Full text of "Fruit notes"

FRUIT NOTES

JUL! 1935 - NOVEMBER 19U9

Esctension Sez*viee
University of Massachusetts

T943

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(Set No. 2)

FRUIT NOTES
1936 - 194.9 (inclusive)
(ComD.Hed by V. 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 vide
variety of itams and to have the write-ups relatively brief.
Considerable attention has been given to abstracting ExperLment
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 (Oc*^) ; 19-^3 (Aug.); 19^6 (Feb.,
Nov,,);194-7 (Jan., Hay^ Jiine, Sept.,); 194-8 (Jan., Mar., May, Sept.,);
194.9 (Jan., :J*^©i, June, Sept, Dec.,).

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February 26, 1947

Preparod by the Fruit Program Committae
of the Extension Sorvic-j

?/. H. Thies» Extension H'Tticulturist

Contents

School For Coramercial Fruit Growers

Varieties of Fruit For Massachusetts

1947 Orchard Fertilizer Program

Injurious Effects of Long Continued Cultivation

The Davoy J^ple

1947 Apply Spray Chart

Shrivelling of Apples in Storage

SCRQOL FOR CO:. ER CIAL FRUIT GRO^ffiRS - MARCrl 31, _APRIL _1_ and 2.

A Fruit School to be hold at the State College on the above
dates will differ from last year's scliool in several v\rays : (1) the sessioas
will cover three days instead of four, (2) to p-rmit certain staff memb'.rs
to participate, the School is scheduled durin^ spring vacation instead of
mid-v/inter, (3) v;.;ath!:;r pennitting, there v.'ill be two out door sessions.
The program and an enrollment card -v.ill be mailed about March 1 to indi-
viduals on the Fruit Notes mailing list.

Issued by tlvi Extension Service in furtheranc-i of Acts of May 8 and Juno 30,
1914, Willard A. Munson> Director, Massachusetts State College, United
States Department of Agriculture, and County E^ctension S-">rvices cooperating.

-2-

This School is limited to commercial fruit growers, orchard
foremen, n»w or prospective orchard owners, and orchard workmen. The
discussions will center around commercial entei-prises and for that reason
will not meet the needs and interests of the backyard fruit grower. Success
in any enterprise in this modem age depends upon both a fundamental
knowledge and the latest technical developments. It is the purpose of the '■
School to furnish just this type of information. To obtain the maximum
benefit from the School, prospectiv© students should plan to attend all
of the scheduled sessions.

Department of Pomology and
The Extension Service

VARIETIES OF FRUITS I-'OR iAAS^AC_'USETTS_,_ J.J_ST_iffl^^

Arranged approximately in order of si;ason (*LIost reliable for
commercial planting).

1. Apples - Lodi, Early Mcl^toshi Milton, *'ReA Gravenstein, Yfealthy, *ivIcIntosh,
*De"lTcrious (a red at rain )V''*Cort land, i-iacoun, JRhode Island (Greening),

Golden Delicious, *3aldv;in, R'^d Spy, Gallia. (Delicious and Cortltuid
are excellent pollenizers for Iviolntosh.) (1) Richared is apparently
no longer listed by eastern nurseries. Crab Apples - Young Araorica and
*Hyslop,

2. Pears - *Clapp, *Eartlett, *Seckel, Gorhaia, *Eosc, Anjou, Dana Hovey.

3. Peaches - Marigold, Oriole, *Golden Jubilee, Triogem, *Halehavenj
Sumniercrest, Belle of Georgia (w), *Elberta, J. H. Hale, (w). white flesh,

4. plums - ^Formosa (1), *Stmta Rosa (1), Imperial Gage, Grand Duke,
Vsli'ropshire Damson, *Stanley, Hall,*Albion, (1) Japanese type; others

European,

5. Cherries - Sour -^Montmorency, English Morello, Duke - May Duke,
Sw'vet - *Sciimidt, *',7indsor. Gold,

6. Quinces - Orange, Champion,

7. Grapes - *Fredonia, Ontario, Delavmre, ^Worden, Brighton, Niagara,
Concord,

8. Strawberries - *Howard 17 (Premier), Dorsett, pathfinder (1), *Catskill,
Sparkle (TJT Mastodon (.^v^rbear ^r) , (,1) Red Stele resistant,

9. Raspberries - Black - Not reliable in iiassachusetts , Rvjd - *Chief,
MarcyT^Latham, iviilton, Ranore (St. RCf^is) - (ev.rbcarer ) , Purple -
Sodus,

10, Blackberry - Eldorado,

-3-

11, Currants - *Y,'ilder - not allcved in many towns. Consult Department
of At;riculture, Stato ilouso, Boston, Ivlass.

12. Blueberries - Cabot, Pioneer, Concord, *Rubel, *Jersey.

Notej Many varieties of fruits are partly or wholly self sterile. Usually
it is best to plant more than one variety. (The list of varieties
recoiimended for trial only will appoar in the next issue of Fruit
Notes.

SHRIVELL INrT OF A PPLES III S TO RAG^

In the animal world, a v;rinkled skin may sug£,est old age.
Not so in an apple. If an apple shrivels in storage it's a safe bet that
the ov,ner has been careless about the humidity of the storage air, Vihen-
ever apple cells lose v^rater to the surrounding air or to the container,
they tend to shrink, and the skin ;\'hich encloses them becomes wrinkled.
This condition is widespread in luassachusetts storages, and in some cases,
s^-rious. The reasons are obvious.

The difficulty may go back to the harvest season when the crop
was placed in d ry boxes. Then to make matters v/orse, the boxes were
set in a dry storage and nothing done in the meantime to increase the
humidity of the storage air. In •.■'ne storage, the boxes near the ceiling
along a dry wooden beam seemed to shrivel worse than the others. Dry
storage conditions are very easily overlooked. They creep upon us
gradually without much advance warning. To play safe we ought to provide
ourselves v.rith a simple deviec for testing, such as a Vv'et and dry bulb
thermometer and a relative humidity table, 85^o relative humidity should
be considered a minimum.

If boxes are left out in a rain before harvest that v:ill help
to prevent drying of the apples, Tlien the floor of the storage should
be vjet down from time ta time or whenever there is a suspicion that the
air is getting dry. And as might be expected Golden Delicious, russetted
Baldwins and scabby Mcintosh tend to siirivel early because they have a
poor protective covering. Shrivelling can be prevented, but not by
the methods in common use in many of our storages.

Winter Injury in Fruit Trees. There are at least
eight distinct iinds of winter injury in fruit trees.
Some are much more common than others although all
have probably occurred in Massachusetts. They are
as follows; root killing, bark-splitting, trunk-
splitting, sunscald, crotch injury, killing back
of braziches, black heart, trunk injury, Killing of
dormant buds and winter-killing of svrollen buds may
also be classed as winter injury.

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THE 1947 ORCHARD FERTILIZER PROGRAM

' —— - ■■• - — ' ' ■' I I i| I 1 il )J oil ) |i I li n n l.» U .

During the war w© were told that in the peace time to came
fertilizer nitrogen would be In over supply. Evidently that time is not
yet here for we are told that during the spring of 1947 nitrogen will be
in very short supply. Most Massachwqette orchards are in sod and the grass
must be fed as well as the tre«sj of course the grass rots and this nitrogen
may eventually get into the trees.

Probably a few orchards get too Jnu»h nitrogen in an effort to
increase yields, and color and firmness may suffer. Sometime in the near
future we are going to have a big crop ajid a smaller nitrogen application
might result in a smaller crop of better colored apples, llhen this bumper
crop will come is anybody's guess,

A common recommendation ia ± lb. of nitrate of soda, or the equiv*-
l«n* . for each yoar of age of the tre^; thus a 40 year old tree might get
10 lbs, of nitrate or tho oquivalent In oth-f^r carriers. This proscription
should not bo taken too exactly, li" the poll is one that is called Vf^ry
f'irtile,a lesser amount, and on on© of low fertility a larger amount might
bo hotter.

If a grower is unable to buy -as much nitrogen as seems necessary
he may resort to the practice recoWnandod during tho v/ar of suppressing
grass in the orchard during spring, thus reducing ths nitrogen requirement.
Unless treos are starved for nitrogen, feeding them nitrogen in midsurmner
or later is extroiftely unv/ise. Wo want rath^^r high nitrogen in tho troGS in
spring and early suiiimcr and a reduced .eiiiount in late summ^jr and fall. This
march of tree nitrogen favors a large loaf area and good sot of fruit and
then better color and less harvest drop,

Apple trees ought usually to have nitrogen fertilization overy
year and most orchards will profit by a coraploto fertilizer v-jry few
years, J. K. Shaw

INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF LONG CONTINUED CULTIVATION

The Ohio Experiment Station compared tho physical and chemical
state of 12 Lake Erie vineyard soils which had. been under cultivation for
very long periods, with soils of adjacent fence rows which were presumably
like the vineyard soils in their oarli--r years. Those studios indicated
a great loss of organic matter and nitx-ogon, also of calcium and exchango-
ablc bases, At)parently acidity had increased in most but not all tho
vineyards. It is of ospooial interest to note that there was as much
tendency to gain as to lose potasn and a greater tendency to gain phos-
phorus. The behavior of magnesium was not reported, Wlioro organic matter
and nitrogen were very low, the application of coimiercial fertilizers
availed little. This is anoth -r illustr^.tion of tho value of organic
matter in agricultural soils. Few Massachusetts orchards are in culti-
vation but it is vfiso to pay attention to tho organic matter in sod orchards.
The value of hveavy mulching lies largely in tho abundant organic matter
supplies. (Ohio Bulletin 663,_ 1946).

J. K. Shaw

• 5-

THE DAVEY APPLE

There v/as considerable interest in thr? new Davjy (Davenport 25)
apple at the rocont fruit meeting at W~rcestcr. This variety has b'^en
under observation at tho Exp-;riment Station for ton years and has cropped
for four or five years. It originated v.-ith 3, i.. Davenport of Korth
Grafton from a Mcintosh seed but it shov;s few Mcintosh characters. The
tree has some faint resemblance to Wealthy but as a conmercial variety
its possibilities are as a replacement for Baldwin,

Its habit of ^ro'.v'th is uprij^ht spreading, better than Early
Mcintosh, not as good as Milton or Mcintosh, £tnd no worse than i/.ealthy,
Yn'o have not observed its behavior in a tost wintor. No signs of winter
injury have been Sf>on aiid wo feel quite confident that it is hardier than
Baldwin, It comes in bearing as early laid perhaps eurlier than Mcintosh
and so ar a boamr annually, Wliilo it may not bear as regularly as
Mcintosh Vi'e feel sure that it v/ill prove a m''>re dependable prouucer than
Baldwin, It is not susceptible to scab, bitt.r pit or other diseases.
It is not quite as vigorous as Baldvdn and may be planted a bit closer
in the orchard.

The fruit is harvested with Baldwin and v;ill keep in storage
as long or longer. It is, on the average, as attractive in appearance
as Bald^vin and seems to be more uniform. It is alv/ays vjell colorod
but not as bright as the best Baldwins, Fev/ varieties will stand hcndling
with less injury. The quality is good but not- in the Mcintosh class.
It is more like Stayr.iati which it somev/hat resembles in shape. It must
not be stored in low humidity nor exposed long to heat and dryness v/hen
removed from storage. This t'.ndencj' to wilt is its greatest weakness
yet observed but it should be possible to overcome it by proper handling.

It vjould be reckless to say that the Davey could become a
major variety; it maj' develop weaknesses not yet evident. We do not
kri'Tf! how productive under all conditions it v/ill bo. If produced in
quantity it will meet with sales resistance in the market as all new
varieties do.

It seems to be equal or superior to Baldwin in all respects
except that it -v/ilts more in low humidity. It is ViOrth an extensive
trial as an improvement on Baldwin,

Trees of Davey are not yet available and the College is not
novf sending out propagating vrood. It is hoped tliat Mr. Davenport Vvill
see fit to make trees available for trial in tne near future,

J. K. Shavj-
TIffl _1?57_ #T ^ 2PP^-^I C:iART

As this is b:;ing written, the galley proof of the new spray
chart has just arrived from the printer. In a previous issue of Fruit

100
8

Gallons
lbs.

12
8

lbs,
lbs.

)

It
1

gals,

lbs.

pint

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N 'tes v;o presontod the now notes pertaining to insecticides. Y»"o include
herewith the notes on fungicides, dusts raid miscellaneous materials.

Protectant Fungicides, The follovv'ing are acceptable:

Dry Wettable Sulfur

Paste Wet table Sulfur

Hvj Lime Sulfur

Liquid Lime Sulfur 32*^ Baiome

Iron Carbamate (Formate, Karbam)

Puratized Spray

Except for Puratized, aftc-r Calyx the amount of fungicide may
bo reduced gradually, if the Scab has been controlled well by the early
sprays, but the quantity should not bo less than one-half of the original.
Ylhen applied to v/et trees or during, rains the concentration should be
incr'jased by one-third to one-half. One-half pound of iron carbamate,
such as Fermate or Karbam, combined v;ith half strength wetfeabio sulfur
is more effective a,,ainst Scab than either alone and is effective for
Cedar Rusts. Iron carbamate is advised for controlling the Cedar Rust
diseases, Brooks' Spot and Bitter Rot. A bloom application is usually
necessary to obtain good control of the Cedar Rusts.

To avoid fruit russeting iron carbamate is preferred on Baldwin
and Delicious. Do not use sulfur in combination v/ith lead arsenate
on these varieties, Tne use of lime sulfur, especially the liquid form,
is injurious, particularly vihen used with lead arsenate and at temperatures
above 85° F. Limo should be omitted in all sprays containing Iron c»rbaiaate
and Puratized, In sprays containing wettable sulfur or lime sulfur
ajid lead arsenate the addition of the sarao amount of hydratod lime
as lead arsenate tends to reduce arsenical injury. Use freshly hydrated
300 mesh high calcium (70$^ calcium oxide) lime.

To avoid objectionable residue Puratized should not be used after
mid-JunJ« For protection against Scab up to the early Cover sprays,
it is the equal of wettable sulfurs or ircoi carbamate but is not effective
for Cedar Rust control,

Eradicant Sprays For Burning Out Scab, Foliage Scub ctin be burned
out" ~o'as~iabl y welT "^'.Ith Tiqua'd'TTiiiicPs u 1 f u r 2 gallons (or dry 3 lbs.)
or Puratized, 1 pint. Unlike lime sulfur, Puratized eradicates Scab
vv'ithout causing foliage injury. It is usually necessary to apply
eradicant sprays more heavily and more thoroughly than protective sprays.

Dusts, In many cases, dusting is desirable:

1, As emergency treatments between scheduled spray applications
for Scab and Cedar Rust control,

2, V'ilion a v/ater supply is limited or unavailable,

3, ¥ihen iin.,iodiate application is more important than delayed
spraying,

4, To protect non-bearing trees from severe infestation,

5, To avoid excessive rosidu-^j in applications just before harvest*!

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Desirable Dusting Formulae are?

Dusting Sulfur Talc 85-Fer;iiatc 10-DDT 5

Sulfur 75-Lor.d Arsenate 25 F-armato 10-Lead Arsenate 25-Talc 65

Sulfur y5-DDT 5 Sulfur 85-LGad Arsenate 15

Sulfur 95-FormatQ 5 Formate 10-Talc 90

Either sulfur or iron carbamate dusts are desirable for controlling
Scab, Tnc sulfur-F'^rmate dust is satisfactory for c 'ntrolling Scab
and Cedar Rustj the Fermate-talc dust, for Scab, Cod^^r Rust, smd fruit
russet.

Miscellaneous, Benzene hexachloride, kno\vn as Gammexane, 666, Gaiatex,
BHC, and Ben'jriiGJt, is a promising h'jvi insecticide especially for Cur-
culio and Aphis control but must bo studied more thoroughly before
it can bo gen^^rally rocoimnonded. Compatibility v/ith lead arsenate,
DDT and Fermate appears satisfactory, but with sulfur caid dinitro
materials it is questionable,

Phygon is highly effective against Scab but may cause leaf injury
and rodu'.tion in size of fruit. It must be investigated further befor*
it can bo r-ocommended, F'"'r limited, oxporim ;ntal use, the concentration
should mt exceed g- pound of Phygon to 100 gallons of v;ater, Phygon is
compatible vfith lime but not vith oils.

"Let's Look at That Map Again'.' In an orchard area along
t'he"^lan'tfc ""Seaboard the owner of a bulldozer contracted
to remove a large block of auple trees, Ai'ter pushing
over 600 trees, he made a startling discovery. He was
in the wrong orchardi

No January Fruit Notes, As a means of stretching a limited
supply" o'f" mimeograph paper, and in line with a College
policy during the past few months, a second is.;ue of
Fruit Notes has been omitted. From now on, however, we
hope to get back on a monthly basis.

New Insecticide Gives Promise Against kites. An organic compound,
tetraethyl pyrophosphate (TEP)Thas been f'ound to be unusually
effective against certain pests Y:hich are quite unaffected by DDT.
In laboratory tests TEP was 10 times as toxic against aphids as
the usually applied nicotine compound. It may prove to be a useful
material in controlling red mite. Tests indicate that.it decomposes
promptly and therefore does not leave a residue,.

Llarch 31, 1947

Prepared by the Fruit Program CoiTimittee of the Extension Service
V/. H. Thies, Extension riorticulturist

Contents

Scab Spores Abnoriiially Early

Red Raspberry Varieties in Llassachusetts

Are Richared Apple Trees Available?

No Frosts in the Good Old Times

Soil Acidity

Properties and Uses of f\ingicides on Fruits - 1947

SCAB SPORES A BNORl,iAL LY EARLY

At this date (ilarch 27), with apple buds still dormant, the
development of scab ascospores in i!assachusetts is as far advanced
as it ordinarily is at the ^^reen-tip fruit bud stage. In the oldest
perithecia mature spores are abundant. This situation emphasizes (1)
'ihe need to reduce the heavj'" scab carryover with a floor spray of
dinitro and (2) the need for extra care in keeping susceptible varieties
protected against scab, from early Pre-Pink onv/ard.

0. C. Boyd

Issued by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of l.Iay 8 and June 30,
1914, Willard A. iiunson. Director, J.iassachu setts State College, United States
Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services cooperating.

-2-

RED lUSP EEHRY VARIETIES IN luASSACIIUSETTS

Raspberry growing in Massachusetts has been sevel'ely hit in the
past decade or tv;o by a combination of virus diseases and adverse v>'inter
conditions. Black caps seldon survive more than tliree to five years and
even reds are easily infected with virus since practically every sizeable
j.'atch of v;ild reds is infected ivith mosaic.

Interest in this state is almost entirely in the red raspberry,
since it survives better than either blacks or purples and also because
practically all the crop goes to the fresh fruit market. Cuthbert, which
formerly was the chief com..iercial variet.-/, is still recognized as about the
best in eating quality, Latham, because of its superior winter hardiness
and greater resistance to mosaic, has long since superseded Cuthbert as
the leading coin.iercial variety, but it has never taken the place of Cuthbert
as a high quality dessert variety,

jijnong the newer varieties which are being tested at the iviasca-
chusetts State College the following are worthy of comia$nt. They are listed
approximately in order of season,

1. Sunrise is the earliest red raspberry being tested her«. It ripens
just "alTead of Ranere, The fruit is a bit firmer and somewhat better
quality than Chief. Tlie plants are fairly winter hardy and moderately
productive. Mosaic has been observed in the rov; but the plants have
not been seriously injured by it sn far. Because of its earliness

it is being recoiiinended for trial,

2. Indian Su-nner ripens its sum-ier crop with Ranere, but of course is
considerably larger and better quality than Ratiere. p[ovvever, it has
not been so productive and the berries shov; too much tendency to
crumble. The plants are fairly v;inter hardy, but production has not
been good. In this section Indism Summer falls dovm in the character-
istic for \vhich it v/as nained, since its fall crop usually is just
starting to mature v./hen the first hard freeze arrives. Hence, it

is unreliable as an everbearer here.

o, Newburgh , in spite of its large, firm berry, has turned out to be

entirely, unsatisfactory because of its short growth and severe winter
killin^^, of canes,

4, Cajoaga is a strong grower and of better than avera^^e winter hardiness.
Some virus has appeared but in a limited test this variety has been
very productive. Its fruit is larger aiid better than that of Chief,

5, Chief is the most vdnter hardy of all varieties tested so far. It
has' shoViii some virus disease, but is a ^ood grower aiid productive.
Unfortunately, its fruit is rather small and not particularly good
quality, but it is probably the most reliable variety of its season,

6, Washington and Tahoma, which on the west coast ai-e reported as being
more vi inter hardy th'aii Cuthbert, wore both much more severely winter
killed a year ago than was Cuthbert, Neither variety has shovm

-3-

sufficient merit in fruit characters or productiveness in the past
three years to warrant their further trial, although so far neither
has shown any virus disease*

7. Taylor never has done as viell here as at Geneva, N, Y. The plants
"are very susceptible to mosaic and leaf curl and are severely injured
by these virus diseases. Rather heavy winter injury also has reduced
the productiveness of this variety. It is not being recommended for
further planting in this section,

8, Marcy, with its extra l^rge, attractive, good quality fruit, should be
of interest to the home gardener. However, it is one of the most
severely winter injured varieties in our present planting and hence is
of doubtful commercial value. This variety has shown no mosaic, but is
particularly susceptible to leaf curl,

' 9, Latha m, in spite of its position as the leading commercial variety, is
not without faults. Mosaic outs production in most plantings in the
state, and the fruit is not so high quality as the market once enjoyed.
Although usually quite winter hardy, spur blight occasionally causes
serious cane killing in this variety,

10, Milton , which ripens with or just after Latham, was at first thought
to be th« ansv/er to the maiden's praysr* It is a high quality, fimi,
attractive berry of good size and easily picked. The plants are vigorous
and so far have shovm no virus disease in plantings where mosaic and
leaf curl are abundant on nearby varieties, Hov;ever, in the past tvro
winters, Milton has been considerably winter killed so that its pro-
duction has been seriously cut.

So Massachusetts continues to search for that ideal red rasp-
berry variety v;hich will combine the productiveness and vdnter hardiness of
Chief with the firmness and virus resistance of Milton, the size and color
of Marcy, and tlie quality of Cuthbert, to mention a few of the chief require-
ments of such a variety,

A. P. French

ARE RICHAE^D APPLE TREES AVAILABLE ?

We have recommended Richared for many years as the best of the red
sports of Delicious for most conditions in Massachusetts, It appears that
only two nurseries in the east now list Richared in their catalogs. Neither
of these nurseries do much business in Massachusetts,

The name Richared is copyrighted by a Pacific Coast nursery which
has leased propagation rights to other nurseries on a royalty basis. Several
eastern nurseries leased the name but most of them have now ceased to do so.
Nearly all nurseries offer a red sport of Delicious as "Double Red" Delicious
or some similar name. Many red sports of Delicious have appeared from time
to time, at least three of which have copyrighted names. The red sports
offered by nurserymen may be one of these throe, or some other sport never
formally named. The differences between the various Delicious sports are

-4-

small but we fsel they do exist, A grov/or will stand a good chance of
getting a desirable type if he orders any one of the red sports.

J. K, Shaw

NO FROSTS IN THE GOOP OLD TliViES

The name Dr, Jabez Fisher means little to the present generation
of fruit grovrers but it was well known 50 y:

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-6-

PROPERTIES AiN^ USES OF FUNGICIDES ON FRUIT S - 1947 (So many questions

"Have 'bsen asked abbuT^tlie nev/er spray" and "Hust materials that vie are

presenting, in this issue, a detailed statement on the nswir Fun gicides , -

ElbStol, Kronite, Fermate, Karbam, Puratized, and phy^on, prepared by

0. C. Boyd. In th«-3 next issue, another chapter coverinj^ the older materials, -

Bordeaux ^ixturo, iTettable Sulfurs, Dusting Sulfur, and Lime-Sulfur will be

presented, )

With the approach of an unusually hazardous season for con-
trollinjj diseases of frxiit crops in Massachusetts, due to an abnormally
heavjr carryovor of disease organisms, it seems desirable to list the
standard and some of tiic newer fung,icidal spray materials, and indicate
their outstanding properties and what appears to be tlieir most appropriate
uses on fruits in 1947.

llijBTOL, KRENITB

1, physica l. Chemical ; Yollov.' organic dj'o in a slurry or thin paste

emulsion, in 1-gal. cans; containing 34^i of tho sodium salt of
dinitro ortho cresol.

2, Supply, pl ontiful . Cost, around v2.25 to ^'2.85 a gal.

3, Formulas: 1 l/2 to 2 qts. - 100 on dnnaant peach trees; 2 to 3 qts.

r00"on apple and poar orchard floor; 4 qts. - 100 on raspberry
canes and ground, and on floor of peach orcliard and grape vine-
yard. At rate of 500-600 gals, p:jr acre of j^round on floor.

4, Properties; Aside from use as a strictly dormant tree spray to

control aphids and bud moth on apples (2 qts.-lOO) and leaf curl
on peaches (1 l/2 to 2 qts, -100), it is effective at delayed
dorrucnt time in killing the overv/intoring orgEuriisms for apple
scab and pear scab (leaves on ground); raspberry spur blight
(canes and old leavv-^s); peach brown rot (mummies on ground),
and grape black rot (leaves and mutnmies on ground). It is in-
jurious to young green leaves and shoots of all of these plrnts
except raspberry side shoots or fruiting laterals up to 1 inch
in length,

5, Best Uses; (a) On floor of apple orchards v;ith heavj,' carryover of

scab (15-20>o or more of old leaves scabbed) in order to reduce
the danger of heavy primary scab infections and thus simplify
control with the regular suiiuacr protectiv; sprays. (See under
3 and 4 above for formula and time of applicatiori). Best results
if applied at delayed dormant, although nearly as effective when
applied In spring dorsiont season. Spffay -wiith truiiinj, hoao and
brooms so as to v.'et all surface leaves on the orchard floor;
using pressure 'f rot more than 350-400 lbs. Avoid disturbing the
matted leaves and avoid hitting the tree tops if applied at
delayed doj-mant. Should require 500 gals., better 600 gals, per
acre,

(b) On raspberry canes and surrounding ground (4 qts. -100)
when longest side shoots are nn^ inch long to eradicate organisms
of spur blight and probably anthraonose.

-7-

(c) On poach orchard und vineyard floor (s«g o and 4 above).
First knock do\vn or piolc off tmd dustroy all muinmios hanging on
peach trees and t^rape vinos,

FEMATE, KARBM

1. physical, Cheraicalt Iron carbamate (Forric dimethyl dithiocarbamato),

"a bTack, s'jot-like powd-^r containing 70^:^ active ingredients; forming
triu; suspension in water.

2. Supply, moderate to plentiful for spraying; limited in dust formu-

lati'ons but dusts may bo obtainod on 2 to 3 v/oeks advance orders,
?or sources of those ruitftrinis, «ont»at the writer, Clerfc il*ll,
!vmish-yellow powder containing dl% 2,3,

di'ch'lOro- 1 , 4-naphthoquinone , Forras true suspension in water.

2, Supply, limited. Cost around !;;,2,00 per lb,

3, Formulas ; 3/4 to 1 lb, -100 is standard, although both concentrations

may cause light to marked injury v^n apples,

4, Properties ; Compatible v;ith all standard sumaer spray materials

except oils. Highly effective at 3/4-100 in preventing apple
scab and black rot, but is only poor to moderate for burning
out scab spots. At 1-100, effective against black rot and bitter
r'">t -.if apples, and spur blight of raspberries (suiiimer sprays on
nevif canes - see under Formate). Injury to apples includes dwarfing,
yellowing and sometimes dropping of loaves, and spotting and re-
duction is size of fruits. The diluted spray is caustic to the
hands and face of some op»-;rators,

5, Best Usos; (1) As alternative for Formate on raspberries, at 1-100,

(2") For small scale trial on apples for scab control; not stronger
than 1/2 lb, -100, in pinlc, calj-^x and first cover spray using sulfur
or Fermate and sulfur mixture (see under Fermate, 4) in pre-pink,
bloom and later covers, (3) if cost is not important, use as in
(2) except throughout the pro-pink to third cover spray inclusive
follrwed by sulfur or sulfur- Fermate mixture in last cover.

0. C, Boyd

April 30, 1947

Propar^d by th'i Fruit Program Cornmittco of tho Bxtonsion S'^rvico
V/. H. Thios, Extonsion Horticulturist

Contents

Fruit School V.oll Attandcd

Properties and Uses of Fungicides on Fruits (Chap. 2)

Getting Alon^ Yfithout Iron Carbamate

Spur Blight in R'.spborry Varieties

The Improvement of l/,ild Highbush Blueberries

Tips From the Lien wTio Soil Them

Pollination of Fruits in Now England

Report on Tv;0 Soil Srjiiplos

Let 's play Sago

FRUIT SCHOOL V^ELL ATTEI-IDED

The Fruit School for commercial grovrers held at the State
College Mr.rch 31 - April 2 was attended by a total of 103 growers, ex-
tension agents and agricultural teachers. The tv/o afternoon sessions
devoted to tours of the tree and small fruits plantations v/ere held under
ideal weather conditions. About 26 vet.-rrjis wire included in the group
several of whom were also present at the 1946 school. The attendance by
counties was as follo\'.'S: B^rrnstable, 2; Berkshire, 3; Bristol, 1;
Essex, 4; Franklin, 10; Ktunpden, 23; Hampshire, 11; Middlesex, 13; Norfolk,
5; Plymouth, 1; Suffolk, 1; V/orcestcr, 22; Out of State, 7,

Issued hy the Extension Service in furthortoice of Acts of May 8 and June 30,
1914, Vi'illard A, Munson, Director, Massachusetts State College, United
States Department of Agriculture fjid County Lxtension Services cooperating.

-2-

PROPERTIES MD USES OF FUNGICIDES ON FRUITS - 1947 (In the March issue
of Fruit Notes there appeared a detailed statement concerning the newer
fungicides, A similar statement covering the older fungicides is here
presented),

BORDEAUX MIXTURE

1, Common Uses ; Bordeaux mixture 8-8-100 (Copper sulfate-hydrated
lime - ivater) is standard for diseases of grapes and strawberries; also
for fall or spring dormant spray for peach leaf curl. If a fungicide is
needed (it rarely is) at delayed dormant for apple scab control, Bordeaux
may be combined with the oil spray for red mite. Bordeaux 2-6-100 is
commonly used during mid-bloom (or when one- third of blossoms are open
and again at three-fourths bloom) to prevent fire blight blossom infection
in apples and pears,

2, Substitutes: (l) Any of the standard neutral copper fungicidal
powders (for use as summer sprays) indicated above but perhaps with less
effectiveness against diseases. Examples; basic copper sulfate (BasiC-op,
Tribasic); copper oxychloride (Copper A compound); copper oxychloride sulfate
(COCS); and yellow copper oxide (Yellow Cuprocide), To equal the Bordeaux
8-8-100 formula, each material should be used in sufficient quantity to
give 2 pounds of metallic copper to 100 gallons of water. Note; V(hsn the
neutral coppers are used as sumraer sprays on grapes, apples, and pears,
an equal amount of hydrated spray lime should be added in order to prevent
copper injury to loaves and fruits, (2) Copper dusts are still less
effective than neutral copper sprays for summer control,

VffiTTABLE SULFURS

1, Physical Charactsristics ; Both the dry wottable powders and paste
sulfurs represent the solid, elemental form of sulfur. They form true
suspensions in water,

2, Standard Uses ; Standard summer fungicides for apple scab and
black rot; for pear scab and leaf blights; and for brown rot of stone fruits
and the leaf bli^^hts of plum and cherry,

3, Fungicidal Properties ; Strictly preventative, not sradicative,
v;hen used on above crops, would be eradicants if applied to red raspberry
foliage infected v;ith powdery mildew. Under v;eathor and environni'-;ntal
conditions highly favorable for apple scab infections, paste sulfurs have
given generally better control than dry wottabl^; p>:iwdors; and the finer
particlo sulfurs better contr ^il than coarser particle sulfurs,

4, Injury , Qompatability ; \Yettable sulfurs may cause "sulfur scald"
on apples and pears if present an the fruit during periods of high temper-
atures, particularly on the sun-exposed side of the tree, V;"hen combined
v/ith lead arsenate, they tend to increase the amount nf arsenical injury
on apple foliage and fruit (calj-x-end blackening) if a corrective agent

such as lime or zinc sulfate and lime is not added. Use of combined wettable

-3-

sulfur-lead arsenate sprays is likely to result in narked fruit russet
on Red Delicious and Baldwin, and lime is not a reliable corrective for
this injury. Sulfur sprays and dusts are injurious to grape foliage, and
they are ineffective against the rust diseases as well as Brooks' fruit
spot and bitter rot of apple and quince.

5. Best Use on Apples ; As a protective spray for scab control, applied
before or during infection rains, in the pre-blossom, blossom, and post-
blossom sprays; on all scab-susceptible varieties except those subject to
fruit spray russot. The protective value of sulfur against apple scab is
increased v.'hen sulfur is combined v/ith Ferraate.

DUST JUG SULFUR

1. Properties: As a rule sulfur dusts are not as effective for pro-
tecting fruit crop against diseases as an equal number of applications of
wettable sulfur sprays, principally because dust deposits adhere less well
to foliage and fruits than spray deposits, even when dusts are applied to
damp trees. Dusting damp plimts results in heavier initial deposit and a
longer lasting residue than dusting dry plants, but the sulfur deposit on
dry leaves and fruits may be more evenly distributed. Yflien applied to
apples and peaches, sulfur-lead arsenate dusts usually result in less sulfur
and arsenical injuries than sulfur-lead arsenate sprays, particularly on
peaches,

2, Best Use; An all-dusting program is likely to give more satisfac-
tory control of peach diseases than apple scab especially in Mcintosh and
other highly susceptible apple varieties. On such varieties, dusting is

best considered a supplement to spraying, that is, to insure prompt protection
aliead of or during a rain p'jriod; also at a time v.-hen soil conditions make
it difficult to transport a heavy spray rig through the orchard; and for
a quick "once-over" around mid-bloom. Once apple scab is under good control
and the period for primary infection is past, dusting might be considered
"standard" for the remainder '^f the season. One "best place" for sulfur
dusting is on peaches prior to and during the picking season to control
hrovm rot, with the least amount of fungicidal residue on the fruit.

LttlE SULFUR

1, C ommon Uses • Lime-sulfur remains a straidard fall or spring dor-
mant spray for the control of poach leaf curl, 7-100 of liquid or 18-100

of dry lime-sulfur. It likewise is comi.ionly used as a delayed dormant spray
(10 gal, -100 gal,) and pre-blossom spray (2-100) on red raspberries for
control of anthracnoso. As a summer spray on apples (2 gal, -100 gal.) it
is more effective against scab tuid black rot than the best v/ettable sulfurs,
but it is considered t >p injurious to be used CJbher thwi as he. SJaergeaaoy
spray,

2, Properties ; The elemental sulfur deposit resulting from the
soluble sulfurs in the lime-sulfur spray is considered superior to the
deposits of wettable sulfurs in withstanding weathering — in ether words,
more adherent. Lime-sulfur is far iuore injurious tn foliage and fruits of

-4-

orchard crops than any of the wettable sulfurs, due to direct absorption
of the suluble thiosulfates and pnlysulfide from the undried spray filia.
When line-sulfur, liquid or dry, is used several times a year, and year
after year, tree growth is stunted and yields fall off rapidly.

In addition to its highly effective protective action against
apple scab, lime-sulfur is also oradicative, killing out the fungus in leaf
spots, but not in fruit spots. It is also effective in preventing scab
infections when applied as long as 50 to 70 hours after the beginning of
the infection rain. Four pounds of dry lime-sulfur contain approximately
the same amount of total aulfur as 1 gallon of 32'^ Baume liquid, but less
of the caustic, soluble forms of sulfur, Henoe dry line-sulfur 8 lbs, -
100 is a weaker eradicant fungicide (ind somewhat safer as regard plant injury
than liquid lime-sulfur 2 gal, -100.

3, Best Use on Apples ; One© or tr/ice during the season, if needed,
as on emergency spray"]! (1) applied after an infection rain to on orchard
that was unprotected before and durin^, th« rain, for the purpose of heading-
off oj- preventing infection; (2) in a cover spray to burn out scab spots
on the foliage, in case a safer eradiqant is not available.

0. C, Boyd

GETTING ALONG VJ'ITii9PT I&OK CARBAi\'IATE

Due to the extreme shortage of iron carbamate this spring many
apple grov/ers who intended to use Formate or Karbam will be disappointed,
A few v/ere fortunate to carry over or to purchase early in the winter a
supply only while others are likely not to obtain any at all* The follov;ing
are suggestions for courses that aight be follov^ed where (1) a limited
supply of iron carbamate is on hand, and (2) where none is obtainable.

For Limited Supp ly of Iron Carbamate , Use it either (1) on rust-
susceptible varieties such as l//oalthy, Rome, Delicious, Cortland, Twenty
Ounce, or (2) on Delicious and Baldwin to reduce fruit russet, ^r (3) for
Brooks' spot control in Wagener, Delicious, Baldwin, etc. F'^r rust control,
use at partial strength (^ lb, -100 plus half-concentration of sulfur) except
on Delicious use 1 lb, -100 — at pink, mid-bloom, calyx and first cover.
For russet control, 1 -g- - 100 v/ithout su^lfur is suggested through the
second oover spray, followed by sulfur in later covers. For Brooks' spot
and bitter rot control, use 1^ to 2-100 in the second, third and fourth
covers following an earlier program of sulfur or other fungicide.

Last preference for a limited supply would be for scab control in
Mcintosh and other highly susceptible varieties — at ■§■ to 3/4 lb, -100
plus half-strength wettable sulfur, notably in the early sprays up to
and including the first cover. It is impossible to j-eplace iron carbamate
for control of cedar-apple and quince rusts, and difficult to make a sub-
stitution for controlling fruit jrusset. Brooks' spot and bitter rot. However,

-5-

good control of scab may be obtained without it, just as has been done
in many past seasons,

Yfaere No Iron Carbamate is Available* To reduce fruit russet in
Baldwin and~Delioious, use pr^erably a wettable sulfur < or Puratized, alone
in the pre-blossom, bloom and calyx sprays. If lead arsenate is necessary
in the pink or calyx sprays, then add as much hydrated spray lime as lead
arsenate to the spray mixture. In the first and second covers, give pre-
feronce to Puratized and lead, otherwise use the sulfur-lead-lime mixture.
For later covers, adhere to the standard fungicide - insecticide program
indicated in the printed spray chart.

In the absence of Fermat^ or Karbam, iMsts of apple may be reduced
slightly by the usual sulfur program provided one or two applications are
made during bloom. It is mandatory that the fungicide be on the trees
shortly before or during the infection rain.

In orchards where Brooks' spot or bit-t>cr rot is a problem, iron carbamate
may be replaced by Bordeaux 2-6-100 in the second cover and by 4-8-100 in
the third and fourth covers -- or by neutral copper fungicidal powders to
give ^ lb, and 1 lb., respectively, of metallic copper to 100 gals. In the
last instance, add as much spray lime as neutral copper fungicide,

0, C, Boyd

SPUR BLIGHT IN RAgPS'-^RRY VARIETIES

Spur blight is the most destructive cane disease of red raspberries
in Massachusetts, The past two seasons were highly favorable for its
development in susceptible varieties. The following indicates the relative
amounts of the disease observed on April 17 in the College variety plots.

None ; Ohta, Ranier, Sunrise,

Very Liglit: Cuthbert, Chief, June, Lloyd George, Milton, Newburg, Viking,

V.ashin^ton,
Light ; Marcy, Tahoma, Indian Summer,
Moderate ; Taylor,
Severe ; Latham, Cayuga.
Very severe ; Tennessee Autumn,

- 0, C. Boyd

A plum Puzzle ; At the Flower Show in Boston a
lady stopped at the horticultural information booth
to inquire about a plum tree v/hich had died and had
later sprouted up from the lov;er part of the trunk,
"But now", she said, "I have a peach tree instead
of a plum tree". The explanation is that some
nurserymen propagate part of their plum trees on peach
seedlings presumably to get a better root system on a
sandy soil.

•6-

THE B'lPROVEiuTLNT OF WILD HIGHBUSH BLUSBBRRIES

There are many acres of wild highbush blueberries in this
state where the bushes are yielding much below their capacity because of
lack of care. They can be made to double or triple their yield without
great expense or labor.

In 1928 experiments were tried on blueberry' land in Hubbaraston,
Royalston, V.'estminster, Ashbumham, and Barro, Massachusetts, to increase
the yield of wild bushes. The treatments wore as follows: (1) all lar£,e
trees and second grov/th shading the blueberries were removed, (2) the
bushes v/ere pruned, (3) fertilizer vms applied. The pruning varied from
removing a quarter of the bush to cutting it wholly to the ground. The
fertilizers used weroj nitrate of soda, aiTimonium sulfate, urea, calurea,
cyanamid, 4-8-4, and nitrophoska. Different combinations of fertilizers
and pruning v/ere tried.

The follov;ing results were observed;

1, Removal of othor vegetation increased the grovrbh of the blueberry bushes,

2, Pruning, vihere not excessive, increased grov/th and yield. Removal

of more than a quarter of tho bush was too severe. Bushes cut to the
ground yielded a fev; berries the third year there after but produced
no commercial crop till the fourth year,

3, Fertilization increased the grovrth and yield of the bushes. The
increase seemed to be due to nitrogen rather than to any other
fertilizer element,

4, A combination of fertilization and pruning was much better than either
alono .

5, The increase in production on the fertilized plots was due mostly

to an increase in the number of berries por bush. It vms impossible
to obtain satisfactory comparative yield records under the conditions
of the expf;riments. The bushes varied in size and number per acre.
Although the pickers were assigned to different parts of the field,
they picked in the fertilized plots whenever possible, v/ith or v;ithout
permission. This is vory good evidence of the better picking found
there,

6, The berries on the fertilized plots tended to be larger, but the size
of wild berries varies greatly and cannot bo increased beyond, limits
set by inheritance,

7, Fertilized bushes had' a marked tendency to bear yearly; unfertilized
bushes to bear in alternate years,

8, The berries on the fertilized plots were firmer during dry poriods
than those on unfertilized areas.

-7-

9» A terminal shoot growth of about ten inches v;as best. Any increase
in length up to ten inches increased yield. Longer shoots v/ere apt
to be too vegetative for naximuai production..

These observations are the basis for the following improvement
program;

First, romovo all trees and bushes shading the blueberries.
This v;ill often supply the winter's v/ood, thus making the labor servo a
d.iublo purpose. If valuable timber trees are present, the wTier must
chojse botvrocn blueberries and timber. The moiving "f lov; bushes growing
v.'ith the blueberries helps also.

Second, prune the blueberry bushes in winter or early spring
before growth starts. Take out all dead wood first, then some of the
oldost stems, cutting them off four or five inches from the ground. This
can bo done best v;ith long-handled lopping shears.

Third, fertilize the bushes, i^ply 200 pounds of nitrate of
soda per acre, jr some other nitrogenous fertilizer at a rate to give a
like amount of nitrogen.

Fourth, select und tag the more productive bushes and give them
special care,

J. S. Bailey

Again Those "Ready to Boar" Trees It appoars that some folks
arc unduly influonc'ed by clever advertising. The term "Ready
to Boar", for example, brings to mind the impossible situation
in v/hich a fruit tree bears a full crop the first season. By
making such absurd clcdms tho nurseryman is able to got rid of
older troos v;hich he didn't happen to sell at tho proper age.
True, the tree may have fruit buds, but what about the roots?
Any fruit plant, v,-hethor tree or small fruit, should ttiko the
first season, or more, to develop a good root system and make
the vegetative grov.-th v;hich alv/ays accompanies g'Jod production.
The apple or tv;o which a yoiKg Itcd bears the first year is much
less important than tho bushel it boars at 8 years of age.
And the handful of raspberries on a n?;v;ly planted ci'Jie, not cut
back, is borne at the expense of the vigorous cones v.'hich might
be growing in preparation for next year's crop.

Tale of Two Orchards One day last -u-ook v.'o came across
two oTciiards \.'hich may be worth noting here. They are
examples of tho strange things bcin^.; done undor the
guise of pest control. In the first orchard, tho ovmer
v/as breezing alongside the orchard at about 5 miles

-8-

per hour waving a wide open ^un in a majiner reminiscent
of an orchestra leader. At a distance it looked as if
he might be covering a third of the tree. In the second
orchard, the ca'mcr had cut off the tops of his trees
in the hope that it would facilitate his pest control.
The uprij^ht tilt of all the branches in these 20-y3ar-
old trees shaded that they had never borne much fruit.
On inquiry we found that he had gone through the
motions of spraying 3 times last year, that he had
applied 3 gallons of material ■'m Iviclnt:'sh trees which
should have 10, and that the leaves dropped very early.
Incidentally, in spite of a good soil the trees will
bloom very lightly this spring possibly because of
early defoliation.

TIP'S FROM THE MEN \\W SSLL TH5H

Tv;o extension schools have been held for the purpose of helping
storekeepers to ijtiprove the handling of fruits and vegetables. One
school was held in Fall River and the other in Greenfield, The school
consisted of a series of five me /tings with one meeting being held each
v;eek. At each meeting sorae phase of merchandising fruits anc. vegetables
was discussed. It has been the privilege of the writer to present the
subject of fruit handling at each of the schools, A few significant
complaints v/ere expressed at each of these schools by the storek^;epers,

1. The storekeepers in Fall River are forced to use out'^of-state
apples because of a lack of native fruit,

2. The storek .epers in Greenfield complain tiiat they were unable
to get good hand picked Mcintosh in the fall. The only Iviclntosh they
could get wore drops and they c^uld sell a lot of good Mcintosh if they
could get them. They also wish that they could get more pears as there
is a good market which they are unable to supply. Vihen asked about
grapes, they all agreed that they arc unable to get nearly enough local
grapes to supply the demand. One merchant told of buying out-of-state
grapes in bulk and then putting them up in tv/o quart till baskets. He
said that he sold them almost as fast as he cculd put them up, and could
have sold a great many more if he had had them.

0, C , Roberts

POLLIIJATION OF FRUITS IH HEW EHGLAKD

Apples ; Probably all varieties of apples produce higher yields v/hen cross-
pollinated although Baldwin sets profitable crops '.vhen planted alone.
Good Pollenizers: Early Blooming - Red Astrachan, Oldenburg, Llclntosh,
Fameuso, V/agener, Yellow Transparent, Hidseason Blooming - Vioalthy,
Delicious (Starking, Richared), Golden DeliciousV Wolf Rivsr, Cortland,

-9-

Ben Davis, VJ'inter Banana, Early Mclntoch, Late Blooming - Northern Spy,
Rome, Gallia, N» \i» Greening, Macoun, '

In general, any tivo of these varieties v/ill pollonizo each other
satisfactorily when their blooming seasons overlap. Early and midseason
bloom overlap satisfactorily in New England; also midseason and late bloom.
Delicious and its red sports are particularly good pollenizers. However,
all varieties are crossincompatible with their own red sports, and the
Cortland-Sarly Mcintosh combination is not sufficiently fruitful.

Poor pollenizers (Triploid varieties): Baldwin, R* I. Greening, Gravenstein,
King, Roxbury Russet, Stark, Stayman, Idammoth Black Twig,

These should not be depended upon for pollenizing purposes. Any
good pollenizer will cross-fertilize these varieties if the periods of
bloom overlap. Northern Spy is not very attractive to bees and needs
pollenizers close to it.

Pears ; Varieties of pears are, in general, self-unfruitful* Cross-pollination
should be provided, Bartlett and Seckel apparently will not pollenize
each other under some conditions. There is little evidence of cross-
incompatibility among other common varieties. Usually the blooming seasons
overlap enough to provide cross-pollination but the follovdng list may
help to match blooiTiing periods more closely. Early Blooming ; Anjou,
Kieffer, Hov/ell, Duchess, Midseason Blooming ; Bosc, Bartlett, Clapp Favorite,
Seckel, Gorham, Late Blooming ; YJinter llelis, Wilder,

Peaches ; Most of the common varieties of peaches are self-fruitful. Among
the exceptions are J, H, Hale, tiikado or June Elberta, and Pacemaker, vmich
require cross-pollination, aIso Greensboro and Belle of Georgia have been
reported as more productive when cross-pollinated. As far as is known
any other common commercial variety v/ill pollenize these.

Plums; All Japanese plums may be considered self-unfruitful. Most
varieties pollenize each other freely but at least one common variety,
Formosa, has poor pollen, European plums pollenize Japanese varieties
to a limited extent, A few European plums are self-fruitful (Stanley,
Monarch, Yollovj Egg, Damsons), Many are only partly self- fruitful. It
is advisable to plant at least two varieties together, Japanese plums are
not good pollenizers for European sorts.

Cherries ; All sweet cherry varieties require cross-pollination, Bing,
Lambe rt , Napoleon, and Emperor Francis will not fertilize each other but
each may be fertilized by other common varieties. Common varieties of
sour cherries are self -fruitful.

Grapes ; Common varieties of grapes axe self-fruitful except Brighton and
Erie, v/hich need cross-pollination.

-10-

strawberries ; A fevj varieties of strawberries v;ith "imperfect" flowers
require cross pollination. Examples are Hov/ard Supreme, Sample, and
Warfield. Imperfect varieties are rarely planted. All common varieties
are self-fruitful.

Raspberries , Blackberries , Dewberries ; Varieties of bramble fruits grovoi
in Massachusetts are all self- fruitful.

Blueberries ; Blueberries require cross-pollination for maximum crops. As
far as is known, any two varieties are cross-fruitful.

R. A. Van Meter

LET'S PLAY- SAFE Farming is a dangerous occupation. The orchard business
is no exception. YvTiether we drive a tractor or climb a ladder, danger is
always present. A recent tragic txccidont in which a life vifas lost in the
Nashoba area v^hile using an airplane in spraying an orchard emphasizes once
more the hazards, in agriculture. Several yoars ago a gr'3v/er v/as practically
blinded for v/eeks after getting a shot of caustic spray material in his
eyes. Vi'e can't bo on guard continually against such unusual mishaps.
But we must take every precaution to safeguard ourselves, our vjorkmon and
our property against ordinary dangers. To mention just a fov/; Tipping
of tractor or spray rig by d riving on steep slopes or over obstructions.
Cranking a tractor vi/hile in gear. Leaving poisonous materials v.'hore they,
may be picked up by children or livestock. Careless use of fire around .
inflronmable materials. Let's take time to check on the danger spots in.
our fruit farm setup, even though we arc a little later getting on the job.

REPORT .ON TirJO SOIL S AlvIFLES VJhile making a trip with a class recently
the question of the soil tmd the plf.-Jiits which grow On it v;as brought up.
On one small area wo found a scanty assortment of plants including- sorrel,
dewberries, etc. A sample of the soil was takon (iTo, 1) and tlie group
guessed that it would be fairly acid. On another area there was a
luxuriant gr'^wth of grasses amounting t.) at least 2-^ tons of- hay: per _.
acre. Here a second sample (No, 2) v/as taken. Holes 3 feet deep, were also
dug at the points of sampling. No, 1 was vory gravelly, shov;ing a thin
layer of surface soil and very little clay or silt. No. 2 sho'.ved a dark
colored surface layer at least 10 inches thick an almost uniformly brov.n
color from top to bottom and considerable clay and silt. The analyses
given below, show a wide difference in acidity and", with the exception of
Phosphoirus which is seldom a limiting factor. No. 2 shows an int^'irosting
relation between available mineral elements end plajit gr'-wrth.

No. 1

pH
5.3

Ca
M

N
VL

Vrl

K
VL

No. 2

6.7

LEI

(H-Hi.gh; M-Mediumj L-LiW; VL-Vcry L.w)

May 29, 1947

Prepared by the Fruit Program Coinmittee of the Extension Service
Yi". K» Thies, Extension Horticulturist

Contents

Dollars and Sense

Announcing the New "Red Apple Club"

Splashing Raindrops and Soil Erosion

Effect of Fungicide on Yield

Timing of Early Spray Applications Compared

Eradicating Apple Scab

Killing ITitch Grass by Spraying

■^Yider Spacing May Increase Per Acre Yield

Some Factors in Fruit Marketing

DOLLARS AND SEIISE

Farm and home safety has become a year 'round business. The
only trouble is that too fev; people maI<:o it their business. Last year
more than four thousand farmers lost their lives in farm accidents, and
thousands more viere badly injured.

Issued by the Extension S&r-'/ice in furtheri^ice of Acts of May 8 and June
30, 1914, Vj'illard A, Munson, Director, University of iiassachusetts. United
States Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services cooperatingi

-2-

Agriculture has become our -iiost hazardous industry, according
to the National Safet;' Council, Fann accidents, in their order of occur-
once, are due to falls, machinery, livestock mid miscellaneous.

The National Safety Council reveals that every fifteen minutes
fires brea!<: out on American farms, Ov;;r a ten year period a billion
dollars in i'uni property have gone up in smoke* All xhis is largely
a result of carelessness and forget fulness,

Hov/ many times on a fruit farm has a carelessly sot fire swept
through dry grass to destroy trees and endanger buildings, Evan an
incinerator fire got out of control on onj farm recently, v;ith disastrous
results to a young orchard nearby, A moment of carelessness virhile driving
a tractor on a steep grade cost the life of one fruit groiver, v/hile an
exploding gas tank caused serious burns to a bulldozer operat;.'r in one
case and a ruined spruysr in another.

One fruit grovjor suffered a v;rsnchcd back 'when a rickety step
in a storage cellar gave '■'^ay, A^iother escaped serious injury by an eyelash
as ho descended some unlighted :and unguarded steps in a packing house.
Although we have fev/ fractious bulls on fruit farms, dang'-,r in one form
or another lurks just around the next tree, Ys'e can save ourselves much
lost time and inconvonienco by taking all of the ordinary precautions
and by constantly putting safety ahead of speed.

Many accidents can be avoided by observing the simple rule "A
place for everj'thing and everything in its place," It all boils dovvTi to
this simple observation— it costs money to prevent accidents, but it
costs much more to let then happen i

Announcing the nevv'- " Red Apple Club ". A new contest, sponsored by the
i'l. F, G, A,, vfill focus attention on 3 important items in the apple
business, — (l) pest control , (2) color , and (3) yield . This project
has been arranged at the request of a n\L"ber of grov/ers and is patterned
after the 90',^ Clean Apple Club vdiich was conducted with ;rach success
from 1929 to 1933, Aiay grower in Massachusetts with an apple orcliard
of 5 acres or more is eligible. The requirements are as follovfs:

1, That the crop be at least 90;;-o free of insect and disease
blemishe s.

2, That t he crop aiTiount to at least -

200 bushels per acre on 10 to 14 year old trees
300 bushels per acre on 15 to 19 year old trees
400 bushels per acre on trees 20 years or older

3, That the crop grade at least 60)0 UT~S. Fancy

4, That successful contestants each show a packed bushel
from the inspected block at the annual mo'^tin^; ; of the
M, F. G, A, in January,

-3-

The final inspection ;vill be made on a carefully to.kon sample
of not less than 5 bushels from a particular block of trees of not less
than one acre, the sample to be picKed \inder the direction of the County
Agricultural Ardent or his representative.

Any apple groirer wishing to talce part in this contest should
keep a simple record of his spray or dust schedule. Application for
inspection must be made not later than August 1, 1947 to the County Agri-
cultural Agent, of the County in vrhich the orchard is located. It vdll
be vorj'' gratifying if 10 blocks of trees in Massachusetts can measure
up the high standards outlined above.

SPLASHIHG RAIIvrPROFS AW SOIL BJ^OSION

Soil erosion by vvater is gcnerallj'' applied to the process of
soil beijog carried av;r>y or transported b;/ excess v/ater runnin.^ overland.
According to Dr. iV, D. Ellison of the Soil Conservation Service, this
statement is only partly correct. He has done considerable research
work v.'ith the effects of raindrops on soil erosion and has come to some
very definite conclusions regarding; the pliysical mechanism -ivhich takes
place whcnvrater erodes soil. Particles of soil before they can be moved
or transported by flowini;; I'Vater have to be detaclied from the soil mass,
"The resistance to detachment of particles from the soil mass will depend
mainly on the soil's cohesive properties", A soil high in clay content
has strong cohesive properties and may not be easily disturbed by surface
flowing vifater because the uoil particles resist separation. On the
other hand, once the fine clay particles are detached they remain in sus-
pension and are then very easily transported.

Dr. Ellison's work shov/s that the pelting raindrops speed
up this detacliment process and thus accelerate the rate of soil erosion.
During a hard rainfall, soil particles may be splashed as hi£;h as two
feet into the air by the force of the falling drops. The splashed
particles never fall back to the same spot. On sloping land their ten-
dency is to splash more dormhill than uphill. The amount of soil lost
in t his vray has been found to be tremendous. Spring time is the worst
season. Usually the raindrops during the sprinf showers are large and
come down v;ith great hitting povror. Fertile, loamy soils, v/hcn bare,
are damaged the m.ost and are the greatest sufferers.

The particle detaching poiver of the splashing raindrop is
greatly, if not entirely reduced by the lec^f surfaces of the grovdnr crops.
Any vegetation vihich will reduce the force of the impact of raindrops
on soil will reduce erosion, Hayficlds, pastures and orchards in sod
or mulch, therefore, ;^ivo some of the best control against raindrop
erosion. It is, hov/cvjr, during the spring time when the seedbed is
being p-opared and while thd crops arc still small that the rains have
their most dotrKaental effect on cultivated land,

Karol J. Kucinski

Project Supervisor, SCS Research

-4-

Some fbservations of the Apple Business in California . (The following
interesting items concerning the Y/atsonville, California area are sub-
mitted b;y H. P. Silmore of 1/Vestboro),

V arieties - Santa Cruz County has about 9,235 acres of bearing
apples of v7hich 5,696 acres are Wev/tOim, 1,916 Delicious, 1,323, Belief leur,
v/hich is declining. The district is irrigated from wells. The Delicious
can be grown in the hills, they are not suitable for the. rich soil on the
valley floor, Ke\Tton is a heavy producer -- certain blocks averaged 7;ell
above 800 picked boxes to the acre, and the vmole district, v;ith lighter
bearing Delicious included, has averaged 700 bushels to the acre. The
present crop promises a record.

Collection of Bloom - In V/atsonville the llevrtcmnis self-fertile.
Thinning of the blooms~to one to a cluster is practiced. Collectors of
pollen do the work free. The pollen tihOE dried sells at ^55,00 an ounce
for hard pollination in districts further north. Pruning is carefully
done to a system.

Storage Facilities - The storage of Nev/townis so important that
storage facilities aro highly developed. Facilities in use include: brine
for cooling and forced draft in building, one floor high, rooms not over
60 feet ivdde, boxes stored 20 high, v.ith the grov/ing use 3f so-called "palats"
holding 24 (6 high) or 28 (7 high) boxes, placed in p:)sition by a towmaster
or similar machine. The l-;r.'er tier is 6 high, second tier 7, upper tie-r 6,
furnishing air spaces at each level. The boxes are easily moved, v/ith no
jar to the fruit v;hen placed in storage and vihen taken out, in marked
contrast to hsmd piling.

Insulation - Fcrro-thorm is coming into use. Five sheets of steel
stapled on 1" furring, v.'ith open spaces running from flo^r to ro^^f are
used for insulation instead ^-f cork in new construction. Ferro-th-^rm is
fire-proof, light, easily handled, vermin pro)f , cheaper than cork and
promises long life, as well as being an excellent insulator.

Movement of Fruit to Storage - One of the well equipped orchards
had 7 rubber tired,~Tow-v;hee'led flat trucks, and tvi 'i tractors. All boxes
are hauled Jut on palats and left on the truck, A truck stands between 4
trees; as boxes are filled they are placed on the palat on the truck by the
pickers, v/ho are on day vjage to assure care in handling, and as soon as
loaded the truck is hauled to storage. All empty boxes are stored on palats
for ease in handling. Seven trucks Vi'ith two tractors can haul in a 50,000
t:> 70,000 box crop in the season of harvest.

V/ORC ESTER COUKTY FIELD DAY
FRED KINGDOM FARM
VffiST MILLBURY
Demonstration of Latest Spraying and Dusting Equipment

-5-

EFFECT OF lUIJG-ICIDS OK YIELD - (E. J. Rasmussen of the University of
Hot/ Hampshire presents the folloy.'in^ data as further evidence that the
continued use of lime sulfur reduces the yield of on apple orchard),

A plot of lO-yiar-old Northern Spy trees at the Grsiiam Station
in Michigan ivhich had previously been sprayed for a nuiuber of years ^with
lime sulfur and v^hich v/as erratic in bearing, sometimes bearing only once
in three years, v;as divided into three plots. One plot was sprayed with
lime sulfur, another ^=;ith a wettable sulfur and the third with a proprietary
copper compound. These plots received the same treatment for 5 ysars,
1939-1944,

Tho average annual yield for the 5 year period on the limo
sulfur plot T;as 442 bushels, on the v/ettable sulfur plot, 568 bush'vls, and
on the copper sprayed plot 673 bushels. The yield v-as closely related
to the amount of foliage on the tress. About September 1 xh"; lime sulfur
sprayed trees avn,raged 474 leaves per 100 spurs, tho v.-ettable sulfur
sprayed trees, G05, and the copper sprayed tr'^es, 643 leaves per 100 spurs.

The increase in yield on tho plots sprayed v,ith a mild sulfur,
v;ettable sulfur, v.as 28 to 55^^ more than on the lime sulfur sprayed plot»
The copper sprays caused considerable russet on the fruit when used in
an all season spray program, and would not be satisfactory v/here fruit
v;as grcvvTi f^r the fresh fruit market. The information emphasires the
importance of testing pest control materials for purposes other than
for disease and insect control.

Another Spider Invades Massachusetts Orchards . The
conimon red spider has recently been found in several
Middlesex County orchards. On infested trees, it
is usually more abmidant thrji the iCuropean red mite.
This pest has frequently been reported on apple
trees in Virginia and Nev/ York, but has not been
observed in large numbers on apples in Massachusetts
before this spring.

Tho coTimon red spider spends the winter
as an adult in mulch or similar protection.
During cool spring weather they migrate to the
vmrmor, sunny places and may go into tress. They
feed on a great varioty of plcuits and durin^^ the
sumrAer are more abundant on such plants as clover,
alfalfa and chiclcweed, Y.'o do not anticipate any
significant daraage from them but suggest sprayi^ijlg
v;ith Dil-lll in mid- June, if necessary,

liV, D, V/hitcomb

-6-

TEIINC- OF EARLY SPRAY APPLICATIONS COLiFARED

Insect development, unlike scab and other diseases which thrive
in cool, v/et weather, is dependent on temperature and usually keeps pace
with tree grovrth.

Cool, vet v;eather in early May has held the orchard insects in
the background. Many aphids have hatched and most of them have been killed
by cold v/eather. European red mite will hatch during the pink bud stage
and will not multiply rapidly except in a period of warm weather. Vilhere
dori.iant or delayed dormant applications of oil have been applied this year,
red mite should not be troublesome until late July or early August, if at
all.

Many growers are concerned about the slov/ tree development this
spring but it is not unusual. The history of our spraying operations at
Waltham shavs that 1947 has started about like 1940 and 1943. Therefore,
we can assume that many of the pest problems, and perhaps the crop prospects
in your orchard can be compared with these years. If you have kept a spray
record or diary, why not look at it?

Record of spray applications at the Walthara Field Station;

YEAR P RE-PINK PINK BLOOM CALYX

• 1940

May 8

May 16

May 20-24

May 28-29

1941

April 23

May 1

May 8

May 15

1942

April 27

May 3

May 7-8

May 13

1943

May 6

May 13

May 18-20

May 25

1944

May 4

May 9

May 13

May 17-20

1945

April 11

April 16

April 18

April 26

1946

April 18

April 30

iiay 15

May 20

1947

May 6

. D. V.laitcomb

ERADICATING

APPLE. SCAB

Vfith Mcintosh fruit spurs almost as a standstill bordering
late delayed dormaiit and early pre-pink,yet with scab perethecia freely
discharging primary spores during the long cold, wet period , growers are
obviously curious to learn how protectant fungicidal applications have
succeeded.

No doubt there will be many disappointments and much evident
foliage scab before caljoc to require special eradicant sprays to control
the disease. The battle with protectaiit fungicides to control primary
scab infections must continue until mid- Juno, or therejabouts. In the mean-
time, careful observations should be made for the first signs of primary
foliage scab infections. There should be evidence T primary scab sometiiiie
around May 15 - 20. This may be during bloom because scab is early and
tree development is lato this year, ho i_^row'-jr can afford to let scab

-7-

devastato his orchard in the faco ''f a good crop of apples.

Liquid lime sulfur 2 gallons and Puratized Agricultural Spray
1 pint in 100 gallons of v/atcr are considered the best scab eradicant
fungicides. Last year at I'.altham, Wealthy trees in full bloom v;erG sprayed
twice with Puratized (applications one v/eek apart) with no harmful results.
Liquid lime sulfur is toxic to apple pollen and should not bo used when
the trees are in full bl;om. The scab eradicant applications can be applied
if necossarj' late in the blooming period v;ithout harm. Some foliage injury
from liquid lime sulfur can be expected.

Eradication of scab is best acconplishod v;hen the primary scab
mold is young and v/ith tv;o applications about 7-10 days apart. The sprays
should be applied in drying weather. Unless scab infections are cleared
up as they first appear, the ultimate result is likely t :> be more scab,

E. F. Guba

KILLING -kTITCH GRJSS BY SPRAYING

Witch grass is such a conraon and persistant p< st in orchards
where cultivation is practiced that it is ali.iost accepted, like death
and taxes, as inevitable. Its elimination by cultivation is possible
but the amount of work and expense involved is so great that as far
as orchards arc concerned it is seldom "licked", With labor scarce
and high priced, some other moth >d for combating this pest is desirublo.

Spraying is rapid and easy. Every fruit grower hus spraying
equipment and is familiar \vith its use, A spraying method for killing
witch grass soems 1 'gical and desirable. Last sumr.ier a S':ries of plots,
thickly covered with v;itch grass, were sprayed vdth Ammate or with
Atlacide, a commercial weed killer containing sodium chlorate and a
deflagration agent, (SodiuiTi chlorate is inflammable, and becomes extremely
so in contact with dry organic matter. It should be used with great
care unless mixed with seme chemical called a deflagration agent to
reduce the fire hazard,) The sprays v;ere applied on several different
dates, at different concentrations, and at different ai.iouiits por 100 square
feet. It was foui'id that both sprays v/ere most effective v.'hen applied
about October 1, At this time either Aiiimate applied at 3/4 pounds per gallon
and 1 gallon per 100 square feet or Atlacide applied at 1|- pounds per gallon
and 1 gallon per 100 square feet, gave practically 100 per cent kill to
witcii grass.

-8-

jimmate up to 1 pound per gallon is safe to use around apple trees
after they are three years old. Preliminary experiments indicate that
the same is true for pears, plums and cherries. On the other hand, this
material is very toxic to peaches and blueberries and should not be used
around these fruits. Since Amiaate is very corrosive on metals, any equip-
ment in which this spray is used should be thoroughly wasiied v.'ith v-^ater
containing baking soda or spray lime immediately following use,

Atlacide appears to be safe aroimd apple, pear, plum and cherry
trees thre^ y^jars old or older, providing not more than 1 1/4 pound per
gallon and not more than 1 gallon per 100 square feet is used. This spray
is toxic to blueberries.

Some of the advantages and disadvaiitages of those two sprays are;
Al-UvIATE - Advantages -(1) Highly effective, (2) Readily soluble, (3) No
fire hazard, (4j Kon-toxic to animals, (5) Rapid breakdovrn in soil. Dis-
advantages - (1) Corrosive action, (2) Higher cost. ATLACIDE - Advantages -
(1) Highly effective, (2) Lov^er cost, (5) No corrosive action. Dis-
advantages - (1) Less soluble, (2) Fire hazard, (o) Slight^toxic to animals,
(4) Slow breakdown in soil.

It should be remembered that neither of these materials is
selective. They v/ill ^111 practically all vegetation with which they come
in contact.

The relative costs of those materials is as follows:

Price lbs. per gal. Gal, per Cost

per lb. of spray 100 sq, ft, per A,

Ammate IBjl! 3/4 1 ^58,81

Atlacide 9,5/ 1 l/4 1 51.84

Although the per acre cost of these materials is high, their
effectiveness and the ease and rapidity v/ith which the spray can be applied
seems to justify their use, Vfhere it is desired to keep v;itch grass av.-ay
from young trees, it could be eliminated with one of rhese spraj'-s and then
kept down by mulching. This v.'>>uld reduce the cost over a period of years,

J, S. Bailey

Strawberry Field Day
University of Llasaachusctts
Ajriierst
June 13, 1947

-9-

WlbER SPAC ING MAY INCREASE PER ACI^ YIELD

An Experinent Station orchard of the Winesc.p variety/ in
¥«'ashington '■.'as divided intr> f.vo plats and ;)ne 'tilf of the trees v/c\s rcr.: ved
in one plot. By tho fourth yoar, romoval of treos to 27 p-^^r acra pro-
duced moro apples v.ith higher color and larger average size thcji before.
In the fourth yf?ar the closely spaced treses averaged 457 boxes per acre
compared v:ith 568 frou the widely spaced trees. Man hours were saved
in tho major orchard operations of pruning, brush removal and spraying.
Harvesting cuad irrigating took about the sair.e amount of tir.ie, r^;gardless
of the spacing of trees; however, thinning in the widely spaced orchard
was mure time consvming so that it took slightly more total man hours
to care f^ir the widoly spaced trees.

From tho monetary st.:mdpoint, th^>- production costs wore less
on the vfideiy spaced tress ev---ry year, shewing a saving of 4'3l«00 per aero
the fourth year. There v;as a net dollar gain in favor of the closoly
spaced trees only the first two years. The extra profit fr'.im the widely
spacod trees the fourth year v/as large enough to more than cover the
losses the first two years.

The results of tree reiioval may be sur-unarized as follov/s;
(1) Reducing the number of trtes per aero from 54 to 27 produced lax'ger
sized apples, (2) Pr-^duction per tree was increasingly greater each year
after half of the trees were removed, (3) l/Videly spaced trees produced
more boxes par acre than closely spaced trees by the fourth year, (4)
By the fourth year the widely spaced trees Tccre producing many more
extra fancy apples per acre, (5) The percentage of extra fancy apples
vms greater every year after half the trees were removed, (6) Having
fewer trees par acre proved to be time-saving on important operations
such as pruning, (7) Isith half of the trees removed, 30 man-hours per
acre were saved each year on spraying, (8) Th »ugh thinning time was
saved the first 3 years, heavier production (jffset this the fourth
year.

SQiiiE Factors in fruit market ing

At the ilarfcoting Conference in Caaibridge last February, Chairman
B. \h. Drew ir the Fruit Section opened the discussion w-ith the f ollov.'infc,
pertinent remarks: "The problem of marketing our 1-cal fruits is like
our Hew England woather. Everybody talks ub ^ut it but nobody seems to
do much about it, '».e are pr^Jducing apples and Jther fi-uits in the heart
of the country's best marketing area. This is at once our salvation
and our downfall. Our cranspirtati'/n costs are 1 )w our consui.i-jrs are
near .and they prefer 'ur Mclnt.'sh apples to other varieties, i;hen they
can get g .v^d )nes, llfhy is this situation our remesis? Yi^ith so many
factors in our faV'-r we have not boon f 'rood to merchandize ■>ur products.

-lo-
in sh )rt \:o have made a liidng tho easiest ivay and yet some of our growers
havo f')und that it pays tu do a fancy job,

S jnic -)f the factors leading t) )ur p->or merchandising are: (1)
Many individual gr'.ji/ors and many small units of production, each packing
his ovm way. (2) The crate was a depression package t neet l^jw buying
power and v;aG continued during tho war because we could sell our apples,
onyivay and couldn't got help to pack otherwise. (5) Our p -jror grades
have 3 jld as fresh fruit because v;e lack a well developed by-products
industry. Our costs of packing and shipping have been relatively low and
\vs could get more f'T p >or fruit on the fresh fruit inarket than elsewhere.

(4) Our principal tree fruit, the Mcintosh apple bruises more easily than
any 'jther variety^ and yet v;o and all other handlers have treated them like
any othor apple, or in many cases like citrus fruits, potatoes .^r mions,

(5) Many ^of our good grnvers have c:>nsidered their job done v/hen they
have gro;Yn clean fruit, put it in a crate and trucked it to market. How
aaiazod many of us have been to see the apples (virhich we thought v;ore
pretty go-id v/hen wo shipped them) displayed in a bin in a hit store, NoviT
the v;ar is over and it is time to take stock of our prosent situation.

Competition for the consumer's fruit dollar is getting stiff er.
Distant apple producing areas are after our market. They have to pack
and grade well in order to pay their freight bill. Citrus is, and will
be plentiful, clioap and good. This industry is largely under state or
large cooperative control coid vrill not be permitted to ship junk, Bojianas
and may other fruits \.'ill become increasingly plentiful, Customirs can
nov; spend their noney fcr raany things besides food. If a new car is being
paid for, loss fruit may be b0U(__,ht, There has been a strong trend toward
self-service stores, Thsso stores are apparently here to stay. If they
are to sell applos tho product will havo to bo graded and packaged like
practically everything else in these super markets whstter it be fruit
or flour, onions or oatmeal.

V.'hat shall v-iq do about these trends? 'i.o can 'let things rido'
until competition forces or starves us into doing a bettor j )b . Y.'e ctin
promote stringent packing and grading lav/s. Y.'e can raise a fund, state
supp>>rted or private, to promote the apples as we n'O^-v sell them on a
state loyalty basis, V/e can blame tno chain cuid independent stores for
bruising our beautiful apples, and lose their good will, \lc can ask the
U, S, Government to buy our culls for school lunches, aaid lose the
confidence of our best customers, tho kids, Yle ci\n. publish a report,
stating h'0;.v much better V.'ashington L'tato apples arc pac'ced than ours,
and ask 'why d ai't wo do the scane', Yie ciai as): for more research on more
and bettor products from our 1 av grade apples v:hich will return us a
reasonable price and strengthen our fresh fruit markot, "tVo can request
more inspectors t'j enforce our present grading laws, when used, YIo can
support the Apple Institute so it crci enlarge promotional and store contact
work, ■'iiVe caii arrange grower tjid trade meetings to discuss grading, packing,
and handling read wo can pranote st >ro do'jr delivory.

IHOtES

HH. EARLS S. CARPENTER

EXT. SPEC. Di VISUAL EDUCATION

EXTEJISION SERVICS

SOUTH. COLLEGS^ .1^2 4S

July 10, 1947

Prepared by the Fruit Program Comioittee of the Extension Service
w'. II. Thies, Extension Horticulturist

Contents

Factors Viliich Influence the Set of Mcintosh Apples

Do You Knov/?

Do Strawberries Run Out?

Disease Free plants in Massachusetts

I'Jhere Does Brovm Rot Come From?

Control of the Peach Tree Borer Y/ith DDT

FACTORS WHICH II\[FLUENCE THE SET OF MCINTOSH APPLES

The prospects for a crop of Mcintosh apples in Massachusetts
orchards range from extremely light to extremely heavy, Thers is so much
variation that growers are Vv'ondering which factors are most responsible.
The process by means of which blossoms are transformed into young fruits
on a Mcintosh tree is a complicated one.

It is a well knovm fact that the setting of fruit involves
a transfer of suitable pollen to a normal blossom and that favorable
weather is essential. If a tree shows a "snov/ball bloom" and then sets
only a few apples, it is obvious that something must have been lacking.
And in a season when frosts occur during April and May grov;ers commonly
blame a light crop on lov; temperatures. But that is only one part of
a complex situation. Seven factors vdll be considered in this discussion.

Issued by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June
30, 1914, Willard A. Munson, Director, University of Massachusetts, United
States Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services cooperating,

-2-

Frost. Injuries from lew temperatures range from actual freezing
of the developing fruit bud, either before or after the blossom opens, to a
mere "touch of frost" which damages to some extent certain tender parts of
the flov.-er, including the pistil. Blossoms damaged in the latter way may
open and appear quite normal, although the injury may be sufficiently severe
to render the blossom incapable of setting fruit. This probably happened
in many Massachusetts orchards this spring. Several growers have reported
a better i^et on "frost pocket" trees than on those of higher elevation. The
reason may be that the latter trees were a little farther advanced and thus
suffered more on a frosty night. Heavy frosts n;ust be considered as one of
the factors responsible for crop reduction.

Leaves in 1946 , Apple buds undergo a change beginning around
mid-June which sets' the stage for bloom the following spring. The develop-
ment of the fruit bud, hov;ever, continues during the suirmer and fall. This
development requires a supply of raw materials, including starch. If the
foliage is badly infected by apple scab, as was the case in many orchards
in 1946, it stands to reason that there is serious interference with the
starch making program. And if the tree is actually defoliated in August
or Spptember, development of the fruit buds, v,-hich are due to become
blossoms the fullov.'ing spring, suffers a severe setback. Many of the buds
may fail to open at all while others may develop into fairly normal looking
blossoms which are incapable of setting fruit. The condition of the 1946
foliage is apparently an extremely important factor in the 1947 crop.

Scab Infecti on During B loom . V.'ith an abundance of overwintering
scab spores~in Massachusetts orchards last spring, and one or tv/o infection
periods v.rhile the trees were in bloom, there v/as ample opportunity for
v;hat might be termed "pedicel infection" in unprotected orchards, the
pedicel being the stem of the blossom. To what extent this happened is a
question, although if an apple blossom suffers pedicel infection it tends
to drop off. Studies in another state show the loss of as much as lb%
of the blossoms by this means.

Nitroge n Supply During Bloom, A starved tree is inclined to
set only an occasTonal cropT It may bloom heavily and still set relatively
few apples. The amount of nitrogen actually available in the tree during
bloom plays an important role in the setting of apples. The nitrogen
supply in many trees was probably rather lov/ at blossoming time because
of heavy rains which tended to wash nitrates out of the soil, and because
less nitrogen was applied in early spring due to late delivery. It is
reasonable to assurae that some Mcintosh trees v;ere deprived of an adequate
supply of nitrogen during the blooming period. This factor, however, is
probably less significant than the loss of leaves in August, 1946,

A vaila ble Polle n, Although many tilings about the Hdntosh variety
are unknovm,' it Ts"a weir~e3tablished fact that this variety is almost
entirely self-storilg. Pollen of another variety, must be brought to the
stigma of the Mcintosh blossom if a set is to be obtained. Many varieties
are satisfactory, including Cortland, Delicious, Astrachan, Y,"ealthy,
V.'agener, Duchess, Ben Davis, etc. Among the unsatisfactory varieties
are Baldwin, Gravenstoin, Rliode Island Greening, and the V.'inesap group.

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The proportion of trees of pollinating varieties to Mcintosh trees is today-
smaller than it v/as even 25 years ago, because many of the' filler trees
of pollinizing varieties have been cut out. In some orchards vve see sizable
blocks of 1,'IcIntOEh or of a McIntosh-Baldv/in combination. In vory few
orchards can it be said that ev^ry Mcintosh tree is not more than one tree
distant from a good pollinizer. In spite of all that has been said about
the necessity of cross pollination, many Mcintosh growers have failed to
take seriously the need for an abundant and nearby source of the right
kind of pollen. They remember the occasional year when bees had tv-o v/arm,
sunny days during bloom, and nearby pollenizers seemed unnecessary. They
forgot the years v;hen bees venture only a few feet from the hive.

Good V.'eathor D uring Bloom , It stands to reason that the mere
availability of the rigFt kind of pollen will accomplish nothing unlfess
v/eather conditions favor bee activity and thus bring about a transfer of this
pollen to the Mcintosh blossoms. If the temperature falls much belov,' 60 F.,
honey bees are quite inactive, although they have been known to fly to some
extent from strong colonies with the temperature in the lower fifties.
Suitable v/eather for bee activity must be considered as an important factor
in the setting of Mcintosh,

Bees, If plenty of pollen of the right kind is available and
if the vreat'her is suitable for bee activity, an abundance of bees of
one kind or another v;ill insure the pollination process. Bumble bees
have been relatively scarce this spring. This made it more necessary than
ev'.r to have honey bees in the orchard, A widely varying supply of honey
bees, under these conditions, helps to account for the uneven set of Mc-
intosh,

As v.e atten^:t to place our finger on the factor or factors
responsible for a light set of Mcintosh, we cannot afford to overlook
any of those mentioned above. Special emphasis must be placed on pollenizers
and on scab control in 1946, ' My one of the above factors if unfavorable,
may have contributed to a light set. In many cases, two or more have
exerted a combined influence. And unless all wore reasonably favorable,
Mcintosh trees are probably showing something less than a normal crop at
the present time.

Ecm Do They Do It ? - One heavily loaded Mcintosh orchard in Massa-
chusetts is so free from scab tliat one must hunt to find a single scab
spot. And yet the ovaier has done nothing out of the ordinary except to
cover the trees coriplctely and use a well tir.ied combination of sprays and
dusts as follows! May 1, 5, and 13 (Dust); May 16 (Spray); May 23 and 25
(Dust); May 29 and June 6 (Spray); Juno 10 (Dust); June 21 (Spray), And

there you have the secret (except for the grower's technique) 4 Sprays

end 6 Dusts up to Jime 25,

lA'

-4-

That the most coi-.uncai cause of failure to control apple scab is
p

That certain insects may be noro numerous on plants v/hich are
in a good state of nutrition? Vrork conducted on citrus trees in Florida
shov; tliat where fertilizers v/ero applied in combinations to give the best
gro-irth and yield, the infestations of certain insect pests ;-.-ere also lauch in-
oroGsod, TPoe,$ laokicg proper fort iiitht ion proscntod less of a control
probioi5 arEd pa"f eating apple, V^iile the use of a
pocket knife as a baby spoon miglxt bo questionod, the
feeding of scraped raw apple to babies when they are
old en')Ugh to tal;:e solid food moets with universal
approval,

J. S. Bailey

No June FRUIT NOTES — Lack of clerical help and a heavy field schedule
have prevented preparation of Fruit N'">te3 during June'. The August
issut will carry lui article of special interest by \,, G. olby of the
Agronomy Department,

F & H Week FRUIT Meeting, Featuring Spraying Equipment
U of M, AmJierst, Mass,, July 31.

-10-

This Hurry Up A^^e - A few vvfjeks ago a good grovrer in the tovm of Sheffield
telephoned to make an appointment bo talk over an important move in his
fruit business, Vihen he arrived, about 15 minutes late, this was his
explatiation, - "I wanted to finish putting on my Calyx spray this morning
and when the last load v/as out around noon, I hustled dov.m to Canaan, Conn,,
where a friend of :aine has an airplane. He brouf,ht me to Northampton,
where I grabbed a taxi, and here I am." The writer felt quite puffed
up to learn that a mere date seemed to justify so much fuss and bothor.
But, mind you, the visitor finished his "home v.ork" first.

A liew Orchard on a Bett^jr Soil Tyi>e. — About 12
yeaTs" agOj^Thile- 'stuayin^ a "Soils" Map with a
grower in the Ilashoba area, thf> writer noticod
that there vras a field belonging to a neighbor,
immediately adjacent to the grov;er'3 orchard, of
ai: even better soil type than that on Ljuich his
present orchard is pla-uted, A remark was made
that here i.'oxild be a good dir'^ctiun in v.hich to
expand his ore', ard. Last v.'eek this grower an-
nounced vdth real satisfaction, "After negoti-
ating for 12 j/ears, I've finally succeeded in
buying that 11-acre field just above my orchard".

CONSERVATION AND LAiro Sff-RO'/EIiSI-JT TOURS - "Western districts, July 22j
Central (YiTorcester County) districts, July 25; Eastern districts, July
24, (For further information see one of your district supervisors or
your county agent,) A. B. Beaumont

At least two out-of-state groups of gro\';ers will
visit Massachusetts orchards this summer, —
Vermont, August 11 aiid 12; Rhode Island, (date to
be announced).

A nev; Leaflet, "iK'.arf Fruit Trees for the Homo Garden" has been pre-
pared by J, K. Shaw aiid will go to press soon.

August 29, 1947

Prepared by the Fruit Program Committee of the Extension Service

W, H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist

Contents

Soils and Soil Plant Relationships
Here's An Idea
Farm Safety, A Family Affair
Premature Coloring of Early Mcintosh
The Dv/arf Apple Tree Situation

SOILS Airo SOIL-PLAITT RELATIONSHIPS

",,,. if the fundamental principles of the soil are understood, you
• •• vrill find their applications to practics," This short quotation from
G. Vf, Robinson's little book, "Liother Earth - Letters on Soil", explains why
a discussion such as this appears in a publication such as "Fruit Notes",

Issued by the Extension Service in furtherai;ce of Acts of May 8 and June 30,
1914, V'illard A. Uunson, Director, University of Massachusetts, United States
Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services cooperating.

-2-

It is the writer's firm conviction that the more we as growers of plants
learn about soils and soil-plant relationships, the more interesting and
fascinating (and perhaps profitable) this business of grov/ing plants
becomes. It's somethiiig like playing a gaine of bridge - one doesn't enjoy
the game until he begins to understand something of the rules and principles
which are involved. The v;riter doesn't pretend to know a great deal about
growing plants - or playing bridge either, for that matter, but he has
learned enough to enjoy both and he finds that the more he learns about
each form of activity, the more interesting and pleasuresome each becomes,

Rolo of the Soil in Crop Production .

The soil serves tv/o important functions in the growth of most
crop plants; first, it provides mechanical support and second, it serves
as a resei'voir for certain essential plant nutrient elements. The maa'iner
in which the soil serves as ci reservoir and a supplier of essential
nutrient elements has been the object of intense study for the past 25
years, 7Jhile different soils vary tremendously in their capacity for
storing and supplying nutrient elements to grov/ing plants, the mechanism,
by which this is acccrmplished is similar for all soils, at least so far as
the fundai'nental principles are concerned.

Until conparatively recently it Viras generally thought that
nutrient elements must be in some soluble form before they could be taken
up by plants. For years, the "soil solution" was considered to be the
important part of the soil as plant nutrition was concerned. No one v/as
able to either separate the "soil solution" from the soil or to duplicate
it artificially. Yet it was generally felt that the difficulty was one
of faulty technique rather than one of interpretation, Y/hile v;ater is
essential for plant grovrth, it is nov; generally agreed that the movement
of v/ater into plants tekes place independently of the uptake of plant
nutrition.

Evidence accumulated which pointed to the colloidal fraction
of the soil as the important soil component in plant nutrition. The
finely divided particles of clay and organic matter, the material that
remains in suspension, giving a cloudy appearance when a soil is shaken
in ws.ter is the seat of greatest activity. Here is where important trans-
fers took place betv/een plaaits, roots and the soil.

The Mechanism o f Base Exchange or How Plants Feed .

17e now- have convincing evidence which shov:s that plants can take
up nutrient elements through the small rootlets or root hairs at the points
of contact betv/een these root hairs and small colloidal particles of clay
and humus. These colloidal particles arc charged electrically and carry a
negative charge. Since they are negatively charged, they have an affinity
for positively charged elements such as hydrogen, calcium, magnesium,
potassium, nitrogen in the ammonium form and others, A single clay or
humus particle may have scvereJ of these different elements "attached" to
its surface. There might be several calcium ions, several hydrogen ions,
a fev; magnesium and potassium ions and perhaps a boron ion, all present
on a single colloidal particle, ''Knen a plant root hair comes in contact
v/ith such a clay or hunus particle, an "exchange" or transfer can take
place v/hereby a positive hydrogen (produced by living processes v/ithin
-che plant root) from the root hair can be exchanged for a positive

-3-

calcium or riasne^ium or potassiuia ion held on the surface of the soil
particle. As the plant continuss to si'C^'^i "the reserve of these nutrient
elementtj held by the soil colloids is (gradually depleted tuid their place
is tai'en by hydrofjen.

As hydrogen is "exchanged" for various essential nutrient
eleirip;nts, the qucntity of hydrogen lield by the clay and hunus colloidal
material tends to increase. This in turn increases the nUi-nber of free
hydrogen ions in solution. Since it is the free hydroj^en ions in
solution which determine the degree of soil acidity, ;;oilE tend to becoae
more acid in reaction as successive crops are roiuoved.

Soil Acidity and plant Grovrth.

One of the i^nportant thinir.s to note here is th-j exceedingly
vital and useful role ^fhiob the hydrogen ion plays in the mechanisin of
plaiit nutrition, 7/e have tended to look upon the presence of liydrogen
in the soil solution v/ith disfavor and to consider that the soil acidity
was somethinj^ which should be corrected. It now appears that a little soil
acidity is a o^<^^ thiniW and that to a certain extent at least, it is not
so much the acidity of acid soils but the lack of essential nutrient
elements such as caloiuia, nagnesiuiti, potassium and others which is respon-
sible for poor plant grov^-th, 1/Vhen the ressrve supply of these e


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