these are upon the market and while they are not to be generally recom- mended, yet some of them are most excellent, especially for certain purposes. A distinction should be made between the preparations placed on the market by well established, reliable firms and the preparations put out by the firms of mushroom growth. The fact that ary special preparation has been on the market for a number of years is a good indication that the article has merit. Good examples of this are shown in the merits of Disparene, Kreso and slug- Shot. Disparene is simply arsenate of lead in convenient form, Kreso is a coal tar product very useful as a disin- fectant as well as insecticide, while slug-shot is a mixture of gypsum and other chemicals which has been on the market for many years. Liquid or Dry Application ?—The application of fungi- cides and insecticides in dry form is more easily accom- plished than in the liquid form. The results obtained, however, are rarely satisfactory, as the material used will not stay upon the foliage. At best it can only be applied to the upper surface of the leaves. There are cases, aowever, as on hillsides where dry application may be advis- able. In case of some low ne hate ets cs growing plants, especially the cabbage, dry application is very convenient. The best machine for dry application to low growing plants is shown in Fig. 5. Plate IV. Power Spra prayer. CHAPTER III. spray Pumps and Outfits Best Outfits Only—It does not pay to waste time in the use of poor outfits. A pump that is continually getting out of order had better be thrown away. All working parts should be made of brass. Iron soon corrodes by the action of the spray chem- icals. A rubber valve is soon Fig. 6. swelled by kerosene. Use Spray Bellows. only an outfit suited for the purpose in hand and have several outfits where necessary. Spray Bellows and Atomizers—Fig. 6 shows a form of bellows quite popular some years ago. It is a con- venient form for greenhouse work, but in general use becomes very tiresome. These cost from one to two dol- lars. Fig. 7 shows an atomizer which has the advantage of making the spray solution cover foliage without any waste of materials. For spraying on a small scale, with a few low plants, flowers, or rose bushes, they do very well if nothing better is at hand. ‘They are not adapted for tree spraying’and cost from $1.00 to $2.50, depending on the material of their construction. Those made of tin last only a few weeks as only copper or brass will stand the corrosive ac- Fig. 7. tion of the chem- Spray Atomizer. icals. Bucket Spray Pumps—One of the many styles of this class of sprayers is shown in Fig. 8. These cost from $1.00 to $5.00, the cheaper ones being made of tin, with either a 4 34 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT tin nozzle or none at all. A good bucket sprayer, with a proper nozzle and made with all brass working parts, 1s a very useful and convenient apparatus. They are useful in all spraying operations on a small scale and also useful in washing buggies, whitewashing, and for fighting fire. A. nozzle which throws .a_ solid stream is the best for this style of spray- ers. Knapsack Sprayers—Some _ years ago the knapsack sprayer was more pop- ular than at present, as operators have Fig. 8. found it tiresome to carry five gallons Bucket Sprayer. Gf spray liquid on the back. To lessen these objections the author has suggested certain improve- ments, the result being shown in the pattern illustrated in Fig. 9. This form of knapsack sprayer can be readily changed into a bucket sprayer by removing the lever and long han- dle and substituting the handle shown in the dotted lines. The cost of. a knapsack sprayer with copper tank is from $8.00 to $10.00, depending on the construction and quality of material. They are of special use in spraying small vineyards, garden vegetables and potatoes. Barrel Spray Pumps—These are force pumps fastened to the side or end of an oil or whisky Fig. 9. barrel. Of the many styles on the Knapsack Sprayer. SPRAY PUMPS AND OUTFITS 35 market those with a submerged cylinder, as shown in Fig. 10, are perhaps preferable. A good r.echanical agitator is absolutely essential ina barrel sprayer. For the best work three persons are necessary in operating the out- fil, one to drive and pump and one each to operate the two sec- tions of hose. The hose sections should be of varying length, de- pending upon the work to be agone. When the spraying is done by the operators standing Fig. 10. ia the wagon 10 to 12 foot sec- Barnes eer tay er: tions are sufficient, but with large trees where the operators work from the ground, longer hose is essential. Every bar- rel sprayer, or any other outfit with two sections of hose, should be provided with a three-way cock. this will enable the spray to be shut off from either one or both hose sections and there is thus no Waste Of materials. The cost of a barrel spraying outfit ranges from $5.00 to $20.00. Compressed Air Outfits—The general character of these spray- ers, is shown in Fig. Hl. With them the work of pumping is ex- ceedingly easy. The outfits con- sist of an air-tight receptacle and _ Fig. 11. an air pump. They are convenient Compressed Air Sprayer. 36 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT for small work, but lack agitators so that unless the tanks are kept constantly shaken an uneven and ineffective spray- ing is done. With good agitators they would be worthy of more general use. Another style of sprayers similar to these is the “Gas” sprayer wherein the power for spraying is obtained by liquefied carbonic gas. They are made from 50 to 200 gallons in capacity and cost from $75.00 to $200.00. Fig. 12. Power Sprayer. Power Sprayers—Steam engine outfits have been used to some extent but the cost of fuel and labor as well as loss of time in starting give the gasoline outfits the advantage. A steam power sprayer is shown in Plate IV. Gasoline sprayers where the power is furnished by a gasoline engine of about one and one-half to three horse power are now be- coming quite popular in all large spraying operations. Spray- ing is such an essential practice in parks and large orchards, that the first cost of an outfit is not nearly so important as the saving of time in labor, and the convenience which is SPRAY PUMPS AND OUTFITS 37 cbtained with a gasoline sprayer, The general character of these outfits is shown in Fig. 12. A special spray tank is provided and four leads of hose can be cperated at once. The cost of these out- fits ranges from $100.00 to $300.00, the last named being for complete outfits, is.cluding wagon truck, tank, hose, etc. The Kerosene Sprayers—tThese consist of a kerosene attachment to the bucket and knapsack sprayers, whereby kerosene and water are mixed in the act of pumping. The kerosene is placed in Fig. 18. Kerosene Indicator, a separate tank which connects with the pump cylinder by means of a suction pipe. The regular reservoir is filled with water, and by this means both kerosene and water are forced through the pump at each stroke of the plunger. The mixture of the two liquids takes place partly in the The knapsack style sprayers are wanted ie: oy Fig. 14. Knapsack Kerosene 7 Sprayer. pecially where the sprayers. pump but more especially at the nozzle, where they are divided into very fine particles. The proportions of oil are controlled by means of a valve which is connected to an indicator on top of the kerosene tank as shown in Fig. 13. of these sprayers is shown in Fig. 14. The kerosene tanks are readily detached when the for applying other liquids and they then become the same as the ordinary bucket or knapsack Extensions—In spraying trees, es- hose is operated 38 SPRAYING FOR PROFIT from the ground, some arrangement is neces- sary whereby the nozzle is held near the toliage or branches. This may be accom- plished either by means of an extension pipe, or an extra section of hose and pole connec- tion. An extension pipe should consist of a quarter inch brass tube inside of a bamboo pole. This will be found to be much lighter Pole and more easily handled than an ordinary iron Connection. pipe. With an extra section of hose and pole connection such as shown in Fig. 15, the same object of holding the nozzle near the foliage is also accomplished. Field Sprayers—In spraying low growing crops on a large scale it is quite important to have an outfit arranged with several nozzles adjustable in position so that several rows of potatoes or other crops can be sprayed at a time. Such an outfit is shown in Fig. 16. Generally all that is needed is the regular barrel sprayer placed in a wagon and arranged with several leads of hose and nozzles. Special outfits of this nature are on the market. Nozzles—The nozzle is perhaps the most important feature of a spray outfit. What is wanted in all spraying operations is the application of a fine mist and not drops of the liquid. A perfect nozzle would be one where the liquid is thrown a considerable distance in a fine mist-like spray, without waste oi materials, and one Yq fe = that could be changed Lt Fig. 16, Field Sprayer. ar to throw a coarser eee 3 i) } spray Of...a solid \ = bh