Part 26 (2/2)

The President: How much?

Mr. Stakman: I would rather leave that to Professor Ruggles. We used from 2-1/2 to 3 pounds and Mr. Ruggles, I think, found 2-1/2 pounds was enough.

The President: That is, 2-1/2 pounds to 50 gallons of water with the other ingredients?

Mr. Stakman: Yes.

Mr. Dyer: I would like to ask if you have ever used a.r.s.enate of lead for spraying plums?

Mr. Stakman: In the experiments which we conducted in co-operation with Mr. Ruggles, of the Division of Entomology, we always used a.r.s.enate of lead in the first two sprayings to kill the curculio.

Mr. Dyer: I had quite an experience, so I want to know what your experience was.

Mr. Stakman: We never had any trouble with it.

Mr. Dyer: I have had an experience of thirty years, and I have never seen or had on my place any brown rot, and I never was troubled with any curculio, and I practically always used a.r.s.enate of lead.

Mr. Cashman: Isn't it a fact if you begin spraying your plum trees when they are young and spray them early, at the right time, you have very little trouble with the brown rot? And spray them every year?

Mr. Stakman: Yes, that is it. You might be disappointed the first year if the orchard had never been sprayed, but by spraying year after year you finally cut it down.

Mr. Cashman: You said a pressure of 200 pounds ought to be used?

Mr. Stakman: Yes, but it isn't necessary to get an expensive power sprayer to keep up that pressure. There are sprayers on the market that cost from $30 to $40 which have a pressure tank by which the pressure can be maintained at from 175 to 250 pounds without any great amount of trouble, that is, for a small orchard. If you have a big enough orchard for a power sprayer, of course get it.

Mr. M'Clelland: This summer my plum trees, the leaves all turned brown and came off. What is the reason?

Mr. Stakman: When did it happen?

Mr. M'Clelland: Along in August, I think; July or August.

Mr. Stakman: What kind of soil were they on?

Mr. M'Clelland: Clay.

Mr. Stakman: Did you spray?

Mr. M'Clelland: Yes, sir, I sprayed.

Mr. Stakman: What did you use?

Mr. M'Clelland: Lime-sulphur, I think.

Mr. Stakman: Did the whole leaf turn brown?

Mr. M'Clelland: Yes, sir, the whole leaf turned brown and came off.

Mr. Stakman: How strong did you use the lime-sulphur?

Mr. M'Clelland: Not very strong.

Mr. Stakman: If you use very strong lime-sulphur you sometimes get such an effect on both plums and apples. Sometimes the leaves fall, and almost immediately you get a new crop of leaves.

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