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FRUIT NOTES
JULT 1935 - NOVEMBER 19U9
Extension Service
Univex^ity of Massachusetts
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(Set No. 2)
FRUIT NOTES
1936 - 194-9 (inclusive)
(Compiled by W. H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist)
Since 1936, this periodical has been issued by the Extension
Service as a means of informing Massachusetts fruit growers on
matter of current interest. Both tree fruits and small fruits
have been included. The first mimeographed issue in March, 1936
was preceded by carbon copies of similar material mailed from
time to time to the County Extension offices. (Two of these releases,
July and August 1935, are here included).
It has been our purpose through the years to cover a wide
variety of items and to have the write-ups relatively brief.
Considerable attention has been given to abstracting Experiment
Station reports and to the presentation of timely information. A
casual survey of this material, month by month, will provide the
reader with a running account of the various problems confronting
the fruit grower in years past and the suggested solutions.
For various reasons, there are quite a number of missing
issues in this bound volume. In several of the months no issue
was prepared. In others, a demand for the extra copies exhausted
the supply. The missing issues are as follows:
1936 (Jan., Feb., March, April, July, Aug., Nov., Dec);
1937 (Aug., Sept., Oct.); 1939 (Oct.); 19A3 (Aug.); 1946 (x^^eb.,
Nov.,);19A7 (Jan., Ma-)H June, Sept.,); 194-3 (Jan., Mar., May, Sept.,);
194-9 (Jan., iHSSB^, June, Sept, Dec.,).
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FRUIT NOTFS - July, I93^i
v.. H. Thles
Extension Horticulturist
Promising Nevcoaiers
' Amon.\ t he talked-of ne^' vp.rieties of strav berries
are Corsett, Fairfax, and Cstskill. In co^parinj.- tl^e Corsett
and Tairf^x as frovn at the State College, A. P. Frencn says
they are of very good quality ?nd are above avera£e in size.
The Corsett is a someviist better plant jiaker and the berry
is aore attractive tnan the Fairfax. It is also oiore rerular
in form. T}-.e yields under our conditions are not yet knovn
but it is doubtful if tr:ey v ill coz^ipare vit.: tne Hovard 17.
Both varieties appear to be fir^i enough for s..ip.aent. The
Fairfax ciiay be a little too dark in color, a fault so.'iietitnes
fo'jnd vith the Hovard Supreme. It is also less acid than the
Corsett and seems to have a little less of real quality. Botl-
are ^ood berries and deserve further tri?-! in Jpssachusetts.
Fifty Ye ar s to Jvlake Good
The late V". T. Macoun of Canada once stated at a
Canadian fruit meetine- that it takes -t least = ' years to de-
termine tp.e merits of an apple variety. :'0 years seems like a
long tinic-.f but if ve analy2:e tue situation, this estimate is not
unrePson?ble . On the average, 13 years is required froiii the date
of crossing until the possibilities of a seedling are realized.
15 more years are required for propPtation and a second test un-
dpr various clioiatic and soil conditions, and 1'. or ?^ more years
for 8. general trial. Then, after a century or tv.o a real v inter
may appear and i^ive us the true test of tae variety.
Cortland, a m'=re youth, is 36 years old. V-itidn 14
years it -.vill either have made its oiark or it rill ;.ave passed
into oblivion. Kendall is an infaiit, 22 years old, and prac-
tically "Othinr is 'nr.ovn as tD hov it -/111 p'^rforji av ay from
home. And so the experLaent station vorker is compelled to fall
back upon such stock phrases as, "the variety seems vorthy of
trial," or "it looks promising."
Give the Cr-fts a Chance
To let scions grov indefinitely vithout any trair^in^,
at all is a mii^taice, but .^ot as serious as it is to prune a
grafted tree too strenuously. ..lany an othervise promising scion
has failed because of t-;o auch competition around it. Others
are "landicapped fro.u the beginning because of beinf. ^ rafted into
a secondary limb instead of 5 main limb. In order to insure ^oo^
erovt': the first season, it is veil to ^o through during early
summer and cut out some of the shading suckers vhich handicap the
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sclon. But not all of tuis adjacent gro'-t-: should be removed.
A fev: such rrovths help to protect the scions froji the vind.
They also tend to keep the stub in a healtiiy condition. It is
an excellent fiing to have plenty of leaf area belo:' and around
the scion, but the scion should dominate. It is hIso 'ell at
this season to mr-ke sure that nev.- grafts are properly v.axed for
In spite of a rainy June ve may liave a dry August.
Coes It Pay to Pick Up "Drops?"
The ansver is "Yes," if t::e drops contain larvae of
curculio, codling moth or maggot, _lf you pick the^Ti pro-^ptly.
The old practice of going out in tuefall and g atherin; up all
of t-ie aoples on the ground and duupin^ t;-,efli in a convenient
fence corner is a v.aste of time to say the least.
If one is interested in contro''ling curculio by the
crop picking method, it is obvious that the drops aust be picked
up while tiie crubs sre still inside. According to V. D. V'hitcomb,
the curculio gru.s .nay be killed by pickin.^ up and destroying
droo r.pples from June 2Z to July 10. Drops si.ould be ^at.iered
each week, if possible, but a collection about July 4 is oiost
important. If drops cannot be gatiered under all trees tney
should be collected under t-ie JiO£.t leavily infe: ted trees. Grubs
may be killed by feeding the apple- to livestock, treating theiii
vitlj waste crankcase oil, or buyin'; trie apples under 18 Inci-es
of packed soil. Tne question of proper disposal of apples re-
moved at thinning time depends, of course, on vhat the apples
may have in them. If it is suspected that tr^ey contain an ap-
preciable number of eggs or larvae, it vill be v.orthvhile to
treat them pccordingly.
The value of picking up maggot Infested drop apples
has been proven many times. Here it is essential triat one begin
before any of the maggots emerge from tiie apples. Tliey sliould
be gatnered up regulsrly and thoroughly about tvice a -^eek. The
destruction of drops from trees of summer and fall varieties is
of much more imoortance tiian from v inter varieties. A fev maggot
infested Vealthies or Gravensteins v/ill furnish plenty of flies
for next summer unless the drops are properly disposed of. For
apple maggot control it s lould not be necessary to begin picking
up drops until July 20.
Timing Tells tl.e Story
Several samples of curculio scarred apples have come
to the State College receatly along vith an inquiry v liich mif^ht
be summarized by the vords "ilov come?" At least tvo individuals
st^^.ted that they h.ad sprayed according t: tr^e reco^.^ended schedule.
Making 3.11ov;ance for the difficulties involved in preventing cur-
culio blemishes vhere beetles are numerous, we are convinced that
much of the trouble comes fro-u spraying after the damage is done
or from a scanty coverage of the arsenical spray. A sprsy In-
tended for protection against curculio, but applied a v .= ek lete,
is about as efficient as a fire engine arriving after the fire
is out.
Another example of t,.ii£ same thlr.g is found in iilclntosh
orchards vhere no Pink spriiy was applied this year. Leaves of a
particular size, siiov/ing that they were developed before bloom,
are ir> some cases literally plastered vlth scsb. But vhere the
trees vere given protection at that time, and since, iccb is con-
spicuous by its af;sence.
Lime for Sprayinr Purposes
It is becoming Increasin^rl;; evident t;;at "any old lime"
v.lll not do in the spray taiik. According, to 0. C. Boyd, tne right
ki^d of lime has real v -flue, the wron;, kind little or none. The
terj] chemic?! hydrated lime nas been used for years to designate
a lime vith tiie highest oossible "d.ount of calcium hydroxide and
the lowest oosslble amount of ordinary impurities like aia^nesium,
iron, aluminum, etc. Such a lime ii^ust of nece.isity be made from
a limestone high in calcium c -irbonate. Careful and complete slak-
ing of the burned lime is necessary in order to insure proper tex-
ture, fineness, and calcium ^//drojtide content. This product vill
contain not less than 70!^ calcium oxide in the form of calcium ny-
droxide. Pure calcium hiydro>:ide contains about 765' calciiun oxide,
-ience a chemical ^ydrated lime vill of necessity contain only a
very small amount o^ impurities and .^ maximum amount of t/ie de-
sirable ingredient, ctlcium hydroxide.
v:hen a lime of high magnesium' content is placed in the
spray tank along with lime sulfur ana lead arsenate, the magnesium
hydroxide acts as an inert material. It apparently fails to re-
duce the chemical action bet"een lime sulfur and lead arsenate
and it also faili to reduce t-.e water soluble, arsenic and there y
fails to furnish protection to tiie foliage. '^:ie prircipal objec-
tion to magnesiiim in spray lime is th-^^t its presence automaticall
reduces the amount of the effective ingredient, c alcium iivaroxide,
and not as some have been l'=^d to believe, because of injurious
magnesium compounds formed. Incidentally, if tae ciiemical aydr:.ted
lime is not fresh, enough of the lime vill have cl-iant-ed to the
carbonate form to greatly' reduce its effectiveness in the spray
tank.
Signs of S tarvat ion
A fe^'^■ d^ys c- go J. K. Shav^ of tne State College vas asked
to look over an orchard v.hicn for some unaccorntable reason ,:ad
borne only a light crop last year and a :till smaller crop t.iis
year. The orchard had been fertilized rather liberally until aboit
19P9. Since then it ?ias been pruned but nas received little or no
fertilizer because the grover felt that ;,e nad been ^roving too
much wood, he doubted the wisdom of applying manure only to pro-
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duce ..ore vood for the pru' ing sav. Today tne leaves on ac^ny
of the tree? liave a yellov/ish tln^je and this one thlnt is ob-
vious. This orchard is a fairly good exainple of the presant
day co'^viction that ero^tli and tree vi^or lo hand in iiana ■■ ith
productiveness. Vlthout an ai^iple supply of nitrogen, yielas
are certair to be disappointing.
A Cli -'Dpf) e_of tiie Pre-Fxperi jient Sta tion Era
6^ years ago thiere ^as a deart. of infor.nstion ainon^:
farmers about matters vhic^; todtiy -^re conujon knovled^e. In
the =ibs^cnce of fundamental i:^foriai?. tion their conclusions '-ere
sometirae^ a little off. At a .neetinf of fruit cro'-ers in
South tiaven, I'^ichijan, in 1874, the question of blight cf aople
trees vas under discu:sion. One gro-er voiced an opinion that
thiere vere tvo species of apple blight, one caused by Insects
and the ot'ier "or. And for tr.e blif.ht not cr-u?ed by insects
he " ould reco.uuend twe ui-e of srlt sprinkled on the .round unaer
the tree as 8 preventive. He veni on to say th-'in v^e have a good chance
to trade ooor branches for others of greater promise.
Another Rem inder About Infe sted Droos
The season of maggot infested "drorjs" is here. A single
worthless apole on the ground in August may be responsible for
half a dozen maggot flies in the tree next July. Drop anples
from the trees of suamer and fall varieties are much more dangerous
from the standpoint of breeding maggot flies than are the drops
fron winter varieties. Eighty per cent of the maggots in V.'ealthy
drops may mature into flies, vhile only 10.^ of the maggots are
likely to mature in Baldwins. Moral - Pick up and destroy promptly
all those infested droos which soften up readily if you would sira-
r)lify the task of controlling maggot in 19Z6.
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Apple In spectio n Service Aga in Avajle bl e
If you happen along a country road t-nls fall and find
tv'o or tiiT'ee men jug^lin^ the contents of a couole of apple boxes,
at the sajie time making cooious notes, you vill knov that tt\e
eithth season of apole inspection work in Massachusetts is under
say. An announcement of this service with return card is being
sent out about the .aiddle of A^agust. The insoection v:ill cover
preventable bleraishes, grade distribution, and an analysis of
the belov grade oortion of tne sa^aole. A proii^inent orchardlst
says that a crop of Mcintosh should run at least 60^ Fancy.
Othervise there is something r?.dically vrong vith the proauction
practices .
IvlASSACI-iUSETTS STATE COLLEGE
UNITED STATES DEFAETI'ffiKT OF AGRICULTUHE
AUD COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICES IN AGRICULTURE AND
HOLffi ECONOMICS COOPERATING
ITIUIT NOTES, MY 1936
W. H. Thies
Extension Horticulturist
Back in the Trenches
Work lias been resumed in the study of root distribution and its re-
lation to tree behavior. This project was begun last fall in cooperation with
the departments of Agronomy and Botany, when trenches were dug in 10 Massa-
chusetts orchards, as follows: Middlesex County 5i Worcester County h, Hampshire
County 1. At least two trenches were d-og in each of these orchards with the
idea of studying subsoil conditions in relation to tree behavior. Some strik-
ing comparisons were thus obtained which throw considerable light on such
things as small size and color of fruit, early drop, and leaf scorch. We are
beginning to feel that the water relations in the orcliard are tremendously
important. Apple trees have been planted on all sorts of soil ranging from
those -anderlain by porous gravel to others having a subsoil of extremely
compact, fine sand. Waterholding capacity of the subsoil may vary from 15^ to
50^. Roots in some cases penetrate to a depth of only two feet and in other
cases, six feet .
Thus far this spring a careful study has been made of soil conditions
in four orchards, in each of which illustrations have been made by Mr. Stephen
Hamilton showing the details of root distribution and of soil type including
depth and color of the various layers. Work will be resumed this week in
Essex and Bristol Counties. The orchards thus far studied this spring were
located in Stow, Sherborn and Amherst. As the work progresses, we intend to
include a study of orchards on all of the major soil types in Massachusetts.
When this information is assembled, we shall then have a better understanding
of the relation between soil type and tree behavior. With these facts in
mind, we sliall be better able to advise regarding the adaptability of soils
to tree fruits and at the same time wc shall be able to diagnose more accurate-
ly water deficiencies which now exist in so many orchards in the state. The
cooperation of Itossachusetts growers thus far has been very encouraging.
Limitations of Soil Analyses
There are still some people who like to believe that the soil
chemist caii take a handful of soil and with a few simple analyses tell just
what that soil needs for any kind of crop. In reality, what he can actually
tell is of little value in the absence of such information as soil drainage,
slope, type of subsoil, and the water relations which determine the ability
of the plant to get water throughout the season. We would not for a moment
underestimate the value of such things as the measurement of soil acidity.
In our opinion such measurements are very inpox'tc^it . But when it comes to
a measure of the amount of potash in orchard soils, there seems to be little
relation between the actual potash content in a soil sample and the behavior
of a tree growing on that soil. Some surprisingly good orchards seem to be
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lOcated on soils of relatively low potash content. Perhaps this is due to
the fact that a tree sends its roots far and wide and to a considerable
depth. But unless the tree is ahle to obtain what water it needs throughout
the season,, minerals in the soil will not necessarily be the important limit-
ing factor. A fluctuating water supply is probably the cause of more failures
in tree behavior than are actual deficiencies of potash and phosphorus.
There rmist be an adequate v/ator supply if the tree is to take full advantage
of the various mineral elements.
Does it pay to m\ilch?
We think of New England as a good hay growing section. Soil and
rainfall are generally favorable for a growth of grass. And if grass is
beneficial in the orchard, it ought to be possible in many cases to provide
a liberal mulch at moderate expense. In a recent bulletin by Shaw and South-
wick of Mass. State College (3ul. #32S) we find some light on this interest-
ing problem. Klulching is found most advisable imder these conditions:
(l) where there is a convenient and cheap source of material, (2) on com-
paratively steep slopes, (3) on rough stony lojid, (U) on loose, gravelly
soils likely to suffer from lade of water in dry periods, (5) oh varieties
apt to drop heavily near harvest time, and (6) where root injury from cold
is severe. The possible objections to heavy mulching are cost, danger of
fire, and danger of injury from nice. According to this bulletin a layer
of hay or other vegetation over the soil keeps the soil a little cooler in
hot weather and warmer in cold weather, conserves soil moisture in dry
periods, and after the first two years furnishes soil nitrates. It also
prevents soil erosion and favors absorption of rainfall.
Submerged ojid Yet Thirsty
In an experiment performed not long ago in New York State, some young/
apple trees growing in large coit ainors v/ere kept for some time with roots sub-
merged in water. Under these conditions one would naturally think that the
tree would obtain all the water it wanted, but in reality, the tops actually
showed symptoms of drought. Excess water and a consequent lack of air seemed
to interfere with root activity to such an extent tlaat little water was taken
in. This experiment illustrates how difficult it is to interpret plant be-
havior. We are so likely to draw wrong conclusions. These results help to
explain wliy trees growing on a wet soil sometimes sliow such drought symptoms
as an early drop of fruit. Submcri;ence of the roots during the dormant
season is apparently not as liarmful as when it occurs during the growing
season.
Overpruned and Underfed
Not long ago the writer visited cxn orchard in Western Massachusetts
and noted very wide differences in the behavior of the trees in two of the
blocJcs. The poorest block on the farm showed a constantly decreasing rate
of growth, very serious injury fron borers, and a decidedly unhealthy condi-
tion of the trees. Incidentally, these trees had been very drastically pruned
and the hay had been cut and removed for a number of years. An adjoining
block hxid been allowed to grow up to brush and had been almost completely
neglected. Strangely enough, this latter block looked much more promising
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than the "blocl: wiiich liad received so mich attention. Tlie orchard manager,
in his efforts to inprove the trees had actually done nore harm th.an good.
Th§°*?'Tfee&" looked quite promising. Without underestimating the value of
good pruning, it is safe to say that many apple trees, particularly in the
smaller orcha,rds, would "be better off today if the owner had never owned
a pruning shears or a saw. One of the most comiTion tendencies among growers
is to under prune the older, taller trees and to over prune younger trees
whic/i can he reached from the ground.
The Fruit Tree as a Unit
The fruit tree, and particularly the apple tree, behaves as tho'ugh
it were a number of individual plants on the same root system. This fact was
brotig'.it very strikingly to our attention a few days ago while trees were in
full bloom. A tree in Amherst which liappened to be in the off season was
entirely devoid of blossoms except for one small grafted limb of a different
variety. This limb was full of blossoms even though the surrounding limbs
had no blossoms at all. In our treatment of a tree we fertilize, prune and
spray as though it were a unit, and yet the individual branches are more or
less independent of each other. A particular root tends to support a parti-
cular branch. If a tree is fertilized on one side, it tends to i.:ake better
growth on that side. Aaother exaijple is found ^/here one side of the tree
is seriously injured by mice or by a cahlier. The limb above th^.t point may
be seriously affected. At the same time, water tal:en in on one side of the
tree is easily transferred around to the other side of the tree, and it has
been found that the fruit growing on a particular limb is able to draw from
the leaves at a considerable distance, even as far away as ten feet. It is
well to remember, however, that the individual spurs on a tree are competing
with each other for water, raincral elements, and sunlight. Pruning, thinning,
etc., should therefore be done with these individual parts of the tree in
mind. In a sense the tree is a miit made up of many more or less indepen-
dent parts.
T^ie Long LocJz Ahead
F4.iat are the prospects for. the fruit grower in Massachusetts? This
question is asked very often and it deserves a, fair answer. Our answer is
this. We live within trucking di stance of many millions of consumers. If
these consumers continue to eat fruit, and there is no reason to believe that
the coming generation will not differ greatly from the present in that respect,
the demand for fruit of one kind or another seer.s assured. And if fruit is
to be grown it seems only reasonable that it should be grown where yield and
quality are high. ITo one can hope to succeed in strawberry growing if his
yield is only h^lf that of his neiglabor, and particularly if his cost of pro-
duction is 9<^ per quart while the price is 10^. Neither can a grower succeed
in apple .,"rowing if his Mcintosh drops prematurely every year, or if his blos-
soms are uninjured by frost only in those years when every one else lias a
crop of apples. Briefly, then, we would say thr.t the fruit planting in a
poor location stands very little chxince of success. At the sane time, we
have in Massachusetts some of the best fruit soils to be found anywhere in
the United States and even though our yields are not as high as those in
the Horthwost, our lower cost of transportation should help to rxdre the well
located enterprise a profitable one over a period of years.
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The Chestnut Attempts a Comeback
A fruit grower in eastern Massachusetts told us a few days ago that
the chestnut timber on a particular piece of land now planted to orchard,
sold in IS50 for $1,000. The land was then allowed to grow up to chestnut
timber again and in 1S80 there was once more a sufficient timber crop to
sell for $1,000. Those were the good old days in so far as the chestnut
tree was concerned. It is doubtful if forests of chestnuts vvill ever again
cover the hillsides of llassachusetts although the fruit of the chestnut tree,
an Asiatic chestnut this time, maj'^ again be enjoyed by New Englanders. About
20 lots of chestnut trees of promising varieties, comprising 25 trees each,
have been distributed this spring by Dr. 0. C. Boyd, plant pathologist at
the State College. These trees were furnished by the U.S.D.A. at Washington
for tost purposes in Massachusetts. Thoy will be ^iven ordinarj'- orchard care
in the hope that here and there a start may again be made in the growing of
this interesting tree, for fruit at least, if not for timber.
Fruit Insect Parasites
The use of nicotine sulfate in certain spray applications has be-
come so common that fruit grov/ers use it as a matter of habit. But nicotine
is expensive, and everyone is looking for either a substitute or a disappear-
ance of the various sucking insects. For several years the work of parasites,
particulatly of aphids, has been watched with much interest. This season
there seems to be a larger than usual number of these parasites at work. In
some trees the parasite population is so large that aphids are literally as
scarce as hen's teeth. The more important parasites are ladybird beetles,
syrphus flies and lacowinss. A few days ago we watdaodAsyrphus fly larva as
it mowed its way through a colony of aphids on an apple leaf. Without the
advantage of ^es , it located its prey as it siirung its head from side to side.
In about five minutes, it load completely dispatched five grain aphids and
was still looking for more.
Apple Trees for Looks or for Frui t
In a recent issue in the Sural >'ew Yorker there appears an interest-
ing article by F. A. Waugh V7hich stresses the beauty of the apple tree. He
points out the desirability of the apple tree for the home grounds. We thinli
of the apple tree, of course, as being aost beautiful during the blooming
season and yet it excels as a sliade tree as well. Even during the dormant
season it is a thing of beauty. The article is well worth reading. And then,
whether intentional or not, the editor inserted just below this story a ques-
tion by one of the readers on t3ic prevention of wormy apples. This discord-
Oat note did not in any sense of the word detract from the interesting story
above, but it did call to our attention the kind of apples Virhich grow on un-
sprayed trees. },iaggots, curculio, codling moth, and what have you, will take
their toll unless wo do something about it and that is not always so easy where
apple trees are in close proximity to buildings. Of course, if we are content
to enjoy only the beauty of the tree wo can foTijct the fruit and buy our apples
from someone who makes a business of ^rowing them.
Will Poison Bait Control I.Iice7
In a recent questionnaire sent out by E. H. Mills in charge of Rodent
Control work in the Northeast, data has been assembled showing the amount of
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mouse injury in apple orcliards during the past winter. In years past, an
extremely small numter of trees have been injured v/here the "bait was used.
This year there has been a slightly Ir.rtjer percentage of injured trees and
in a few cases the ovmer h;.s seriously questioned the effectiveness of poison
"bait in the control of mice. In no sense of the word has the bait appeared
to be a failure and yet a few sgrov/ers who tho'Ut^ht they had used the material
as recomraendcd still had a considerable amount of injury. This brings up the
question as to the proper method of preventing motise injury in apple orchards.
A study of the replies of various growers leads one to believe that the owner
himself has a real responsibility in the matter aiid that most of the cases
of failure were due either to a heavier tlian usual infestation of mice or to
a slip of some kind in the use of the bait. Mouse injurj- began fairly early
last fall. This meant a ne od for an early distribution of the material and
the use of suitable containers. Whore many mice were present it V7as neces-
sary of course to replenish the supply of bait. Some grov/ers try to economize
by the use of envelopes, which in seasons of a light infestation have proven
quite successful. Perhaps last season was not the season to economize in
the matter of mouse insurance. Glass bottles or jars, tin cans, wooden sta-
tions, etc., seem to be oixite satisfactory. We have r/niuaber of growers who
used the poison bait very extensively and in most cases the results are still
highly satisfactory. Until further evidence is presented, we shall maintain
that mice can be controlled by the use of poison bait, provided full precau-
tions are taken. Incidentally, the removal of sod aroiind the trunk of the
tree and its replacement with gravel or cinders is an excellent supplement
to the use of poison bait.
Plant Pl^rsiologists Meet in Storrs . Conn.
On Ifa^' S and 9. i* '^Q'S our privilege to attend the spring meeting
of the plant physiologists of New England. Most of the papers were highly
teclnical and of interest mainly to the research worker in that particular
field. The average grower would find little interest in a paper on the organic
acids of rhubarb leaf tissue, or on the nutrition of seedlings in sand cultures*
He would, of course, listen attentively to a tall: on the nutritive value of
blueberrios. The major portion of one day was devoted to a syroposium on the
subject of light, with particular empliasis on the measurement of light. The
importance of light in the growing and frudting of plants is emphasized by the
fact that these research v/orkors devoted so much time to the discussion of
the problem. Even the casual observer con readily detect differences in the
behavior of different parts of the plant as a result of differences in light
exposure. The little green apples on the inside of a tree are in that condi-
tion not alone because of the lack of exposure of the fruit itself but be-
cause the lea.ves in the vicinity of those apples are also under a handicap.
Curculio Appears on Time
In the spring of 1935 W- D- Wliitcomb of the Walt ham Field Station
reported a much larger than usual percentage of the curculio beetles in the
trees at blossoming time. Something like 30/" of the total beetle population
was at that time subject to control by the Calyx Spray. This season the num-
ber of beetles emerging at blossoming time was still in excess of normal al-
though not as great as in 1935- T-^c Calyx Spray application was, however,
,\. i ■ .%•
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of importance in the control of curculio this year. At a raeetin^ in Colrain
on May 18, several of the growers expressed an interest in curculio and one
of them asked v/h?it the curculio "beetle loo2i:ed lil:e. With some riiSfiivings
we borrowed a blanket and attempted to jar one of the early emergint" beetles
from a nearby plum tree. As luck would have it, a beetle was obtained vath
very little effort and introduced to some of the assembled fruit growers for
the first time. In fighting this troublesome pest, it is well to remember
that many of the beetles spend the winter in brusli land, stone walls, etc.,
adjacent to the orchard. Wlien they emer/^e in spring they naturally go to the
nearest tree. Por this reason, it is highly ir.:portant, particularly in a
large orchard, that we spray the outside trees first in order to kill the bee-
tles before they migrate to other trees and cause damage.
^ Just Followed the Spra^y Schedule"
i>Tot long ago the V7riter visited an orchard in the town of Granville.
While looking over the trees with the owner the question of growing plums was
discussed. The grower remarked he liad been getting very good crops of pl-ums
and that they had snld fairly well. We adced him if he had had any trouble
with brown rot and if so what he had done about it. His answer was, "I follow
the spray schedule." Next, we walked into a pear orcliard and noted at once
how health^'' the trees appeared and how free from any evidence of pear psylla.
So V7e asked him what he was doing to control pear psylla. His answer was the
same as before, "I follow the spray schedule." Without asking what he was
doing about pests in his apple orcliard we knew from past experience that his
fruit was unusually clean and that herev too, he must have "followed the
spray schedule." And so at last we h^d found a modest man, v/ho V7as clainiing
little or no credit to himself but was merely following directions. The facts
in the case are that this man has a spray schedule and uses it, but at the
same time he also lias an efficient sprayer which he uses with equal effective-
ness. Wlien he sprays a tree he does a thoro'ugh job. He is continually crowd-
ing his work instead of letting the work crowd him.
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IvIASSACPIUSETTS STATE COLLEGE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AND COUNn E^'TENSION SERVICES IN AGRICULTURE AND
liOrJE ECONOMICS COOPERATING
FRUIT NOTES ,JUWS 1936
W. H. Thies
Extension Horticulturist
VJhere Can_I Buy . 1^ ?
Very frequently tlie fruit grower asks, "Miere can I buy
this or that piece of equipment?" The answer is easy. Consult
the Buyers' Guide in the June issue of American Fruit Grower.
Here will be found a very complete list of dealers in everything
needed for the fruit farm. The classified index lists everything
from apple corers to stiomp pullers. Here are the general index
headings: Canning, preserving, and juice extracting, commission
merchants and marketing agencies, fencing and trellises, fer-
tilizer, fruit farm home, insect and disease 'control, irrigation
and drainage, nursery stock, orchard instrujnents , packages and
packaging, packing house equipment, pic]<:ing, pollination, pruning
and grafting, storages, and tillage equipiiient. An idea of the
completeness of this list is indicated by a listing of 10 con-
cerns dealing in fruit presses, 17 in spray nozzles, 17 in
wettable sulfurs, 10 concerns dealing in grafting wax, and 24 in
'bees and bee supplies, Tlie publishers have gone so far as to
list dealers in thermometers, soil testing outfits, and dynamite.
This Buyers' Guide of the American Fruit Grower fills a long felt
need. Every fruit grower should have a copy for reference.
The N ational JiPple__C_rop
On June 1 it v/as estimated that the 1S36 apple crop in
the United States would be 43.7 percent of normal as compared with
71,3 percent last year and 67.8 percent for the 10 year average
prior to 1932. This is the lov/est June 1 estii.iate of apples since
1931. Present indications point to one of the smallest orops in
recent years. In the Pacific Northwest the set of fruit is only
fair, due to the severe freezes of last fall and winter and un-
favorable rainy weather during the blossoming period. New England
as a wholu has an estimated crop of 57.7 percent of normal as com-
pared to 76.3 percent last year. The estim.ate for Mass. is 62^
compared v;ith Sl/b last year. And so it appears that the national
apple crop will be relatively small and that v;e in New England
are not as bad off as we might be. All things considered, this
may be the year to take better care of our app].e crop. Thinning
should be a profitable pi"'actice on Vfealthy, Delicious, and in some
cases on Baldwins. Mcintosh appears to have set lighter than
most other varieties. It costs about so much to harvest and pack
apples regardless of size or condition. It Is good business
judgment to eliminate the i.mfit apples of the tree before harves-
ting time. Thinning and a good spray program contribute to that
end.
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Treatlng Tree Vi/ou nds
Tree surgery Is generally of little interest to the
coi-nmerclal fruit grower, and rightly so. If a fruit tree is
properly developed from the start, by encouraging rapid grov;th and
by maintaining a leader, there should bo little if any breakage of
limbs and consequently little need for repair work up to 30 or 40
years of age at least. Prevention is certainly better than cure
in the matter of decay in the apple tree. Only occasionally do wo
find an apple tree which justifies anything in the way of tree sur-
gery. The exception is found in the small planting, particularly
v/here apple trees are used as ornamentals in the home grounds.
Anyone Interested in the treatment and care of tree wounds v/ill
find in U. S. D. A. Farmers' Bulletin 1726 (published in 1934) an
interesting and practical discussion of this whole matter. The
discussion covers structure and life processes of trees, causes
of injury, and the details of treatment. The field of tree surgery
is discussed in an interesting and understandable v\/ay.
Wh en a Li mb "Goe s Bad "
Sow co"riimonly v;e find a weak, sickly looking limb on an
otherv>rise vigorous tree. Only recently a number of trees of this
type were observed in a Hampden County orchard where one side of
the tree showed exceptionally good vigor while the other appeared
to be dying gradually. A little investigation of the bark of the
trunk near the ground level often reveals the reason for differen-
ces of this kind. Much of this injury dates back to the cold
winter of 1933-34. Just why one side of the tree suffered more
than another may in some cases bo explained this way. In many of
our orchards on sloping ground erosion and cultivation in years
past have exposed a portion of the lower part of the trunk and of
the main roots which are ncrmally protected by a layer of soil.
Exposure at this point is sometimes due to a deliberate removal
of sod and soil around the base of the trunk for mouse protection.
Whatever the cause of exposure in the first place, low temperatures
have raised havoc with a very tender part of the tree. The con-
dition of the top today is often a direct indicator of the extent
of injury around the trunk. VJliere the Injury almost completely
encircles the trunk, the tree is In a bad way. Vi/here it affects
only a third or less of the circumference, only a limb or two
may be affected. To diagnose this kind of injury v/e suggest
scraping away the soil v/ith a hoe and examining the bark near the
ground level. If no injury is apparent at that point, it may be
well to look deeper for possible injury from pine mice, or higher
up on the trunk, for evidence of cankers or other destructive
agencies.
Coope ra ting With the T ree
XTaen we consider just how fruit is produced on a tree.
It appears that the fruit grov/er is in reality a grower of leaves
and not a grower of fruit. Without leaves there can be no fruit
so we set about to encourage the tree or other fruit plant in the
growth of an efficient set of leaves. We fertilize, we prune,
and we spray primarily to bring about good leaves. True, part
of our spraying is done to protect the fruit, but first of all we
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aro concernod v/ith the dovolopmont and maintenance of tno right
kind of leaves. Even in thinning, v/e are merely assigning a
proper quota of leaves for the remaining fruit. And so in answer
to the question, "Am 1 a fruit grower", the v/riter answers "No,
I merely cooperate with the tree in the growth of good leaves,
and incidentally, the tree somehov; grows a crop of fruit."
Resul ts of Setti ng Immature Fruit Tree s
Two U, S. 'D. a. Investigators, Gardner and Yerkes, report
the following observations at Arlington Experiment Farm, Virginia,
Mazzard seedling cherry trees v/ere dug at weekly Intervals from
Sept. 22 to Nov. 24, The results 3ho\/ that digging before a cer-
tain degree of maturity is reached is decidedly harmful. In the
Sept. 22 lot, only 10.5 percent survived as compared with 99 per-
cent for the stock dug Nov. 3, This hears out the experience of
others who have attempted to transplant trees before they were
fully m.ature in the fall. It appears that unless the tree has had
time to store up a good supply of carbohydrates in the fall, its
chances of survival are none too good. A few days ago we heard of
a prospective orchardist who is planning to sot several thousand
trees next Sept. Our advice is suinmed up In one word "don't".
A Young Tr ee i n an O l d Orchard
It is a matter of common observation that a young tree
planted where an old one was removed, fails to make satisfactory
gro¥/th. The reason is not always apparent. In years past it was
believed that the soil which previously supported the tree may
contain a toxic material which retards the growth of the new tree.
If the young tree is surrounded by older trees, poor growth can
be "explained on the basis of root competition and shading. Since
the roots of a tree extend outv,/ard much farther than the branches,
the young tree encounters serious competition, since the soil to
which it Is entitled is already being occupied and exploited by
neighboring trees. Lighting conditions may also be unsatisfactory
if the older trees are less than 40 or 50 feet av;ay.
An interesting experiment was recently reportod by two
workers at the Ontario Horticultural Experiment Station, Vlneland,
Ontario. Nursery stock was planted on an area from which a
peach orchard had been removed. Measurements of the young trees
showed that the areas of weak growth coincided almost exactly with
the former location of the poach trees. Six years after the re-
moval of the peaches and v/hen almost all old roots of the peaches
v/ere completely disintegrated, it was still possible to detect the
location of peach trees by the inferior grov/th of the young nur-
sery stock, ■ Chemical studies of soil samples showed a clearly
defined difference in soluble phosphorus and potassium in favor of
the spaces not previously occupied. Also, corresponding differen-
ces in nitrogen v/ere noted as might be expected, while the old
roots were decaying. And thus it appears that the soil in this
nursery had been partially depleted of available plant food by the
previous trees. All of these things seem to point to the need for
giving the young tree especial attention if we expect it to grov/.
-4-
What is a Weed?
A. J. Peters of the U . S. D. A. defines a weed as "a
plant that does more harm than ^^ood, and that has the habit of in-
truding when not wanted". A recent hullotin from Cornell Univer-
sity j (hulletin No. 635 ) lists more than 400 so-called weeds
commonly found in New York State. But folks are inclined to dis-
agree except for a fev/ pestiferous plants, as to the exact meaning
of the term v/eed. A plant ^^o'^'^i'^S ^^ o^g place where it compotes
seriously v/ith a garden or field crop is certainly a weed. That
same plant growing in the orchard may easily do more good than
harm. From the standpoint of organic matter, any plant grov;n in
the orchard during that part of the season when it is not com-
peting directly with the tree for nitrogen, may be beneficial ,-
Perhaps If we were to keep our eye on the weeds in the orchard and
note the way they grow or do not grow, we would then be better
able to feed the tree. For when and only when the soil is in
such condition that it will support a good weed growth, is the
tree likely to be a. profitable one. Speaking of vrceds, the filler
tree is as much of a v/oed as the golden rod which grows beside it,
whenever that filler tree is encroaching upon soil and stmlight
to which the permanent tree is entitled. In the strawberry plant-
ing, surplus strav/berry plants are often more troublesome from the
weed standpoint than plants ordinarily classed as weeds.
When Do We Eat ?
We are thinking not of animal nutrition but of feeding
the orchard. Just when does an apple tree eat? Is it a daily or
an hourly process, or can it like the camel fill up for a day or
tv;o ahead? In the case of water, the intake is a constant pro-
cedure. As water is lost through evaporation there must be an
intake through the roots to replace the loss. In the case of
nitrogen the tree can apparently store up a supply for weeks or
months ahead. For example, if we feed a tree liberally with a
readily available nitrogen in early spring, it will have enough
on hand when it is urgently needed around blossoming time, and
later applications v;lll bo unnecessary. There is apparently
little need of a so-called "split application" of nitrogen. The
one fact of importance in nitrogen fertilization Is that the tree
demands a liberal nitrogen supply in May o.nd June and is then
better off if the nitrogen supply is somewhat restricted. In
other v;ords, early nitrogen favors early leaf growth, and early
leaf growth favors rapid maturity of the fruit and a set of fruit
buds for, next year. All signs therefore seem to point tov/ard the
importance of early loaves on the trees, particularly on the spurs.
Ear ly Nitr o gen Supply I mportant
"""The greo.test benefit to apple trees from nitrogen is
at the time of full bloom and shortly thereafter. Fruit trees
may be grovm v/ithout the use of fertilizers but in the long run carops
will not be satisfactory under such practices. The only excep-
tion to this rule is v/here the trees are young and vigorous and
the soil is unusually fertile and deep. Such soils are not common
in our fruit growing regions." These words are taken from
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BullGtln 363, "Fertilizing Fruit Tr^jos v/itli Nitrogen", jmbliGlicd
by tho University of Missouri, Agricultural Expcrimont Station,
in April, 1936. Tlie author, A. E. Murncck, says, "There is a
prevailing opinion that tho greatest nood for nitrogen by fruit
trees is at tho tirao of flowering and loaf dcvolopmont. Hence
the fertilizer should reach tho roots and be absorbed early in
tho spring.. Not only fruit sotting is effected by nitrogen but
also the shoot grov;th and dovelopmont of loaves". This publication
suiTimarizes our present day knowledge of nitrogen needs in the or-
chard. Few principles in horticulture havo been demonstrated more
conclusively. We know now that tho high producing tree raust of
necessity develop its leaves early in the spring, and this develop-
ment requires plenty of nitrogen as v;ell as carbohydrates stored
tho previous fall. The tree v/ith a larger than nozTTial loaf area
at blossoming time has a decided advantage over a tree v/hich is
slow in dovoloping its leaves in the spring. This fact emphasizos
the need for storage of carbohydrates in the autuimi and for an
abundant supply of nitrogen in the tree at blossoming timo .
G row M or e Humu s in the Orchard
Quoting from a recent issue of the Rural Now Yorker,
R, E. Stephenson in an article on orchard cultivation says, "In a
certain orchard half the hum.us was burned out after 11 years of
clean cultivation. These results are typical of what occurs when
fertile soils are cultivated. The effect upon the tree is good
at first. Large supplies of plant nutrients are released by
tillage and tree growth is stimulated. In c. few years the picture
changes as the humus is reduced". We aro beginning to appreciate
tho value of organic matter in the orchard. Recent dry seasons
have brought many evidences of a fluctuating water supply. And
unless the orchard soil is deep and of good water holding capa-
city, the supply of organic matter takes on much importance as a
moans of preventing surface run-off and of holding a little extra
v/ater for a time of need. The easiest way to reduce the amount of
organic matter in tho soil is to practice constant cultivation.
This loss may bo partially reduced by cultivating for a shorter
period in spring and then making sure that a good cover crop is
grovm to replace the organic matter "burned out" through cultiva-
tion. While the trees are young and the ground not completely
sho-ded, v;e ought to treat the soil between the trees in such way
that it v;ill make a maxlmma contribution to the future profitable-
ness of the orchard. It is difficult to grov; a heavy cover crop
after tho branches begin to crowd.
A Note o n Orc hard Irrigation
In U. S. D". A, Technical Bulletin 491, Magnoss, Degman,
and Furr report tho relation of soil moisture to tree response
in irrigated and non-irrigated apple orchards in western Maryland.
The report shows that at some timo during each soason (1930-33)
there was a reduced fruit growth rate due to shortage of soil
moisture in spite of the fact that in three of the years the rain-
fall from May 1 to October 31 was above normal. In most cases
the groY/th rate of fruit of trees growing in silt loam or silt
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clay soil v;as not raoaaurcibly roducod until at least tho driest
part of the root zone approached blic silting percentage. In the
case of a moderate drou^jht causing no serious loss of foliage,
grovv-th of fruit v;as resumed at an apparently normal rate when the
moisture supply was restored, but the ultimate size of the apples
v;as reduced in proportion to the length and duration of the drouth.
^^ ^-^^ .,.^^^ ^^^v-^„^^ ^.. ^ ^^ -.„...^, ^^ appoi.
Moderate moisture promoted maximum color, while an excess of
moisture tended to reduce color. Fruit bud formation was apparent-
ly increased by ca.rly season shortage of moisture but after late
July there was no apparent effect. The earlier closing of
stomates forecast a moisture shortage prior to actual reduction in
the growth rate of fruit.
Soil T e mperat ure and Root Activity
In a recent bulletin'by Collison of the W. Y. Agricul-
tural Sxperlnent Station (Tech, Bui, 237) may be found an ob-
servation about an interesting side of orchard behavior. He finds
root elongation and therefore nutrient absorption may take place
during periods when air temperatures wore below zero. Soil
temperatures, however, wore not far from the freezing point. The
insulating effect of the soil is shov/n by the follov/ing figures.
The lowest soil temperatiire recorded was that in February, 1935,
when the A horizon of the soil dropped to 25 degrees F., only 7°
below freezing. During the summer the highest recorded soil
temperature was 68° P. early in July. The author believes that
some root activity goes on while the soil temperature is within
2 to 5° of the freezing point or even less. This being true, it
is easy to understand hov; the tree can take up nitrogen during
the dormant season, as v/cll as moisture to replace that loss made
by evaporation. Incidentally, the vegetative cover on the soil is
an important factor in water penetration and movement. A humus
filled soil may be expected to show less variation in moisture
content and probably in soil temperature than a soil deficient
in humus.
Organic Matter in the Soil. TOiy ?
Because (1) it acts as a reservoir for plant food,
liberating some nitrogen as It decays, (2) it acts as a sponge
in holding soil moisture, (3) it maintains soil orgrjiisms which
have a beneficial effect on the liberation of plant food, (4) it
acts as a soil conditioner and tends to loosen heavy soils and
bind light soils, (5) it tends to warm the soil by absorbing more
of the heat of the sun. In short, it Is responsible for one of
the important differences between a real soil and a mere physical
mixture of clay, sand and gravel. If organic matter is supplied
by moans of a m.ulch, we have such additional benefits as the
holding of precipitation, thus preventing surface run-off,
smothering of competing vegetation such as grass and weeds, pre-
vention of evaporation from the soil, and as a padding for drop
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applos at harvest time, V/g cannot afford, to lose tho opportunity
to increase the organic matter in the orchard. Neither can we
afford to cultivate in a v/ay that v/111 burn out the organic
matter now present. Our orchard practice must he of a kind that
maintains, and if possible. Increases the organic matter content
of the soil,
Er OS ion Losses in Mev/ England
Many farmers are tilling what v;as originally a subsoil
without knowing it. Hilltops and hillsides subject to surface
run-off have in many cases lost from 6 inches to several feet of
the surface layer which is now spread over the valleys bclov;.
This fact is strikingly illustrated v/hen v;o dig a hole or trench
at the two levels. On the hilltop we find a very shallow layer
of so called top soil, while at the foot of tho hill the layer
v;lll be many times as thick.
Some recent v/ork in New York State throws further
light on this question. Land that slopes o.bout 10 feet for each
100 feet, a relatively gentle slope for that area, v;as cropped to
potatoes and cultivated up and dov/n the slope. There was a loss
of 14:% of the rain water in run-off, and 28,000 pounds of fine
top soil to the acre in a single year. Idle land grov/n up to
weeds lost almost as much rain water as the potato field. Fields
on the same soil and slope as the potatoes cropped in alternating
strips crosswise, lost only 1% of the rain water in surface run-
off, and 43 pounds of soil to the acre. Thus the water loss was
reduced 14 times and tho soil loss 650 times. Land in a good
stand of grass and clover lost very little v/ater and soil. Many
of our Nov; England orchardists need this lesson brought home to
them since it has a definite relation to soil conservation, par-
ticularly as regards m.ulching, seeding down, etc. It is claimed
that 3/4 of the land in the United States is sloping. New England
seems to have its full share.
Soil Factors Ef fee tins Orcharding
In a recent issue of the Rural Kev/ Yorker there appears
an article by F. G, Hollis, Ke says, "Extensive studies carried
on in many apple orchards have shovm that there is such a definite
relationship between the yield of fruit and the soil that one can
predict the chance of profitable operations if soil characteris-
tics are known. By selecting a proper sojl, much of the gamble
can be removed in the management of the orchard. No fertilizer
treatment can completely overcome a naturally unadapted soil.
There is no use to prolong the life of an orchard which should
never have been planted. The same land may be well adapted to
some otr^er crop." Mr. Hollis goes on to say that a survey of
New York State showed that over 40;^ of the orchards in one of the
fruit sections were on marginal or utterly unfit land. Apples re-
quire deep rooting in order to supply water and nuti'ients at all
times. Roots need oxygen which is excluded by v/ater. The roots
naturally grow vigorously for a period of a month or six weeks
before the buds break in the spring and again in the fall when
leaf growth has stopped. A high water table at these times is
very undesirable. Soils in which the subsoil is near the surface
are usually poorly drained. The gray layer of soil allows water
to pass through very slowly and sometiraes not at all. Later when
the water does recede and a drouth coraes, the trees have a weakened
root system and are unable to absorb the water necessary for fruit
development. Our orchard trenching operations in Massachusetts
tend to support the above statement.
Orcha r d Sa nita tion in Il l inois
A timely publication from Illinois (Circular 443) dis-
cusses the practice of sanitation for apple orchards. Since cod-
ling moth is so serious in that sectj.on, the authors of this
publication have stressed a large number of supplementary factors
as a means of controlling this pest. Here are a fev/ of these
practices; (1) Scrape trees to destroy hibernating places, (2) des-
troy wormy fruit, (3) encourage birds, (4) clean up orchard debris
by pruning thoroughly and burning the prunings , (5) use chemically
treated bands, (6) Guard against packing shed infestation,
(7) dip orchard crates before moths emerge, (3) dispose of low
grade fruit promptly. In New England it has not been necessary
to do all of these things in codling moth control. But we have
other pests eqvially troublesome. Curculio and maggot would be
less of a problem if our growers were to follow the Illinois
example in doing such things as these: get rid of breeding places
In and around the orchard, eliminate favorable hiding places for
curculio in brush and stone walls, and in the case of maggot spray
all trees in the orchard whether bearing or not including those
within infesting distance, and destroy all infested fruit promptly.
We place a tremendous responsibility on the spray program, if v;e
attempt to control pests by spraying alone. A thorough clean-up
of the orchard and vicinity makes spraying easier and more
effective.
Timely Hints for Vermont
^ M. B. Cummings of the University of Vermont offers about
12 bits of advice if we would "strike 12 in spraying". Here are
his more important suggestions; (l) Use standard spray products,
(2) avoid spray burn, (3) rinse the tank with fresh water every
day, (4) watch the weather, (5) use plenty of spray, (6) improve
the water supply in order to fill the spray tank quickly,
(7) keep the sprayer in first class working order, (8) spray top
and center thoroughly, etc. He also says "Do not spray on hot,
muggy days. Spray in the cool part of the day, or at night.
Do not use lime that is a year old since it deteriorates with age.
Use chem.ical hydrated lime. Avoid sludge v/hich may form in half
an hour unless the agitator is working". Professor Cunmiings '
suggestions are equally important in I.Iassachusetts .
A Few Facts Abo ut Spray Residu es
With the harvest season only a few v/eeks av\fay, a word
about spray residues is in order. The federal tolerance es-
tablished by the Food and Drug Administration is the same as for
1935. The figure ,018 grains per pound, however, means little
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or nothing to the average grower. He has no way of knowing the
amount of residue on his fruit without submitting a sample for
analysis. This season, for the first time, the Experiment Station
at the State College in Amherst, will bo equipped to m.ake analyses
of lead and of arsenate for individual growers at cost. Any
grower desiring to kno\; definitely the condition of his fruit as
regards the federal tolerance may avail himself of this nev/ ser-
vice. The method of taking the sample is, of course, important.
Details regarding the amount of fruit required and method of
sampling will be announced later. In connection with spray
residue, this one fact must bo kept in mind. There is a definite
relation between the amount of residue at harvest time and the
date of the last spray. The time of harvest must be considered
as v;e spray for late season posts. If heavy rainfall was certain
to occur this item would be less iinportant, but having no control
of the v/eathor, the grower must rely upon proper timing of his
sprays and upon the use of recommended matcria.ls.
Apple Mi dge ^Ctt W ork i n Essex County
In "the annual "report of the Mass. State College Experiment
Station, V/. D. Vi/hltcomb reports on the apple leaf curling midge as
follows: This pest was normally abundant in 1935 in the infested
area. (Essex County and a few miles co.stward). No definite in-
crease in the knovm infested area was discovered. In the orchard,
flies of the over-wintering generation were abundant from
blossoming time until June 4. Mature maggots began to leave the
curled leaves by June 18 and flies of the first generation were
abundant during the latter part of July. Evidence was secured
tha.t migration of mature maggots depends upon moisture. He
suggests the following schedule of treatment v/hich should greatly
reduce the abundance of midge and prevent its development into a
serious pest: Cultivation under trees before blossom- period.
Application of one pound of calcium cyanide or two pounds of
naphthalene flakes per tree just before the blossoming period.
Addition of nicotine to Calyx and first apple maggot sprays.
Application of bctanaphthol treated corrugated po.per bands to
trunks of infested trees about Jujie 15. It should be explo-ined
that the apple midge results in a very tight curling of the young
leaves on apple shoots. Thus far its dojnagc has not seriously in-
terfered with the apple crop ;in.d it is to be hoped that its mi-
gration may be checked and that the application of the above
schedule may not become nocossuVj in Massachusetts orchards.
Obse rvat ions of This and That
In our attempt" to control scab in Mass. orchards this
spring, there scem.s to be more than the usual amount of lime sul-
fur injury to leaves. Scab control seems to be a compromise
betv/een th^ highest possible protection against scab and the least
possible amount of injury to leaves. The young chestnut trees
planted by Thom.as Haley in Orange this spring are making excellent
growth. Incidentally, frost rings are in evidence on some of the
Wealthies and Oldenburg apples in this orchard. Aphids appear to
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bo almoGt coinplGtc].y cleaned up by po.rasltes. In the orchard of
Edv/ard Jensen in Granville it was necossary to jar several trees
"before a single curcullo "beetle could be found, and then one was
finally located on a tree next to the woods. Rosy aphid is
fairly abundant on certain trees in this orchard. In spite of the
extremely cold weather when strawberries v/ere coraing into bloom,
the crop Ic surprisingly good. Evidently only a small propor-
tion of the blossoms and buds v/cre killed. The strawberry crop
in southeastern Mass. v/as none too good, duo to a combination
of frost, drought and weevil. Conservation of moisture now in
the soil is imperative in certain orchards on droughty soil, in
case v/e have anything like the drouth of 1935. Mulching is
probably as effective as any practice in the conservation of
water. It appears that two grape pests have been more common
than usual this spring, the plume moth and the grape cane gall
maker. The first apple maggot flies of tho season may be expected
within tho next week or ten days.
IIASSACKUSETTS STATE COLLEGE
Ul^TED STATES DEPAP.TIEMT OF AGRICULTURE
AI^D COUl-ITY E:crSNSION SERVICES IN AGRICULTURE AND
HCI.IS ECOi'OIUCS COOPERATING
FRUIT NOTES -, September, I936
W. K. Thles
Extension Horticulturist
The "Drought Spot" Situation
In 1929 a number of cases of internal brovmin<^- of Cortland
and Mcintosh were reported by Professor Latiner in Nev/ Hampshire,
Other cases ha.ve since been reported from the Champlain Valley of
New York, from Vermont and nov; from several orchards in Massachu-
setts. At least eight such cases have come to the writer's at-
tention this fall. The term "drought spot" is used to describe a
brovmish condition of the flesh around the core, sometimes extend-
ing out to the skin. In severe cases the apple has a rough, v/arty
appearance. Drought spot seems to be related to a. water shortage
in the apple at a critical time. There is some evidence to show
that a drought when the apples are from one to one and a half
inches in diameter nay cause more injury than a shortage later in
the season.
In the orchards observed thus far, we have noticed a number
of things v/hich point to a v.'ater shortage during the past summer.
In one orchard, the trees are underlain by a ledge v.'ith little or
no opportunity of seepage from a higher level. Drought spot seems
to be most severe v'here the ledge is nearest the surface. In an-
other orchard, where drou.ght spot was very noticeable, 'the root
system is shallovr owing to an unfr.voreble hardpan at 1-j to 2 feet.
Incidentally, this orchard is so vret in early spring as to inter-
fere vrith spraying. In a third orchard, trees vrhlch have been
heavily mulched showed decidedly less drought spot than nearby
trees without a mulch. In another case, young Mcintosh trees are
Interplanted in an old Baldwin orchard just coming into bearing.
Here, the ^"'ater shortage may be due to root competition. There
is considerable evidence to show that drought spot is more severe
in Cortland than it is in Mcintosh. Other observations point to
the serious handicap of close pla.nting on a droughty soil. A
planting distance of ^0 x ^0 plus a liberal mulch, may be one way
out of this difficulty in orchards already established. And in
choosing a site for the new orchard, the need for a careful inves-
tigation of the subsoil cannot be too strongly emphasized.
The Curse of Close Planting
A few days ago we visited a 15-year-old Mcintosh orchard
in eastern Massachusetts which ^'^'as planted 20 x 20 on a good soil.
To say that the orchard new resembles a jungle, is putting it
mildly. There was a heavy bloom last spring, and the ovaier went
through the motions of spraying five or six times. But scab ran
wild and v;hat should have been e. six bu. per tree crop of fancy
fruit is very largely a crop of culls. More salable fruit could
easily have been harvested from half the trees with much le ss ef-
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fort. It takes cov.ra[^e to cut out np.ture trees os soon as the
branches begin to touch. It's easier to wait for "one more crop",
forgetting thot the roots o.re crowding seriously and that the
lower half of the tree is beconing less efficient long before
there is serious crowding of branches. 27 vigorous trees to the
acre with good exposure to light arc almost certain to be noro
profitable than double that number of crowded trees. One Worces-
ter County grovrer who is thoroughly sold on the idea of removing
fillers promptly, reports the following: One "Mcintosh tree with
plenty of space on all sides had a crop of 12j bu. 6-j bu. vrorc
picked from the ground and the remaining 6 bu. from a short ladder.
The average color was excellent. Ease of harvesting as well as
spraying and thinning are real a.dvantages of the violl spaced or-
chard.
In a certain Plymouth County orchard the trees vrere
originally planted 20 x 20. Half of them have been removed,
leaving the remainder 2J feet aport, or 5^ trees to the acre.
The orchard is on a droughty soil and no mulch has been used.
This yerr the crop averaged g bu. per tree but the size of the
fruit was disappointing. Evidently there wasn't enough water in
the soil to support a 400 bu. per acre crop. 171 th half the num-
ber of trees properly mulched the cmer might have ho.rvested 30O
bu. of high quality fruit. In the course of a few years he will
save enough on spraying, pruning rnd harvesting to pay for many
loads of mulch material. Too many trees per acre is one of the
most pressing problems of our Massachusetts orchards.
A Tip on Soil Management
V/ritlng on the subject of soil management in the September
issue of American Fruit G-rov.^er, F. E. Boar makes this pointed
strtement, "An orchard soil to give best results, must be well
drained; it must contain a liberal supply of organic rartter; and
it must produce good yields of sod or cover crops. On this point
there is not likely to be ;xny disagreement. But a large percent-
age of our orchard soils do not meet these specifications. Some
are too wet. Others contain very little organic matter and are
too dry. Others ptc so unproductive of cover crops that it is a
waste of money to sov/ them until conditions for their growth are
made more favorable."
If we look around us we can see plenty of orchards which
illustrate the truth of this statement. Where ragi.veed makes a
grovrth of only six or eight inches vre ma.y be dead sure that soil
conditions are not favorable for apple production. Such orchards
may bear a fair crop in a. year "v.'hen everybody has apples." But
the successful orchard bears a good crop every year, Including
the year when apples arc scarce. The orchard cover crop is an
excellent indicator of soil needs. If the soil will grow a rank
growth of grass and weeds we needn't v^orry much about the tree
itself. But if through long continued cultivation and a failure
to maintain a good supply of organic matter vre find the soil get-
ting harder each year and the grovrth of creeds scantier, it is
high time that ve embark upon a program of soil improvement. Cash-
ing in on the organic matter in the soil is lilce drawing money
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fron n. bank account. Sooner or Inter the recount Is depleted.
This condition hr.s p.lrcp.dy been reached In come Mr-ssnchuGctts
orchards.
Thinning Rrspbcrry Canes
In pruning' the rp.spberry planting it is just rs Iraportpnt
that v.'c remove the ncak cr^Jies as it is to rcnovc the canes v;hich
have borne a crop. Renoval of vrcak canes nay be left until spring
or they may be cut out vhen the old canes arc removed in the fall.
For red raspberries, the Michigan Agricultural Expcrinent Station
suggests leaving 10 canes in each k- feet of row. If grovm in
hills 3x7 feet it vflll require about eight canes per hill to
equal the 10 cnnes in k feet of rovr. In the c.'"'se of black or
purple rrspberrlcG, k- ernes per plant hove given satisfoctory
results. The Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station suggests
leaving all cones over ■§• inch in diameter. If too many canes arc
left in a plonting, the extrr cones tend to encourage diserse by
interfering with the circulrtion of air. The extra cones oJso oct
o.s weeds ond they make picking more difficult. There is much to
be so.id in fovor of "ire supports for raspberry cones. In the ob-
sence of such supports, the cones should be cut back enough to
moke them stiff enough to support o. crop. Cutting bock o.bout a
third is usually sufficient.
"An Apple a Day.'!.
Folks are still talking o.bout the Interesting address of
Dr. Manville given at the convention of the Intci'national Apple
Association in Boston last month. Dr. Manville presented some
new o.nd revolutionary ideas about the vo.lue of apples in the diet.
He so.id, "People ho.ve long known the value of apples in the diet,
but this knowledge was the outgrov.'th of experience ond it hos only
been very recently thot the laborotory has revealed the vorious
elements which ore packed inside the skin of this ancient fruit.
The chief sources of pectin today ore the peel of citrus fruits
and apple pomace. In eating citrus fruits the peel is discorded
and the juice contolns very little of this ingredient. There is
probobly no fruit the edible portion of ^hich exceeds the apple
in Its pectin content. Thot portion of the pectin v.hich is di-
gested gives rise to ccrto.in products ^hich when o.bsorbcd ond car-
ried to the liver enoblc that organ to get rid of many poisons.
I do not hesitate to so.y that for children living in large cities
ond those living in areo.s where it is common for the temperatures
to reach high levels, the use of o.pples '"all prove to be one of
the greo-test blessings of recent times. Evidence is occumulrting
tho.t adults suffering fron such conditions o.s intcstlno.l ulcers
may be cured by the use of o.pple pomace or o.pple powder."
At a meeting of the National Apple Institute in Cincinnoti
in June, Dr. Kchoc of the University of Cincinno.ti, spoke on "Human
Lead Absorption ond Excretion in Relation to Human Food". Dr.
Kehoc cited recent experiments to show tho.t Ico.d taken into the
humo.n body does not accumulo.te os has boon so generally believed.
It is a known fact that a certo.in onount of leo.d is token into the
body noturally in all foods. To test the theory thot lead accumu-
Ti
• .'1
lates, Dr. Kehoe experimented vith a youn~ medical student. He
was tested over a k nontli period during which tine he lived in the
laboratory. Careful chemical analyses shovred that the amount of
lead given off vras practically the same as that consumed. An in-
teresting account of this experiment is found in the July issue
of the American Fruit G-rower.
Thirsty Orchards
The follovring quotation comes from the Clip Sheet of the
U. S. D. A., released September 20. "If a mature orchard received
its needed 4 in. of rainfall each month, it would be equivalent to
108,000 gals, of water to the acre monthly or 360O gals, daily,"
says the Bureau of Plant Industry. On the basis of 35 trees per
acre, each tree should have a little more than 100 gals, of water
daily." In a non-irrigated section such as Massachusetts, there
is reason to believe that many apple trees come a long vray from
receiving the amount of water indicated above. Another author,
apparently a little more conservative, has estimated that a mature
30 year old apple tree requires about i+500 gals, of v;ater during
the season. Figured on the basis of a five month growing season,
this amounts to about J,0 gallons per day. And even that is a, lot
of water.
G-iving Apples a Sun Bath
As we visit orchards at harvest time we are a little bit
disturbed by the practice of so many grovrers who allow apples to
stand in the orchard exposed to the sun for 2 or 3 3.ayc! or more.
That this treatment improves the color of the apples on the top
of the box cannot be disputed. And if only drop apples intended
for immediate consumption were treated that way, there might be
little objection. But if the apples are to be stored for any
length of time after they are removed from the orchard, the quicker
they can be moved into storage, the better. A day of exposure to
the vrarm September sun may easily affect the storage life of the
apple by as much as two vrccks. Furthermore, an apple exposed to
the sun after picking takes on an abnormal appearance, or as some-
one has expressed it, "a half baked appearrncc" which any good
judge of apples should detect at once. Cool, clear, sunny days
in fall will work wonders In developing an attractive color in
apples on the tree. Man's efforts to do the same thing after the
apples are picked e^re genornlly less successful.
One or Tv/o Sprays a Waste of Time
Many samples of mag jot infested fruit have reached the
State College this fall a.long with a question something like this,
"Please tell me what is wrong vrith these apples. V/e had the trees
sprayed, but most of the apples are like the sample." In a fev/
cases we have aslced the sender for further information about his
spray program only to find that the fruit received one or two
sprays, including a spray at the calyx period. In the good old
days it is claimed that "perfect" fruit could bo obtained by spray-
ing once or twice, but times apparently h:'ve changed. Without at-
tempting to explain v/hy we have such a horde of ambitious pests
during June and July, wre submit this simple notion. It doesn't
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6.0 nuch good to control ccf-b .",nd other pcctc vrhich '"for]: during the
month of Iln.y if t.'c rrc going to allo'7 the fruit to be ruined ony-
vir.y during the Gunner by cu^rculio rnd rpplc nr.ggot* In other v^ordc,
p. one or tivo r.prry progrrn ccenn to oo r. rrr.ctc of tine P.nd money.
Unices ^"^e hrvc the cquipncnt r.nd the pcrslntcncc to apply rt Icr.st
four ncll timed ciprrys it in doubtful if the effort is rrorthy to
be called r cpray progrpn. The regrettable thing re no gcc it,
is that so many anatcur fruit grovrorc arc inveigled into paying
sonoonc to go through the motions of applying a sprpy or tvo n'ith
so little chrnce of worthv;hilc results. The fcllovr v;ho brings his
sprayer around ^rhcn he gets ror.Ccj, squirts the tree nith a little
of this or that and kindles in the nind of the onnor a hope th^t
some of his fruit vrill be clean, ought to be mrd.o to cat the entire
insect riddled crop.
St my Thoughts
Recent experincnts shcv thrt loaf activity pftor hrrvest
tine is of vital importance in the next year's crop. Trees vrhich
lose their leaves early, or trees v/hoso lorvcs rrc b.-dly injured
by lorf hopper or red mite rre under a distinct hrndlcrp.
It is a srfe guess thrt the rpple tree bcn.ring a Irrgc crop
of Inrge sized apples this serson did not suffer seriously from
lack of Mrtcv. Small size of fruit, brovrning of Icpvcs, and in the
crse of Baldrins, either a hc-^vy crrly drop or considerable bitter
pit, rrc almost unraistrkablc signs of a drought at a critical
serson.
Several gro'-^ers hrvc expressed the viev; that a reduced cost
of hprve sting and gr.^dlng is one of the biggest compensations from
grovring r clcpn crop. It is a simple matter to grrdc rnd pack a
crop '"'hich runs 90 or 95/^^ free from prcvcntrblc blemishes.
Far sighted grovjcrs rrc on the lookout for mulching mrtcr-
ial r/hcrevcr it may be found. Hay continues to be the most popular
material although strrw is often used to rdvantpgc and one grovrcr
is even using crrnberry vines.
With literally hundred of apple gro'-'crs in Massachusetts
trying out promising ner opplc varieties, a plate c:diibit of Ken-
dall, Macoun rnd other newcomers from, around the state nay r'cll be
planned for the rnnupl meeting of fruit growers in V/orcester.
Imagine picking 276 bushels of apples in a dpy .' That is
the record of a young nan in Maryland. He explains his feat by
saying thrt he "made every move count."
In ccrtrin competing sections, gro'vors irrigate and firrht
frost every y-,rr. This, of course, adds to the cost of production
but it nlso insures a larger crop. In handicapped locations, Ne\v
England gro^-'crs rrc beginning to consider both of these operptions
in an attempt to insure large pnnual yields.
I.IASSACHUSETTS STATS COLLEGE
UNITED STATES DEPARTI.EKT OF AGRICULTURE
AND COUI'ITY EXTENSION SERVICES IN AGRICULTURE
AI\m HOME ECONOMICS COOPERATING
FRUIT NOTES - October, I936
W. K. Thles
Extension Horticulturist
An Ob .j active in Prunin.o:
The writer is convinced that one's viewpoint in pruning a
fruit tree is nighty important, IThat vie accomplish seems to depend
very largely upon the ideal v/e have in mind. Without a clear ob-
jective, we may find ourselves like the football player who ran
the vrrong way and made a touchdown for the opposing team. We, too,
may lose our sense of direction and carry the tree the wrong vray.
Almost every day the writer passes an orchai^d v^hich illus-
trates the truth of this statement. The workman, in pruning these
trees, apparently considered every upright growing limb as a menace,
and therefore something to be removed. And so he consistently cut
out the young, vigorous limbs which grew upward throughout the tree.
The "finished product** v/as a drooping affair composed very largely
of older, downward grovflng branches v/hich had partially outlived
its usefulness. The removal of these latter branches Instead of
the ones which were removed, v/ould have provided a gradual rene^-'al
of the fruiting wood, so essential as the tree grows older. Yes,
pruning Is a worthwhile operation if we leave the tree better than
v^e find it. Othervrise, what's the use?
Is Fall Pruning Safe ?
It was not until the severe winter of three years ago that
our attention was directed tov^ard the relative merits of fall vs,
spring pruning of apple trees. Then it became quite apparent that
the removal of large limbs in the fall left the tree in a vreakcned
condition and the fa.ll pruning wounds failed to heal. This may re-
sult from the loss of certain food materials In the branches, which
if given time to move dov/nv/ard to places of storage in the trunk,
vrould tend to encourage maturity ajid therefore v/inter hardiness.
It took a lot of evidence to convince some of us in the spring of
193^ that there was any difference between fall and spring pruned
trees. But the evidence accumulated as one orcha.rd after another
told its story. There was a real difference, and the difference
was greater where trees were most heavily pruned in the fall.
Among the trees most injured by the cold winter ^'ere certain top
grafted trees whose tops ''cre most drastically reduced before the
cold weather sot in. The moral Is plain. Avoid heavy fa.ll pruning.
If you have trees v;hlch are to be made over, postpone the opera-
tion until la.te winter or early spring.
But what about the orchard where thousands of trees need
pruning, a.nd the hired help must bo kept busy? Shall we take a
cha.nce and get as much as possible of the pruning done this fall?
Well, that's up to you. If the winter is mild, it will probably
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make little difference. Not knovlng ^-^hrt the \7inter vlll be like,
v,'e mii,-ht compromise by doing the necessr.ry rrork on the younger,
more vigorous trees, pr.rtlculnrly Mcintosh. In many orchards the
pruning most urgently needed is that of removing 'veak, shaded,
do\7nv;ard groving branches, most of \7hich are less than an inch in
diameter. Pruning of this kind v:ill not tend to ueaken the tree
materially. But if there is need for removing many large limbs,
it seems advisable to delay that part of the Job until zero temper-
atures are past.
Mrs. Ivlouse Moves In
Among the 60 or more replies to a questionnaire on mouse
injury recently conducted by E. U, Mills, we find this striking
statement from John Hall, a fruitgroner in Lockport, N. Y. "7OOO
trees. Orchard in clean cultivation \7ith stra^v mulch. Bait put
under strav in tin cans. Refilled 7 times. Found 7 dead mice under
one tree. Mice moved in from adjoining fields. Police dog got ^k
mice in one day, 56 the next. Had 6 trees completely girdled, I5
partly. "
Another interesting reply comes from John Keller, Ne\7 Paltz,
N. Y. "26,000 trees. Used home mixed bait before prepared bait
came out. No injury for 12 years. Trees dug around for 3 feet.
Plain board (12xlS) placed on ground for tvro vreeks to drar mice.
Bait then put under pJid filled again in t\7o reeks. This is done
during summer and again in fall. Find mtxriY dead mice."
A study of Mr. Mills' summary reveals these fr'cts. The de-
gree of mouse control seems to depend on the mouse populp.tlon in
the orchard and on the gro'"'er's persistence in carrying out a con-
trol program. Mounding of trees or the replacement of sod with
cinders or gravel is a \7orthvrhile supplem.entary practice. More
mouse Injury occurs during the fall months than ras previously
assumed... Poison placed in envelopes ho.s given rather unsatisfac-
tory results. And lastly, mice con be controlled and girdled trees
may be prevented if the grOwcr is willing to take the necessa.ry
steps.
The Peo.r Psylla Situation
Several orchard insects have apparently found the past
season very much to their liking, among them the pear psylla. Al-
ways a troublemaker, this insect was even more troublesome than
usual during the summer of 193^' Perhaps the hot, dry summer was
partly to blajne. Whatever the reason, this pest v^pg able to thrive
and Increase in numbers at an alarming rt'te in spite of the ordi-
nary control measures. So numerous v;ere these insects at harvest
time in certain orchards that some groT'ers felt their efforts in
spraying had been ^-^I'gely vrasted. In the College Orchards, for
exa.mple, the characteristic bla.ckening of the twigs and foliage
was much more in evidence than usual. And two other gro^^'ers have
only recently raised the question as to the cause for so much
damage .
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Although IcGG spcctaculr.r in its cffoct on the tree than
fire blight, pear poylla is undoubtedly the most drmaging pest of
pear trees in Massachusetts. It has put pear grovrers out of
business, and is responsible for much reduction in yield as ^7ell
as quality. In the writer's opinion, the situation calls for a
tightening up in the spray program. a more thorough application
of oil in spring before the eggs arc laid, \7ill help. A better
distribution and more gnllons per tree is a real need in many or-
chards. When v/c realize the lengthy succession of broods and the
importance of a.ctually hitting the insect rith the spray mn.tcrial,
we \7ill come nearer making a cleanup of the individuals present
each time v/e spray, knywmy, there is some consolation in knowing
that persistent efforts vrill greatly delay the "peak" of infesta-
tion. And this permits the foliage to function much more effi-
ciently with a higher yield, better size of fruit and better qual-
ity.
Effect of Water Shortage on Nutrition of Fruit Trees
In a paper on the Status of Orchard Soil Moisture Research,
J. R. Magness of the U. S. D. A. makes this statement, "The most
sensitive criterion of the moisture condition in fruit trees is
the number of stomata which open and the length of time they re-
main open. As more mA. more of the root zone reaches the v;ilting
percentage on lighter type soils or approaches it in heavy soils,
the rrte that moisture can bo cupplied to the tree decreases ac-
cordingly fjid the daily period during which the foliage and other
tree pnrts ore functi-ining also decrea<.ses. V/hen most of the root
zone has reached the wilting percentage, tissues of the tree fail
to become fully turgid even at night. Under these conditions,
stomata may fail to open in the morning, grovfth of fruit ceases,
and definite shrinkage of fruit may occur. Fortunately, even under
such conditions fruit trees growing in the open soil vrill survive
for considerable periods of time. Probably under these conditions
a few roots that have i^enctrrted deeply obtain v:ater at lc;\st in
sufficient quantities to prevent the death of the tree."
The above statement comes very near describing a condition
in" many Massachusetts orchards. Small size of fruit, internal
breakdovrn, biennial bearing of Mcintosh, inferior quality and lo\7
yields are often associated v/ith a deficiency of water during the
growing season.
Progress in Orchard Trenching
Since the September issue of Fruit Notes orchard trenches
have been studied in the following orchards: Hampshire County
(M. S. C), Hampden County (Rice), Middlesex County (Drew, Saari),
Worcester County (Clemens, Davis, Trask, Charlton, Calkins, Lin-
coln). Additional work is now under way in the two latter coun-
ties, and in two orchards in Franklin County.
Among the observa.tions of most interest care those relating
to subsoil and root distribution beneath trees affected by drought
spot as compared vrith normal trees in the same orchard. Four such
comparisons have been made and several others are contemplated.
-l]._
In one Worcester County orchard we found striking evidence to show
that mere depth of rooting is in itself not very important. To
obtain enough water the deeper roots must penetrate a layer which
is permanently moist. In the above orchard, one tree of rather
poor performance had some roots at a depth of about 7 feet, in a
shattered rocky strata vrhich, even at this season, was very dry.
Another tree in the srjne orchard, a high producer of large size
apples, showed a slightly shallower root system but the subsoil
was entirely different. Here vras a loamy material of high water
holding capacity.
Stray Thoughts
An acre of land is capable of producing only as many ap-
ples as the water supply \7ill permit. On Massachusetts acres the
potential yield wilj vary from nothing to perhaps 1000 bushels.
In many orchrrds, 2J trees or less vrould, if given a chance, pro-
duce more good apples than the present crowded planting of 5^ to
log trees.
Its
Overheard at a recent fruit meeting, "The orchard has
grown but the equipment hasn't." Hovi true thnt is about the aver-
age fruit enterprise. A sprayer that did good vrork x-'hcn the trees
vere ten ye.^rs old is still expected to do its stuff ten years
later, v:ith perhaps five times the area to be covered.
This question was asked at a recent study group meeting,
"Is it possible to get good yields and good color, year in and
year outj*" And the answer is, "It depends." It depends on the
water supply ajid on our willingness to be satisfied with fewer
apples for the sake of getting maximum color. It takes good
judgment to bring things into balance, to recog'nizc the limita-
tions of a soil, and to determine what spacing of trees will
bring the most profitable returns.
A treat is in store for the finder of a Mcintosh apple
left on the tree until after the first of October. In our trench-
ing ope rr't ions vie ha.ve enjoyed many such treats in the form of a
late "drop" hidden in the grass. Here is a rare combination of
an apple reaching full maturity and then being stored under al-
most ideal storage conditions.
A new and unusual strawberry, the Bnron Solemachcr, v/hich
is grown each year from seed, is said to be produced quite exten-
sively in Germany. Seeds are offered for sale by a midwest concern.
According to the records of W, D. Whitcomb, maggot flics
emerged from his co.ges in almost perfect accordance with the
recommendations of the state spray schedule. There ^'as a fairly
heavy emergence shortly after July 10 and a second "peak" about
two weeks later.
The Essay Contest, being conducted by the Mass. Dept. of
Agriculture in Boston, is in full swing. G-cncrous prizes are of-
fered for the best essays of 500 vjords or less on "VVhy I Like
Massachusetts Apples." The contest is a feature of National
Apple Week and all entries must be in by November 9*
■ ft
MASSACHUSETTS STATE COLLE'xE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AORI CULTURE
AND COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICES IN AGRICULTURE AND
HOME ECONOMICS COOPERATINi
i'-j-
FRUIT NOTES - January, 1937
W. H. Thies
Extension Horticulturist
Ra infall an d the Fruit Cr op
It takes about 11 acre inches of water to develop a
300 bu. per acre crop of apples. It v/o'^ld seem therefore that
the normal annual rainfall in Amherst (^3.^9 inches) ought never
to result in a shortage of water in the soil. But it isn't so
much a matter of hov; much rain falls during the year as it is the
distribution from month to month. Penetration and retention by
the soil are also important factors. The season of 1936 seemed
dryer than 1935- Ye'c tlie rainfall records of C. 1. G-unness show
a total of k&''.2k inches in I936 and only 3i|.0S inches in 1935-
Here is a possible explanation for the greater water deficiency
in 1936. We began the season with an inherited deficit of 9.41
inches from the season of 1935- In other words, the soil v;as
actually dryer than normal. Then we received during Jan., Feb.,
and Mar,, I936 a total of I6.I5 inches, much of which ra.n off
because the' ground was frozen, April, 193^ ^'^''^s only slightly
above normal in rainfall while May, June and July (months of active
growth and heavy water demand) brought a rainfall which was actual-
ly 5 inches less than normal. Consequently, trees planted on soils
of poor water holding capacity were unable to get enough water
during the summer of I936. There was plenty of evidence of this
fact in the form of internal cork in Mcintosh and Cortland, Ex-
cessive Baldwin Spot in some orcliards may also be attributed to
a fluctuation in the water supply.
At the Rochester Meetings
I had the plea.sure of attending the meetings of the New
York State Horticultural Society at Rochester to tell them some-
thing of the Massachusetts plan of helping the grov;er to get tree
true to name. There were some 200 fruit growers present and I
asked if any had planted commercial orchards and found all their
trees true to name. There was no response, I then asked how
many had received trees not true to name. Quite a sprinkling of
hands appeared over the audience. Apparently our Nevr York breth-
ren have not been very much more fortunate than ourselves. It is
interesting to note they think Baldwin is out in central and west-
ern New York, also th; t some think Cortland is the best bet for
8 variety to replace it, (J. K, Shaw),
Do Beehives Har bo r Fire Blight?
Fire blight cannot over-winter in a beehive. This much
discussed point seems to have been settled by extensive experi-
ments recently reported from New York. The longest period over
which the organism was able to survive in a hive was I3 days.
Usually no living bacteria were found after three days. Honey
s
-2-
bees were found to carry the diseaGe from flower to flox^rer in
spring, but they were not responsible for carrying It through
the winter. (R. A. Van Meter),
Strawberry Grown Inj ury
That first cold weather In the fall seems to have dam-
aged strawberry crowns quite generally, not only In the North but
at least as far south as Beltsville, Md. where the United States
Department of Agriculture reports extensive injury. The damage
appears ps a brov^ning of the cambial region at the base of the
crown. No one knows how serious this condition is but such injury
is common in Massachusetts. Experimental work is planned for next
fall to see if it cannot be prevented by earlier mulching or by
regulating the amount of mulch. (R. A. Van Meter).
A Newly Discovered Effect of Oil S p rays
In South Africa a delayed development of apple and pear
leaves in spring is often a serious problem. It has long been
known that deciduous fruit trees must go through a so-called "rest
period" during the dormant season. The breaking of this rest
period is apparently associated with low temperatures. ViHiere the
dormant season is short and the minimum winter temperatures are
high, trees a.re inclined to be very slow in getting under way in
spring. To correct this situation, M. W. Black of the University
of Stellenbosch in South Africa, has been experimenting with oil
sprays as a means of breaking the rest period. Apple and pear
trees were sprayed with a ^% raw linseed oil emulsion from ^ to 2
weeks prior to the first opening of blossoms. Supplementary
studies were also made vrith seal oil and with tvro mineral oil
emulsions. He finds a marked benefit from the oil treatments in
a year when delayed foliation was prevalent. The degree of re-
sponse was apparently correlated with the susceptibility of the
variety to delayed foliation. Here in the Northeast v/e don't have
to worry much about such things, due perhaps to the fact that
sooner or later during the dormant season fruit buds become suffi-
ciently chilled to cause a normal development in spring.
What Makes Big, Red A'oples ?
R. E. Stephenson, in a recent issue of the California
Cultivator, says that big, red apples, or choice fruits generally,
are the product of sunshine plus conditions favorable for normal
growth. Excesses or deficiencies are not favorable. There is need
for balance in all things. Vigorous tree growth in early spring
and early maturity of gro^^th favor coloring, Enou.gh soil fertil-
ity and moisture for vigor without over-vegetation gives best re-
sults. Nitrogen should be a.bundrnt in the spring but the supply
should be cut off in Ir.te summer. Trees should be sufficiently
open to let in light r'.nd the fruit should be thinned to about one
apple for every ^0 or RO leaves. Am.ple moisture through the grow-
ing season is important. And rftcr the apple is otherwise ready
for the color-making process, then sunlight acts upon certain
stored compounds kno^''n to the chemist as anthocynnlns, to form
the color pigment. The blue and ultraviolet rays are ecpeclally
effective. Clouds, haze, or fo™ reduce the ultraviolet light
reaching the apple and are therefore unfavorable to rich coloring.
Big, red ppples indicate vigor pnd vitality just as p rosy com-
plexion indicates health and good nutrition in the human.
Ar e Blueberries Self Fe rtile?
Can vprieties of cultivated blueberries be plrjited in
Ip.rge blocks of single varieties or must provision be mpde for
crross pollination to insure fruitf )j.lness? Experiments cprried
on at Amherst during 1935 f'-^^ 193^ indicpte thpt no vpriety cpn
be relied uoon to set berries enough for a full crop, '"'ithout cross
pollination. Of the sixteen vprieties tested, half can be con-
sidered PS prpcticplly self unfruitful and the other half ps partly
self fruitful. Of the vprieties recommended for commercial plpnt-
ing. Pioneer is self unfruitful pnd Cabot and Rubel pre partly self
fruitful. Until more information is available it seems vilse to
plant at least tvo varieties to Insure f ruitfulncss. (J.S.Bailey).
Mo t es on Strav^berry and Raspberry Varieties
The Kov/ard Supreme strawberry again outyielded all other
varieties in the College plantation this past season, having pro-
duced at the rpte of 7,000 quarts per acre. The next best variety
was Cpt skill ^''ith 4-, 500 quarts per acre. Anyone vho considers
Hoviprd Supreme too dprk colored, certainly v'ill be disappointed
v/ith the color of Falrfp.x.
The ncv Indian Summer red rpspberry is ps early as
Ranere (St. Regis) in its summer crop, but in the past t-'o sepsons
has failed in Amherst to mature its fall crop before freezing
vreather. The season of Taylor and Marcy appears to be betveen
Ne'-'burgh and Lpthara. An averpge of six yeprs' yield records shov;s
Chief to hpve the spme sepson ps Ne-'^burgh, instead of being an
ep.rly berry as vas first thought. (A. P. French).
Right and Wrong Method s vith Tv'o Small Fruits
The effects of a comparatively minor change in method
is veil illustrated by G. I.I. Darro^- in the Proceedings of the Amer-
ican Pomological Society for 193^' Strax-'berry beds held over for
the second fruiting season vere mov^ed for comparison on three dates,
July], August 1, and September 1. In all three varieties included
in tiie test, Blakemore, Joe and Howard I7, early mo^"ing ^'as dis-
tinctly beneficial, increasing the yields by 22, I3.5, and 12.1^
respectively. August moving v-as of dubious value rhile September
moving v'as injurious to all three varieties.
Another illustration along the same line is reported by
C. A. Doehlert in the Proceedings of the American Cranberry G-rc'ers '
Ass'n. for 193^. In a comparison of three methods of hprvesting,
namely, hand picking, scooping from a stpnding position, and scoop-
ing from a kneeling position, he reports average yields oer acre of
120.1, 9^.6, and 9S.7 bbl . , respectively. The dropped berries
collected from small measured areas shoved pverage losses of h.k,
21.5, and iKfo of the total crop, respectively, for the three methods.
There '"as also more tearing of the vines on the plants scooped from
a standing position. And so it appeprs that there is a riglit and
a vrong vay of doing such simple tasks as moving the strawberry
patch and scooping up the cranberry crop.
LI. F. G. A. Directors Meet v^lth Membors of Colle;-e Stn.ff
In order to bccor.ie nore fpnlllar vith the ^'ork of the
Stpte College rs it riffects the fruit industry, p. committee of
directors of the I.L F. G-. A. visited the College cnnpus, Thursdp.y,
December 17, for an p11 d.-y meeting v'ith members of the College
st^iff. The meeting opened nith r, short tnli: by President Bp.ker
after '-'hich each department having apiy contact v'ith the fruit in-
dustry presented a brief outline of the vork novr under ^"ay in
both research and extension. The follo^"ing departments ^-'ere rep-
resented at the meeting: Pomology, Entomology, Botany, Agricul-
tural Engineering, Horticultural Ilanuf actures. Agronomy, Agricul-
tural Econop.lcs and Farm. Management. In addition to President
G-eorge Dren of the U. F. G-. A., the follo^''ing directors ^"'ere in
attendance: H. P. G-ilmore, H. A. Priest, G-. H. Harris, A. Pierce,
C. E. Llbby, and R. Flske. The meeting served a double purpose
in bringing to tlie attention of the gro^"ers the varied activities
of the State College and a clearer conception of the services
available, and second in conveying to the members of the staff,
suggestions regarding additional services vhich the State College
might render. Am.ong the latter vere requests for information on
orchard irrigation, on the food value of apples, and a ner account
book for fruit gro^"'ers. A more detailed report of this meeting
v'lll be printed in the annual report of the M. F. G-. A. nov In
process of preparation.
Stray Thoughts
During the years 1922 to 1933> Wenatchee, V/ashington
apple growers averaged $1.22 per box for Extra Fancy Winesaps de-
livered to the shipping point. Extra Fancy Delicious averaged
$1.6k, nhlle Jonathan end Rome Beauty averaged $0.^^.
Many eastern newspapers refused to run California Fruit
Exchange advertisements ^"hich contained the statement that Sunklst
navel oranges are "22^ richer In vitamin C than Florida oranges."
The claim vas made to offset statements in Florida citrus advertis-
ing that Florida oranges contain one-fourth more juice than others.
A forecast of the fruit growing Industry by a responsible
organization in California advises the removal of all pear trees of
unpopular varieties and those of low yields or inferior quality.
Sucli action Is urged as a means of benefiting both the individual
grower and the pear industry as a. •'"'hole. This advice is equ.ally
applicable to the apple Industry of the Northeast.
The Pacific Fruit Express Company, making provision for
an increased volume of perishables from western territory, plans to
spend $10,500,000 in the construction of refrigerator cars. This
Is in addition to contracts made Inst April for 2700 nex"' refriger-
ator cars.
As ^"'e look forv'ard to another spraying and dusting season,
with memories of certain shortcomings in 193^, this question is a
logical one. If a change is to be made in ray 1937 program, shall
I stress better timing, better coverage, or shall l" try other mater-
ials? This answer has been offered by a number of gro^"^ers, - "The
m.aterials on the market arc O.K. if you use 'em right."
The Boston V/eather Bureaxi reports a record rainfall for
the month of December of about S Inches. If it were possible to
conserve all of this ^''ater for use next summer, our orchards could
easily v-ithstand a two months' drought. A mulch of sufficient depth
to smother out all vegetation is an excellent means of conserving
water, since it tends to prevent surface runoff and also eliminates
grass and weeds i-'hich compete ^-Ith the tree for the available y^rter.
MASSACHUSETTS STATE COLLEGE
UNITED STATES DEPARTIvIENT OF AG-RI CULTURE
AND COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICES IN AGRICULTURE AND
HOME ECONOMICS COOPERATING
FRUIT NOTES - February, I937
W. H. Thles
Extension Horticulturist
A Fruit Grower' s Interest in Conservation
No one familiar with the needs of the average orchard soil
can question the worthxvhileness of the various practices included
in the Agricultural Conservation Program. Here are a fev of the
evidences of a need for doing something about it: A scanty growth
of grass, weeds, or other cover crop, a widely fluctuating moisture
supply due in part to a shortage of organic matter in the soil, and
a failure of the trees to produce good annual crops. Me should
recognize, of course, the limitations of each particular orchard
from a soil standpoint. For example, one orchard may be desperate-
ly in need of heavy mulching. Either that or irrigation may be the
one thing necessary for producing a satisfactory crop. Another
orchard, planted on a naturally fertile, retentive type of soil v-illl
go on for years producing profitable crops vfith little or nothing
in the way of soil improvement. Our interest in the improvement of
the orchard soil must go beyond the present season's crop, What we
do this spring to bring about more favorable growing conditions for
the cover crop will have an accumulative effect. And that sugg-ests
the importance, while the trees are young, of handling the soil in
such way as to insure a liberal growth, not only in the trees them-
selves, but in the cover crop as well. The new federal program
offers considerable incentive along that line as will be noted
below.
Conservation Practices Which Apply to the Fruit Farm
Following is a brief suinmary of the va.rious practices of
Interest to the fruit grower, along vath rates of payment:
1. Applying up to 3 tons of lime per acre to established
sod, or in preparation for new seeding ($^.00 per ton).
2. Applying phosphoric a.cid, potash, or nitrogen or ap-
proved combinations of these materials in connection vath the seed-
ing of biennial or perennial legumes or green manure crops (Ra.tes
of payment indicated below) .
3. Fertilizing sod orchards I'rlth: (a) Phosphoric acid
ik-^ per lb.), (b) Potash (35^ per lb.), (c) Nitrogen, not over 2k lbs.
per A. if hay is harvested, or not over 32 lbs. per acre if hay is
left on land {k-^ per lb.).
K. New seedlngs of clover or clover mixtures at the rate
of 5 lbs. of clover seed or its equivalent per acre ($2.00 per acre).
5. New seedlings of alfalfa or alfalfa mixtures at the rate'
of S lbs. of alfalfa seed or its equivalent per acre (^3.00 per acre).
6. Plowing or discing under small grains, annual grasses
or legumes after tt^ey have grov^n 2 months or have attained a growth
of 12 Inches, or leaving on land instea.d of plowing under ($1-50
per acre) .
7. Applying 2 to 5 tons of mulching material per acre,
leaving on the land all materials produced in 1937 from grass legumes
and cover crops ($2.00 per acre).
-2-
Excess Trees , A DiGa.dvantp.^:;e
In a recent orchard management publication from Ner York
Stpte, reference is made to this statement of G-. F. Warren in I905,
"One of the greatest enemies of the apple orchard is the apple tree."
In an apple orchard survey made in Wayne County, N. Y. , at that time
it v'as found that orchards '-ith less than 35 trees per acre '"ere
yielding on the average, 229 bushels per acre, '"hile the orchards
^ith hS trees or more per acre ^"ere yielding only 186 bushels. Hence
the striking statement to the effect that the extra trees consti-
tute an actual enemy in the orchard. If ^'e make due allo^'ance for
the better care i^'hich may have been given to those less crowded
orchards, there is plenty of present day evidence to sho'- the folly
of reta.ining tv^o or three times the ideal number of trees. The
familiar admonition, "Woodman, spare that tree" ^-as not intended
for the orchardist. An acre of land can carry only a limited num-
ber of trees of a given size. And if that number is exceeded, '"e
immediately run into a disastrous competition of the branches for
sunlight, and of the roots for moisture. Both of these items tend
to lorer quality and raise the cost of production.
Some Strav.'berry Observations
A. P. French reports the HoT'ard Supreme as outyielding the
Horard I7 in the State College plant a.t ion, the tno varieties having
yielded at the rates of 2^00 and 6350 quarts per acre, respectively.
He a.lso reports much better yields of Dorsett and Fairfax r^here th^
plants ^ere spaced than v.'here grom in a matted rov. Each variety
produced at the rate of 37^0 quarts per acre vhere the plants '-'ere
spaced to a distance of S inches, vhile in the matted rcr the Dor-
sett produced only I700 and the Fairfax 2000 quarts. The Cat skill
also shovred improvement 'rhere the plaints '"ere spaced, vith a yield
of 5200 quarts as compared vith ^5^0 quarts in the matted ror.
This data seems to suggest the need of some of these never varieties
for a fertile soil and plenty of space. Othernise the crop is al-
most certain to be disappointing.
Y/ild Brambl e Eradication
Anyone interested in getting rid of a patch of '"lid rasp-
berries or blackberries ^"ill do '"ell to read a recent publication
from the N. Y. Agr. Exp. Sta. , by L. M. Cooley (Geneva Bui. Ko.
67^). The author says "Farmers generally regard ^'ild brambles as
obnoxious and pernicious veeds. But besides being a nuisance,
they are also a potential menace to cultivated raspberries and
blackberries from the sta.ndpoint of disease and insect pests.
Serious diseases in cultivated raspberries a.nd blackberries that
may be disseminated from vild hosts include the fungus maladies,
anthracnose and orfunge rust, and the virus troubles, mosaics, leaf
curl, and streaks. They also harbor such insect pests as the rasp-
berry fruit v'orra, the tree cricket and the cane borer. " The author
revie'"s the methods of eradicating ^"ild brambles, including clean
cultivation, mo^'Ting, burning, and chemical treatments,
Winter Injury Following Late Stimulation
The attention of the '-riter vas" recently called to a case of
severe injury in a. vigorous young apple orchard in rrestern Massa-
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chusetts, A very serious cracking of the hp.rk hrd. occurred on the
trunks of Mcintosh pnd V/enlthy trees rbout eight yeprs of age. The
story is briefly this. In the spring of 1935 '^he soil In a. part of
the orchrrd tts fitted for the seeding of alfalfa by liming and
fertilizing rpther liberally, using both manure and a commercial
fertilizer. It ^'as then cultivated frequently until sometime in
July and seeded to alfalfa. The soil is naturally raolst, and as
might be expected under this treatment, the trees made a vigorous
grov'th. The unfortunate thing vas that they grev too late for their
ovm good, i-'ith the result that the first severe cold veather of the
follo^"ing winter found the trunks in an immature condition. Frost
cracks, in some cases practically surrounding the trunk vill require
serious attention if the trees are to be saved. Tlie late stimiula-
tlon theory finds support in the other portion of the orchard vrhere
cultivation v.'ps discontinued early in June. Here no T^'inter injury
vras in evidence. Apparently those extra v.'eeks of cultivation in
the part of the orchard seeded to alfalfa, "'as a determining factor,
since the other items of orchard management as veil as soil and var-
ieties i"ere similar in both cases.
Suggestions on Toj^ G-raf ting
With the season for top grafting only a, fe^^' ■p'eeks. avay, the
repetition of a fev fundamentals is in order. As regards the ideal
time, ne'd choose late March or April ^hen gro^i^th Is Just getting
under vay, but v;e like to have the scions practically dormant. It
is claimed that scions have been placed every month in the year and
made to grov. However, the practice of cutting the scion material
months ahead of the grafting operation is not advisable. The best
kind of scions are cut from medium sized terminal gro'-'ths of the
previous season vhere the vood is matured and the buds are ^ell de-
veloped. The selection of branches for the placing of scions is
very important. Only vigorous, rell placed branches should be
chosen. If secondary, shaded Ijranches are grafted, the scions can
be expected to make inferior groi'^'th. In most cases it is possible
by a i-'ise location of the "stubs" tro give the nev tree a better
framework than the original. It pays to use plenty of good grafting
V''BX. None is better than the old fashioned combination of rosin,
beesv'ax and linseed oil. For detailed directions and for additional
suggestions ask the Extension Service for a copy of bulletin #117,
"Top Grafting Fruit Trees."
A New Interest in Fundamentals
For several years I have attended occasionally meetings of
the study groups in different counties. I have noted ''■'ith much in-
terest the type of discussion in these meetings. G-ro^'ers are no
longer demanding specific directions hov to manage their orchards
but are digging into the fundamentals of soils, physiology, insect
behavior, and plant diseases. In some counties gro^''ers attending
these meetings have been supplied vith bulletins,
