Spray the fruit trees

              NEW MEXICO COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS
AND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Press Bulletin No. 10
SPRAY THE FRUIT TREES
So far as I know, there are no serious fungus diseases of orchard
fruits in New Mexico; but the apple and pear are badly damaged by the
codling moth, also known as the apple worm. While the testimony of experimenters differs much as to the benefit to be derived from spraying
with parisgreen solution as a means of killing the codling moth, the
great majority of those who have tried it recommend the practice. Its
success is largely proportional to the sureness with which the work is
done.
To make parisgreen solution, use 2 pounds of lime -and one pound of
paris green to 160 gallons of water, or one quart of each to a barrel
of water. Take unslaked lime, and after weighing slake and strain it.
Its purpose is to prevent injury to the foliage. Weigh the poison and
then moisten thoroughly with a very little water, making a paste, add
water gradually until a complete solution is made.  If much water is
added to the dry poison it will form lumps and not mix readily. Having
placed the lime and poison solutions in the barrel add enough water to
fill it. The solution is best applied to the trees by means of a spraying
pump attached to the barrel.  This is carried on a wagon, the work being
better done from above if possible. The nozzle should be graduated to
throw a spray as fine as mist, and every part of the- tree should be
reached, but no more need be applied than will cause dripping from the
tree. Practice and cure are necessary to apply the poison evenly and
thoroughly, and every fruit should be reached.
The time to spray is after the blossoms fall and before the fruit
stems curve downward.  It is best to make two or three sprayings;  first,
just as the last petals fall;  then again at intervals of about 10 days.
The codling moth is most apt to lay its eggs in the blossom end of the
fruit;  hence it is especially important that the blossom end be well
covered with poison.  This is why the spraying should be done while the
tiny fruits stand erect on their stems. As soon as the egg hatches the
worm begins feeding, eating its way into the fruit. To be at all effective the poison must be on the fruit when the worm is hatched.  In the
southern parts of the territory the codling moth has three or four broods
a year, and is much more difficult to combat than in northern New Mexico
and at high elevations;  but spring spraying should greatly reduce the
number of worms, even where there is more than one brood a year. A
bulletin has been issued by the Agricultural Experiment Station on the
codling moth which will be sent free postage prepaid to any address on
application to the president of the Agricultural College, Mesilla Park,
N. Mex.
Chas. A. Keffer
May 17, 1899