VOL. LIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MAY 6, 1899.
NO. 18
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DOES IT PAY TO SPRAY FRUIT?
What Fluid do You Uie?    What Sprayer?
When?    How Often?
let Premium.—In traveling through the
country it ia surprising to see the orchards
utterly neglected, that would have made the
most profitable and beautiful place on the
farm had they been properly cultivated, fertilized, pruned and especially sprayed. While
the cultivation, fertilization and pruning of
an orchard ia very helpful to the development
of growth and fruit buds, spraying is indis-
pensible if we are to gather any fruit worthy
the name from the treea. Who can enjoy eating a little knarly apple, when lying on a
table by his aide is a large fine specimen,
painted moat beautifully by nature, with an
aroma and taste ao tempting? The greatest
gift God has given us, a fine large apple. The
knarly specimen is a representative of the unsprayed tr.se, the perfect, of the thoroughly
sprayed tree and the contrast ia ao great that
we can readily see why the farmer should
spray hia treea.
But, you say, is not this illustration drawn
too wide? Ia not thie contrast too great? I
answer, no! Tou might raise without spraying some favorable year, a few very nice specimens of apple, but thia ia an exception, not a
rule, and should never be produced aa an argument against spraying,
It haa been demonstrated by the leading
fruit growera of our country, that not only
the apple but all treea and small fruits must
be sprayed to produce the most perfect fruit.
So why should we become "doubting
Thomases?" Standing around asking each
other if it will pay, when we have the testimonials of bo many of our most successful
men, who say they have saved their cropa of
applea, peare, cherries, plums, peaches and in
fact all our fruita from the attack8 of insects
and fungi by thorough and systematic spraying. The thing for ua to do is to procure a
first class sprayer and commence work this
spring. The expense ig not so great, compared with the hundred of dollars one invests
in machinery to till his farm, and the returns
are even more satisfactory. Three to four applications are usually sufficient to insure success. Instructions for applying and formulas
are sent out by all horticultural journals, experiment stations and reliable spray pump
manufacturers, ao by a little careful study and
experience you will be able to rid your trees
and plants of all insect pesta and greatly diminish the dangers from fungus diseases.
If I were asked why a commercial fruit
grower did not spray, I would be tempted to
say, he does not know enough or is too dilatory, but when aaked why the farmers do not
"pray, the reasons are many. Firat, the thrifty
farmer is a very busy man at the time
"praying should be done and is likely to neglect tho spraying to attend to the usual
routine of work. A remedy for thia would be
to form a company in your community and
employ a careful and experienced man to rig
up an outfit and do your epraying at a set
Price per tree, this being somewhat on the
Plan you thresh your grain it should prove a
success if the proper man is obtainable. Another reason ia because the farmer ae a class
has not awakened to the necessity of spraying,
he haa had other weighty problems to solre
and has pot given this sufficient thought. But
when the subject is mentioned to him he readily admits that there ahould be something done
to destroy these peets that are ruining our orchards and making our fruit unsightly and
unpalatable. And thus we could continue
through a score of "whys." Some saying, "I
can buy fruit cheaper than I can raise and
spray it."   yeg) you r~_n buy a few quarts of
berriee or a buehel of apples cheaper than you
can raise a bountiful supply for your family,
but if you buy all your family should have.you
will find a handsome balance in favor of
'raising it." In closing let me say, don't forget to use the spray pump in your orchards
and berry patches. If you are skeptical as to
the benefit it will be, give it a thorough trial
and I assure you you will be pleased with the
result on your treea and plants and more than
pleased with the bountiful supply of perfect
fruit obtained. W. J. W.
Oarmel.
2d Premium.—Sprayine to prevent varioua
insect pests, particularly those of the orchard
and garden, haa reached ao satisfactory and
inexpensive a basis that is recognized by every progressive farmer as a necessary feature
of the year's operations, and in the caee of apple, pear, and plumb crops, the omission of
such treatment meana serious loss. The consequent demand for spraying apparatus has
been met by all the leading pump manufacturers of this country, and ready-fitted apparatus, consisting of pump, spray-tank and
nozzle with hose, are on the market at very
reasonable prices. The two more satisfactory nozzles are two Dixon and Vermont
type. Paris green and London purple are especially adapted to biting Insects, including
the majority of the injurious caterpillars,
many beetles and locusts, and are applied
either in water or powder. The application
ia preferable either in the early morning or
late evening, when the dow ig on. Hellebore
is more valuable for the currant worm than
for other biting insects. This poison can be
aafely applied to vegetables shortly before
they are to be eaten. Keroeene emulsion is
especially adapted to sucking insects, including plant lugs, plant lice scale insects,
thrips, and plant-feeding mites. Bisulphide
of carbon is a cheap and effective remedy for
root lice of the grape, apple, peach, etc.
Spraying ie most beneficial if applied to the
blossoms but is not hurtful if applied the
whole season. [Don't spray while in bloom—
epray either before or after.   Ed. ]
DeKalb Oo. S. M. N.
BKVIBW.
It is rssally no wonder that the majority of
farmerg do not spray. The directions are quite
simple too. It is remarkable to notice how
eaey.it ie to protect one's fruit. The etudy of
tbe problem is quite complicated. But the
stations have worked it out for us, I remember the firet time I prepaired the epraying
mixtures, it seemed new and strange ground
to work on. It required a little fussing to get
wooden dishes and scales and measures. Take
the bordeaux mixture. It eays dissolve 5 lbs.
of copper aulphate, or bluo etone, in two or
three gallons of water. This waa eaeily done
by putting it in a bag and hanging it in water
overnight. I learned afterwards that it dissolves more quickly in waim water. Next
slack 5 pounds of lime with hot water and dilute to a whitewash and pour it ln the other
solution. I tried to strain it through cheese
cloth. My wife ecolded me for having eo little sense. Of couree any old woman knowe
you can't etrain whitewash through any cloth
if your life were at etake. But men have it to
learn. So I strained it through wire musquito
bar. Then etir a bit eay about as long as it
takes a woman to get ready to sew on a button, and the thing ie done, and ready to serve.
Now if you want to be sure and not scorch a
leaf you may buy a pennye worth of ferrocy-
anide of potassium, (that is a jawbreaker but
it is eo big you can't miss it,) dissolve it in a
little cold water, take a few drops of your
spraying mixture and drop a little of the other into it. If it turns it brown it means that
the epraying mixture ia acid and will sear foliage. So you need to add a little more lime
and test again.   I mention thie because sever
al have been disgusted at searing leaves and
abandoned the whole thing. There is no danger if ono uses this test for acid. It is very
slmplo and you need not be afraid if you do
add a little too much lime. A great deal too
much lime makes the trees look white and
ugly. Don't forget to dilute to 40 or 50 gallons before uBing, if used after the leaves appear. I used it at 25 gallons before tho buds
started. For coddling moth and other insects that bite, add one-half pound of Paris
green to the 50 gallons of Bordeaux mixture.
First make a smooth paste by mixing the Paris
Green with a little water and then stir it in,
I have spoken at some length because I wanted to show some who may not receive bulle
tins that it easy to follow directions. Any one
wishing to spray ehould eend to Purdue and
get a bulletin on spraying. It telle minutely
when to epray and how.
I think I have the beet knapsack sprayer,
made by Morrill & Morley, Benton Harbor,
Mich. It workB well but is not intended for
bearing apple trees. It cost ten dollars, and a
large pump for a barrel can be bought for that
or a little more.
Spraying is really very efficient. It is often
spoken of as an insurance. It is easy as rolling off a log when you know how. In Oregon
they don't pretend to sow small grain without
treating it for smut. In France they crush
every silk worm moth after it has laid its egg
to test with a microscope whether it is free
from the silk worm disease. In this country
we are new and have grown up amid plenty.
But so many enemies have appeared that the
only way to farm successfully is to farm Intelligently. And sooner or later all fruitgrowing will be dono with epraying. While we are
learning it we are growing faulty crops and
eating imperfect fruit and little of it. But we
shall learn it after while.
Farmers are bo busy I have but little copy
now adaya. ■ It ia a good time to write.
A few peach bloom. If all the bloom of ap-
plee, plums and cherries mature there will be
a fair crop of fruit. Oat* and barley up and
growing fine. D. M. A.
gtlltz _lZX0B.
No. 1GG, May 13.—Experience in melon cul
ture.   Soil, planting, bugs, marketing.
No. 1G7, May 20.—Give your beet variety of
potatoes. How do you secure vitality and a
good stand, and prevent blight and bugs?
No. 168. May 27.—A friend has a living room
in the S. E. front of a two etory house. It hae
a bay window and one other large window,
and measuree 16x18x10 feet. How can she
paper it and furnish it, carpet, pictures and
all the rest? (Other rooms will match it later.)
The cost should suit a 160 acre farm.
No. 169, June 3.—Name popular mietakra in
corn culture. Does it pay to detassel barren
stalks? Or to plant a few late rowe for pollen?
No. 170, June 10.—Tell ue sbouta nice farmers' picnic.  How make it lively and restful?
No. 171, June 17.—Experience in eowing rye,
beane, clover, or other feed crope in corn.
No. 172, June 24.—How best clean rooms in
daily housework, floors, furniture, brass, pictures and the like.
No. 173, July 1.—The effect of the policy of
political expanelon on American agricultural
ntereetg. 	
Premiume of $1 75 cente and 50 cents will be
given to 1st, 2d and 3d beet articles each week.
Let copy be ae practicable as poeelble and forwarded 10 dayg before publication to
Oarmel. E. H. Oollins.
Fletcher Vlckery, son of John Vickery, of
Llncolnville, id in a dying condition, the effect of a kick in the breast from a colt.
It developes that the suicide of Henry Olay
Morris, a wealthy bachelor farmer of Henry
county, was becauso his taxes were high.
Horses near Andersonville are dying of an
epidemic the character of which baflles veterinary skill. Horses take it and die in a few
hours. The loss of a great many valuable animals is reported.
Schell Emery, in the vicinity of Windfall,
stopped a runaway team and attempted to
drive the horses back to the starting point. A
second runaway followed, in which Emery
waa thrown out and killed.
The house on the farm of Ohristain Ubel-
messer near Tell Oity was consumed by fire.
The house was old, and since a new house had
been built, had been used bb a storehouse for
farming implements and grain. About 500
bushels of wheat were consumed. The origin
of the fire is unknown.
Allie Olark and Sammy Brown, two lads
about eight or ten years old, of Seymour have
been experimenting with gunpowder. They
found a bottle with a small amount of powder, which they took to the city park, then
stuffed a piece of paper into the mouth of the
bottle, lighted it and awaited rsssults. The
Claik boy, who held the bottle, hag hig ta.ce .
dadly disfigured by the burning powder and
the pieces of broken glass, and his eye is seriously injured.
A few weeks ago there was born to Mr. and
Mrs. John Riffle of Muncie a girl baby, perfectly formed in every way eicept that the
child possessed but one leg. The case has
aroused considerable interest among tbe the
physicians who have examined the baby.
Where the leg should be is a stump much resembling that upon a limb after amputation.
The baby is strong, bright and well, and gives
every indication of living.
Near St. Croix, April 22d, Willie Bird, te
years old, while leaning over a pen in which a
number of hogs were confined, lost hig balance and fell face downward between the
trough and the fence, within reach of the animals. He was instantly attacked, and hia
clothing was torn in ehreds, besides which he
was bitten ln sixty places before the beasts
were driven off and the lad was rescued. The
child is prostrated by the shock, and the fright
he sustained may prove more hurtful than the
bites which ho received.
Abram Robeson, near Grantsburg, while
hunting for a stray horee which had been
missing for two days, noticed a large black-
snake, which retreated toward a cave formed
by an overhanging ledge of rocks in one of
the high bluffs eurrounding his pasture land.
His horse wae found lying in this cavern, but
covered by what looked to him like a mountain of snakes, so numerous were the reptiles.
Robeson fled to his home and secured his
shotgun, with which he returned and opened
fire until his cartridges were exhausted. After
the battle he counted the bodies of 413enakee,
lying around and over the body of hie horse,
which was dead, while many reptiles escaped
in a wounded condition. He believes that
his horee, which was a magnificent animal
weighing one thousand or more pounds had
been charmed by the reptiles so that he was
powerless to escape, and he had finally euc-
cumed through weakneee and fallen on hie
eide. It wag apparent algo that the horse was
not quite dead when the shooting began.
POSTAL CARD CORRESPONDENCE.
Faykttb Co., April 19 —Glorioua weather
for beee; plums, sweet cherries and pears in
full bloom, and apples ready to open; peach
trees are not dead, but crippled badly; wheat
good; clover better; acreage large, and prospect never better for red and white clover.
Farmers here have for years past been alive to
the value of clover as a fertilizer, and their
lands are getting more productive every year.
Test your eeed corn in good time. J, S.
Rome, Kansas, April 22.—Oold backward
spring; season two weeks late; corn about all
planted. Wheat all the way from nothing to
good; eome plowed up and sowed in oata and
corn.   About 66 per cent, of crop at present.
However pricee run, it ls a good thing for
the land to raiee a crop or two of potatoes;
it becomes pretty thoroughly cleaned of noxious weeds and ie put in a mellowed condition. Potatoes can be followed with rye or
some other forage crop, and no time is loat
with unoccupied ground. If seed are cheap
it pays to raise potatOsss plentifully, for the
crop will be a paying one to the painstaking
farmer; and if the prices are very low the
yield can be fed very profitably to the cows
and pigs. A rotation of cropg in this small
way tends to add variety to the home-grown
supply of stock foodg and gives the farmer a
fuller and better control of hia lands In forcing them to yield him crops to the extreme
limit of the capacity of his acres.