that objection in this way. I would like to ask how many farmers who were not growing orchards five years ago in Wisconsin have started growing? You would not need the fingers of one hand to count them. Now, while this may be a little out of place, we have come to this proposition, that unless we take care of our fruit better in the future than we have in the past, that the Wisconsin farm orchard is going just exactly the same way as the Michigan farm orchard, and that is that with the lack of cultivation and lack of proper handling today, the Michigan farm orchard is passing out; in ten years there will be very few good farm orchards in Michigan. Wisconsin is going just the same way. Perhaps we cannot get every farmer to take up a system of this kind and cultivate, but just as soon as this farmer sees the benefit of cultivating fruit trees, just as much as he sees the benefit of cultivation of his corn, he is going to cultivate it. We go into a district and spray; we can get but one man to spray, but as soon as his neighbor sees he is getting results, then he will spray too.

A Member: If you spray trees pretty well before the berries get ripe, if you have strawberries in the rows, you are apt to get some of the poison on them.

Prof. Moore: You would have to eat several bushels of berries in order to get enough poison to hurt you.

The President: I want to say something in regard to this mixing up so many things in the orchard. A few years ago I noticed in Mr. Franklin Johnson's blackberries that there was quite a difference in the rows. He had planted blackberries eight feet apart and strawberries between; the strawberries lasted long enough so that they had a decided effect on the blackberries, the blackberries showed the bad effect of having the strawberries in between, and I am not quite sure if you try blackberries and raspberries in your orchard long enough to have it worth while, that you would find that they get badly in your way in orchard work.

Prof. Moore: Do you think the bad effect upon the trees or upon the small fruit would be as great if the small fruit was planted in the orchard, as it would to have both small fruits and orchard setting in sod?

The President:

I will answer, if you get up a man's enthusiasm sufficiently to cultivate his orchard, why in the world make it so much harder to do it as to put those things in, when he can

do both better by having them separate, and he could cultivate in his orchard beans and various crops that could be got rid of when he wanted to, instead of holding them in the ground longer than he wanted to hold them.

SPRAYING THE FARM ORCHARD.

PROF. J. G. MILWARD.

To facilitate a prompt discussion of essential details, the writer has in mind a mixed orchard of about 300 bearing trees. It is not intended to make any comparison between commercial and farm orchard spraying, as obviously, the work in the farm orchard is merely an application of methods which have been found profitable on a commercial basis. From the size of the orchard selected, the small fruit grower should be able to make the necessary applications to his own conditions.

What will be the cost per acre of spraying 300 bearing trees? An itemized statement prepared this season from spraying six acres of apples is given.

Bordeaux mixture formula: Blue vitrol

Lime

Water

8 lbs.

10 lbs.

100 gals.

The cost of 100 gallons of Bordeaux mixture equals approximately sixty cents. As indicated in the statement eight pounds of Arsenate of Lead is added which brings the total cost of 100 gallons of spray mixture up to $1.50. The necessity of giving attention to the dates mentioned is important, inasmuch as they cover the season when the common orchard pests are at work on the trees. The statement given makes full allowance for labor and expense, and if the fruit grower is not willing to make the investment indicated (relative of course, to his own conditions) he had better not attempt orchard spraying.

Note. A reasonable discount on the above may be had from most firms on a full order.

Utensils. Most fruit growers begin work with too few utensils for mixing. Where barrels are used, at least five should be available with a capacity of 50 gallons each. Stock solutions of both blue vitrol and lime should be prepared as directed, and three barrels should be used for mixing purposes. Provide either a burlap or brass strainer and two cheap, ten-quart mixing pails. Where access to water flow through pipes is available, this system of mixing could of course, be extended to larger tanks, and the gravity system of filling used as a substitute for the dipping process. However, these methods apply more to commercial orchard spraying. Easy access to a good water supply reduces the labor of mixing.

Mixing Details. Where 500 gallons of spray mixture is required for an application prepare as follows:

The day before spraying suspend forty pounds of blue vitrol in forty gallons of water. Hang the sack of blue vitrol high up in the water or it will not dissolve. This makes blue vitrol stock solution, one gallon of which equals one pound of blue vitrol as per formula.

Slake fifty pounds of fresh stone lime in another barrel taking care not to "burn" or "drown" the lime. Let stand as thick hot lime for one hour, stirring occasionally. Dilute to one-half barrel. This makes lime stock solution, one gallon of which equals two pounds of lime in the formula.

To make 100 gallons of Bordeaux mixture as per formula given above pour eight gallons of blue vitrol in one 50 gallon barrel and fill with water. Pour five gallons of lime stock solution in another 50 gallon barrel and fill with water. Strain at the same time equal amounts of these two solutions through a burlap sack, into a clean barrel. This makes the Bordeaux mixture. The mixture may then be poured directly into the spray tank.