FRUIT NOTES JUL! 1935 - NOVEMBER 19U9 Esctension Sez*viee University of Massachusetts T943 lolocg'M" ■^i-Xi. -TUi^Iila^v-'^i'i - ai'oeajU'rtCJoiiiAiiM ic ,;v (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.,). ==c :.:.•:; Co ,3 no; 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:. ERCIAL 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. SHRIVELLINrT OF APPLES 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. -4- THE 1947 ORCHARD FERTILIZER PROGRAM ■ ' ■ ■ ■ —— - ■■• - — ' ' ■' ■ I I i| I 1 il)Joil)|i I linn 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 In 100 8 Gallons lbs. 12 8 lbs, lbs. ) 2 It 1 gals, lbs. pint -6- 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*! -7- 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 ABNORl,iALLY 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 lUSPEEHRY 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, Latham, 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: H C3 O ^ to > u CJ • O CTi to D > e "^ u. -p w ^ >J lU a o >.rH o ^ rH -H • ri a -^ "S Q v_^ •H (U :-fl g5 rH rH r-l •ri ai J3 W ^ -Q ^ >H ^ d •a u CiS rH rH o rH to 0) d •H CO «: •H ■H u .rl d Xi c3 05 4J > -P > a) C d r-H O d S to o OJ G C •H +5 to to ;3 -a § D OT O •H o d i s a) > •H 3 o o e •iH cS •H -H > ,ji XI • -H •« CO d) 43 rH CJ K ^ s o CJt •H &. o o !^ rj XI -p ;h -0 c3 XI f—i ^H C o ■ H eS U cJ d c © 05 S iV ;_ > ^ V. 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Cm r] r; « t> to O -H ;.; 4-' ? -v. : li. > y'. -6- PROPERTIES AiN^ USES OF FUNGICIDES ON FRUITS - 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 Fungicides, - 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, physical. 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, plontiful. 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 SAlvIFLES 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 Mg N VL P Vrl K VL No. 2 6.7 LEI H L H MH (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 blemishes. 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), Varieties - 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- 1 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 Infection During Bloom. 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. Nitrogen 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, Available Pollen, 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. -3- 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 During 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 of 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 essential . ••• ■- elements in the soil is replenished through liming and fertilizing operations, normal crop grov:th results. Liming alone '■.•'ould correct acidity and supply calcium and magnesium if dolomite is used but it would not correct deficiencies of other essential nutrient elements. In other v/ords, "Lime alone without mcaiure makes the farm and fanaer poor," W, C-, Colby Plat 7 HooV '{ i ioy -i-. (.Co Ic tie) I // \\ V^V^-_!^-0* / ■(^^ ^, <.'Ci\.ii-. *-'■ • '"t M ci »;.«(« I ; Nutrients, like calcium, move from the mineral to the colloidal clay and h'omus, a;:d from there to the plant roots (right to left), Hj^drOj^en, or acidity, traded by the root for nutrients, goes in the opposite direction to break dovm the mineral crystals like limestone and to put the calcium nutrisnt into availability for the plant. by William A, Alt^recht Departvaent of Soils, University of Missouri -4- HERE'S M IDEA A very successful grower of strawberries in Bristol County has adopted a rather unusual system of spacing,. He likes it so Yrell that vire pass it along for the consideration of other groovers. In brief, the system involves filling in ?/ith properly spaced runner plants the spaces between alternate pairs of rows and leaving blank the spaces between the remaining rows. The plants are set 30 x 45 inches. This permits cultivation both ways until the spaced runner plants interfere. Vilien spacing is completed, the plants will stand 9 x 10 inches apart, each mother plant being allowed to develop 4 runners, one of vriiich will have 3 runner plants and 3 will have 2 runner plants each. The working space between ravis is 30 inches although plant growth is so heavy it seems somewhat less. . < • r 30"i- • X 30" y /\ E 0 0 £! f ! 0 0 0 0 I 45" 0 0 0 0 Space 1 0 0 0 0 between 0 0 0 0 rov^s V A B ■ 0 0- E 0 ■Q 0 ■' 1 0 45" 0 1 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 t 0 1 0 0 0 V s 0 0 m /\ 4'5" 45" v/ = mother plant FARIvi SAFETY, A FAtHLY Ar£AIR The recent observance of National Farm Safety Week has shown farmers the importance of year round safety. Since the farmer is usually his ovm boss and employs only a few men, he can make the decision that means the difference between sa.fety and sorrov./ on his farm and in his home. But his decision v/ill bring more results if backed up by common action on the part of each member of the family. Farm safety is particularly a family affair because unlike the urban dweller, the faiiiily is closely associated vj-ith the actual operations of farming. -5- Common sense tells us, for example, that children have no more right to be near or on a piece of operating farm machinery thsui city children have to be around a punch press or a moving locomotive; they have no more business driving a tractor than city children have behind the v;heel of a 100 horse-po\«;er passenger automobile. All members of a farm family need to knavi the danger spots on their farm— and these spots need to be m.ade as safe as hur^anly possible. The National Safety Council estimates that one out of every 10 farmers will suffer a disabling injury, either on or off the job in 1947, unless extra precautions are taken. One out of every 350 farm families will suffer the pain and sorrow which accompany accidental deaths in 1947 unless extra precautions are taken. Four farm buildings will be destroyed by fire every hour during 1947 unless extra precautions are taken. The family should learn three things: 1. ?jhat hazards menace their lives at home, at v/ork and on the highv/ay. 2. YJhat each member of the family can do to eliminate as many of these hazards as possible. 3. That carelessness on the part of any member of the family perils the lives and happiness of all. As President Truman says: "Caution and intelligent effort on the part of every farm family in the land will lessen the suffering and economic loss caused by accidents," G, Van Horn PREicIATURE COLORING C^ EARLY MC INTOSIi During July of this year, as in 1946, the premature reddening of Early Mcintosh apples in certain heavily loaded orchards attracted considerable attention. This condition seems to be associated v/ith hot, dry v/eather in early July and with an excessively heavy load of fruit. There is reason to believe that this variety is particularly susceptible since other varieties growing alongside show no early coloration, A complete solution of this problem viill await further study. The contention of one individual that a particular spray was responsible has not been substantiated. The possibility of boron deficiency is being investigated, and if a shortaj^o of that element is found, it v/ill give further support to the opiiiion that the problem is associated v/ith the Virater supply in the individual fruits. It is a well knovvn fact that boron deficiency shovv^s up in years v/hen drought occurs o/b a critical season. In July 1946 Fruit Notes this observation was reported. Trees showing many small, red apples also showed enough green apples for e. normal crop and the latter apples had a somewhat higher average seed count than the red ones. If "all of the apples showing premature coloring had been removed -6- in late June along with enough of the green apples to brin§, about an average spacing of 6 or 7 inches it is just possible that the problem v;ould largely disappear, Grov»ers vHclo practice early and heavy thinning have reported no difficulty. THE DYfARF APPLE TREE SITUATION English horticulturists have performed a real service in bringing order out of chaos as regards dwarfing stocks. They assembled and made a thorough study of such stocks from all over the world including French Doucin, English Paradise and many others and then assigned the so-called "Mailing" numbers ranging from I to XVI. Each of these numbers refers to a stock which exerts a definite dwarfing tendency. Thus ivialling IX has come to mean a tree of a certain size. It might taerefore be ass'umed that a grov/er could order and obtain a tree budded on a particular Mailing ptock instead of a mere "dv/arf tree", the common designation in years past. The public was quick to grasp the significance of the English classification and, thanks to much favorable publicity, ordered more trees than the nurseries were able to furnish. Prices mounted, and certain nurseries redoubled their efforts to supply the demand. They established stock beds involving several of the Mailing numbers. But unfortunately, some of the nurserymen have mixed up their Mailing stocks, a2id v;hile minor differences are apparent to a careful observer, separation and identifi- cation are difficult reminding us of the work which the Exiglish horticul- turists did so painstakingly, years ago. Thus a program which should simpli- fy a complex situation is showing signs of confusion. Ultimately the nurseryman may limit himself to one or tvio dvrarfing stocks. At present, there is at least a possibility, as in telephoning of "getting the wrong number". The Fabulous Benton Plarbor Market, Sales of products on this famous Michigan market reached an all' time high in 1946, the total amounting to 19,361,540,29 according to the State Market News Service, Peaches v/ere the biggest item, 1,445,339 bushels with a value of ^3,150,839, Apples Vv'ere second with 791,307 bushels which averaged ^2,06 per bushel. Next came strav;berries with 136,263 crates averaging !i|.7,14 per crate, and grapes had a total value of ^'765, 103, Yii^anted, A good, bearing apple orchard of 15 to 20 acres not more than 25 years old; buildings of less importance than soil, site and varieties. The Red Apple Club, Although the vrds of the current growing season, the record v/ill be a gratifying one, miT/mag/8/26/47 Octobor 20, 1947 Prepared by the Fruit Fro{i;ra!:i Coranittcc of the Extension Service u, H, Thics, Dxtcnsion Korticulturist Contents \Tny The Late Coloring Hclntosh? Some Harvest Season Observations Those Abnormal Leaves Ma{jncsiu!ii Deficiency, A Major Problen A Note on Pollination To Prop Or Not To Prop Suggestions On The Control of Ilico in Orchards IJotcs on Rat Control WHY TlIE LATE COLORING MCII^ITOSH? In an average season, Septoinber 15 to 25 marks the height of the I'&Intosh apple harvest, with picking getting under way arouiid September 12, This season very few were picked before September 15 and in nany orchards even then the tinge of color was not typical of the variety, while a large percentage of the crop was still green, Wealthies, normally picked around September 10, v/ere still on the trees ten days later because so many of them were as green as the pastures of Ven.iont, A review of v.-eather condi- tions may help to explain this lack of color. Bloom cajne a v;eek or ten do.ys latQr than usual. This v/ould tend to delay harvest since' a fairly definite nuLiber of days must elapse between pollination aiad mat -ritj' of fruit. As the S'jnmer progressed, the exposed Issued by the Sxtension Sorvice in furtherance of ilcts of Hay 8 and June 30, X914, Willard A. Munson, Director, University of I'lassachusetts, United States Department of Ag.ri culture and County Extension Services cooperating. -2- side of the apple seemed reluctani: to take on riore than a tinge of color. Much of August and the first three v:eeks of September wore muggy, Groi-rth of the fruit continued but nothing had happened to initiate the process of color development, as for example cold nights ivhich are often follov/ed by clear days. Not -ontil the first frost around September 21 or 22 did coloring proceed rapidly. The writer v/as in a high elevation orchard on September 26 and the Mcintosh harvest was just getting under T:ay, It continued until about October 8, In this orchard the apples v/ith partial exposure to light v;ere still too green to pick v.hile the type of color on those on the outside vrould be greatly improved by another week of good coloring weather. Incidentally, the frviit was sticking on tenaciously even though no hormone had- been applied. There had been practically no drop up to September 26, Ultraviolet light is apparently an important factor in color develop- ment. Less of this portion of the sun's energy reaches the earth -.;hen the atmosph'jre lacks the clearness of a frosty morning. The notion still persists that cold nights bring out the red color in apples. The cold nights tend to sot the stage, and the clear days provide the magic touch which transforms into a brilliant red pigment, a material manufactured by the loaves. GOT'B HMVB3T SEASON OBSERVATIONS Almost everything vio do in the orchard during tlie year has as its objective the production of a large crop of high grade fruit, 'Te prune, spray, thin, fertilize, etc., in order that each tree may j'ield its full share of well colored, unblemished fruit. In the rush of the harvest season, -,.'hen comiting bushels and supervising inexperienced help seems of utmost importance, we are likely to miss out on an opportunity to size up the results of our efforts. A day spent in looking around irhile the fruit is ctill on the trees may pay big dividends. If we look at a bearing tree at all critically, we notice at once a difference in color of the fruit on different branches, and we take as a matter of course the green fruit on the inside of the tree, assuming that little can be done about it. But many trees have more than their share of limbs which never receive the direct rays of the sun. Pruning to remove these handicapped limbs can be done much more effectively if wo first observe where tl;3 poorly colored apples are produced, Linbs v/hich hang do\m. in the grass are obviously in the vinwanted class. The same is true of those parts of limbs which are drooping, heavily shaded, or submerged and as a result produce fcv; Fancj/ apples. At pruning time we may well concern ourselves with the removal of these unprofito.ble limbs and parts of limbs, instead of cutting off enough of the over-topping limbs to let the sunlif^ht in. The linbs with foliago no\r exposed are almost certain to bo younger than the shaded limbs and are therefore in bettor position to produce Fane.'- fruit. -3- Another observation worth naJcing at hairvest tine has to do v/ith the location of insect and disease blemished apples. If the topnost llTibs shoT/ noro scab than other limbs and if the outside rov/ of trees sho".:s more curculio than trees in the center of the orchard such observations point the -.."ay tovrard orchard improvement along these lines - (l) lowering the tops of trees \7hich cannot be reached v;ith spray naterial, (2) eliminating barriers along the edge of the orchard to permit sprajring each tree from all sides, and (3) paying special attention during the spraying season to those parts of trees which at the present time shov; more blemished apples. But our observations ought not to end i;ith a comparison of color and pest blemishes. Is the average size of the fruits of all varieties as largo as it should be? Are many two-inch apples in evidence on heavily loaded, biennial bearing trees? If so, when thinning time comes around next June (after the? June drop is over) it may be a good investment to thin heavily, and thin early. How about the color of leaves? Are the leaves on some trees dark green Avhile other are yellowish? If so, maybe v/e can case up on the amount of nitrogen on certain trees and give more to others. The nitrogen supply is reflected in leaf color as vrell as size and color of fruit. The practice of giving so many pounds of nitrate of soda to each tree needs to be modi- fied in accordance with the present vigor of the tree. Some trees can use a double amount to a good advantage vdiile others may need little or none at all. One other observation seems to be in order, Kany orchards show characteristic symptoms of magnesiuiTi deficiency. Others show marginal burning while still others shov/ v.'hat appears to be a combino.tion of spray injury and malnutrition, A tree with an ample supply of all needed mineral elements is apparently more resistant to spray injury than a tree v;hich lacks one or more of these essential elements. The writer has in mind one young orchard which was planted immediately after the removal of old trees. The soil was apparently depleted of certain elements needed for tree grovrbh and as a result these young trees show rather heavy defoliation, A thorough going soil improvement program, including a liberal application of high magnesium lime ojid of a complete fertilizer or of manure, will be necessary if those young trees arc to get off to a proper start. It is false econoirry to allov/ young trees to loaf along on a starvation diet. There are too many 10-year old apple trees in JIassachusetts today v;hich are no larger than well grorm 5-year-old trees, A critical look at individual trees before the leaves- fall, rdll provide the basis for better soil management and a better spray program in 1948, No Scptoribcr FRUIT NOTES — Partly because of extended field trips in con- nection vj-ith the Red Applo Club, no issue of Fruit Notes v/as prepared during September. (Maybe no one noticed the omission). -4'- THOSB ABNORJ'IAI. LSjWrSS Apples, Nimerous snmples of tipple leaves have been mailed to the University this' fall witli the question "Waj the brovmish areas?" The aiiswer is not necessarily the sanio in each case, since the brooming doesn't always follow tlie same pattern. Some loaves show mainlj'' burned out scab spots Vv'ith tlio brovmish area extending a quarter of an inch or more beyond the edges of the spot* Hero it is evident that \vhatever spray material v;as used, it was caustic enough to eliminate the spot and a little of the normal loaf tissue for good measure. Under the right weather conditions (probably hot, muggy weather) a wettable sulfur plus lead arsenate might be rosponsiblo. And if lime sulfur ivero used, marginal burning as "vgII might result. Scab infections at frequent intervals in spring and early summer, have set the stage for a considerable amo^ont of burning from subsequent sprays. But spraying doesn't account for all of the abnormal leaves. The nutritional sot up of the tree soem.s to be another important factor. It is a matter of common observation that a?i impoverished tree is much more subject to spray burn than a vigorous tree. The latter is able to withstaxid almost any spray program within reason, while a slight lack of balance or a deficiecy of an essential element such as magnesium, nay m.anifest itself in off color foliage if not actual scorched areas. Very characteristic magnesium do- ficioncy symptoms ( a ;/ellcwing or broiming of the leaf tissue between the veins) is apparent in some orchards this fall» The practice of setting young trees on an area v.here an old orchard has been removed, ivithout first replenishing all essential mineral, elcm.onts through the use of high magnesium lime, manure, complete fertilizers, cover crops, etc., may bring to light real deficiencies in 5''0ung trees, if not actual defoliation. Old apple trees do not necessarily exert a toxic effect on the next planting altiiough they may remove certain available mineral elements so ocizpletuly as to place tho young tree on sljort rations. Peaches. Within the past fev/ woeks the writer was as]s':ed to examine two peach orchards in which some of the trees show abnormal leaves. In both cases the diagnosis v;as arsenical burning of tho tvigs. One of those orchards has boon dusted with load arsenate several tines and v;as practically defoliated. The other was adjacent to an apple orchard and some of the nearby peach trees had received too much drift from the o.pplc treos. Arsenical bu>-ning of peach twigs nay be easily recc-nizGd by tho broijnish color of tho bark, cracking of the bark wlierc the injury is severe, gur:My masses here and there and early defoliation, "'Hiere only a slight ano-i.mt of injury occurs the leaves may hang on fairly v/oll although they may appear yellcrvvish and some of then may suggest certain virus diseases, such as X-Disease, These two ailuonts should not be confused however, since the latter is characterized by a yollovash appoaraiaco in irregular areas of the leaves, tliosc areas later turning brown and dropping ai/ay, leaving a ragged or lacy appearance. As in arsenical injury the older leaves tend to drop first. -5- Since X-Disoasc seems always to bo associated with diseased choko cherries, it is un-.;ise to plant a peach orchard anj'T/here near these alternate host plants. And i/henevor diseased trees shov; up in the orchard it is v/ell to ro2Tionbcr 'that X-Diseaso is incurable and that the fruit is certain to be bitter • and lonsalablc. In a poach orcliard as in ojiy other kind of an orchard, diaf^noBis is of utmost inportance, for only than can proper stops be taken to insure healthy, hi^h producing trees. MGIJESimi DEFICIEi^JCr, A MJOR PROBLEM Many of cur soil t;.'pcs alonp- the Atlojitic seaboard are notoriously low in the olcnent rnagnosiun. Crop removal, erosion and leaching tend to deplete the already liirdted supply of this highly essential elonont. It is well to bea.r in rdnd that maj_;nasiun enters into the composition of chloro- phyll, the green coloring matter in plants, TJithout an ample supply of mag- nesium, no green plant, that is no plant dependent upon the products of photosynthesis, can function normally. Distinct sj^'mptoms of nagnesiuia do- ficioncy have bocn observed in the follo'ving fruits in Massachusetts, - apples, poaches, grapes and raspberries. The most coinmon syiaptoms are a yellov.dng or brov.-ning of certain parts of the leaf blade between tho veins. The midrib and veins tend to remain green while other parts of the leaf take on a yellowish or brovmish color. Early dropping of Mcintosh apples is another symptom, of magnesium deficiency* As much lime has probably boon applied in Massachusetts orchards during the past 5 years as was applied during the previous 10 years. But only a start has been made in replenishing the r.agnesiura by this means, and in many cases the soil is still extroruoly acid as a result of repeated ■appli- cations of svilfur over a period of years. It should bo the goal of evcs^r orchardist to apply enough high magnesium lime to bring tho pH up to at least 5,5, This conditioning program ■'vill not only replenish the supply of m.ag- nesium and calcium, but at the same time it will h.clp to make available other elements including nitrogen, Tho cover crop v;ill tend to improve as this balanced condition is restored and greater benefits will be obtained from a comploto fertilizer application since there will be less tendency/ for mineral elements to remain in an \;inavailable form. Such a progrrun may be considered as a form of insurance against a mxagnosium deficiency, 5, 10, or more years ahead. But high magnesium lime cannot bo relied upon to provide needed magnosiujTi in the tree this year or next. It is too slovr acting to provide nsedod roagnesiuni promptly, I'/here deficiency symptoms exist, Epsom salts, knov.-n to tho chemist as magnesium sulphate, is one of the recommended materials, 3ot;i high magnesium lime and Epsom salts should be used in a vcrj^ acid- soil v;hcre there is reason to believe that tho supply of available magnesium is at a low level, A high magnosiijm lime will servo a verj/- useful purpose in future years while the Epsom salts v;ill tend to supply needed magnesium within a fev: months. -6- A NOTS OM FOLLINATIOH The effect of a noar-by pollcnizer on the crop of Mcintosh nay be observed over and over again in Massachusetts orchards this fall. The light crop in many orchards is probably due less to frosts than it is to faulty pollination. In a season when bee flight is limited, we must mrjco it easy for the bees to carry suitable pollen to the I.lclntosh blossoms, Farm, sunny weather during the blossoming period may bo extremely liraited, A Mcintosh tree next to a Red Astrachan tree stcjids a much better chance than a Mcintosh tree in the middle of a Mcintosh orchard, Yfe would go so far as to suggest that the ideal arrangement in a Mcintosh orchard is for every tree of that variety to be not more than one tree distant from a good pollcnizer. In a solid bloc!: of Mcintosh trees no better solution can be found than to graft one prominent branch in each tree to a good pollcnizer such as Rod Astrachan or Golden Delicious, TO PROP OR NOT TO PROP In years past it was not at all uncommon to see heavily loaded apple trees generously supported by prop poles of assorted lengths, Ono tree might have a dozen or more props tilted outviard from tho tr^jnlc to relieve the strain on crotches in danger of splitting, i\nd in the off season, huge piles of these poles were in evidence at points convenient for next year's uso and for winter quarters of the codling moth, as well. Today, propping of apple trees seems to be less coinmon. If such is the case, what may be the reason? Right or r;rong, here's our guess: Modern pruning methods tend to develop a tree vdth stronger frame- work, A loader tree, '>vith its v/ide angled scaffold limbs and its absence of v/horls, v/ill support a tremendous load of fruit mtli little or no breakage. Limbs will curl dovaward, in a mamior reminiscent of the Norway spruce, but tho sturdy crotches refuse to give v.'ay. If breaks do occur thoy arc usually found where a limb has been allowed to divide into two more or less equal parts. In a vase-form tree, or ono of the multiple leader typo, a heavy load of fruit may cause a third or half of the tree to split away. Or we may find a three-way split v/ith the entire tree resting on tho ground. It is no wonder if the owner would consider spending v.'eeks cutting prop poles, after the complete loss of a fevif trees capable of bearing 25 bushels of apples each, Tliis fall ono may see unpropped orchards bearing more thc>Ji 400 bushels per aero vdth only an occasional limb giving vfay. Seldom does the broken part ai.icujat to mere tlian a tenth of the tree because tho framework is designed for holding up heavy crops of fruit over the normal life span of tho orchard. The situation may be suraj~arized in this way: Prop poles are much less essential in trees of good frar.iework. They provide hibernating quarters for codling moths. Unless properly placed, breakage nay occur in spite of propping. Placing' props involves skilled labor and thoy tend to intorforo v/ith harvesting. All things considered, perhaps vra should put more emphasis on pruning and reduce our props to firewood. -7- SUGGESTIOKS OM THE COI'ITROL OF I.IICE III ORCHARDS The apple harvest this year ;^ot under v/ay in nost areas later than usual and, consequently, the hustle to canplcte harvesting will probably be j-rcater than ever. After a busy harvest season it is natural that there be a let-doTfli, It is unfortunate that this usually comes at the tine when the vrork of controlling field mice in orchards occurs, Maiiy vinsuccessful results in controlling this rodent have been caused by failure to i^i'vo proper super- vision to this vfork, 7/orlcnen, v/ho are trust/rorthy and conscientious, nust be selected. Control neasures recoimacnded for field nice are based on a knowledge of their habits and characteristics. The nere fact tho.t the mouse does not like to come out in the open makes it necessary to place the bait in its run- ways, if efficient control is to be ejipected. That this increases the labor cost is unquestioned but any job worth doing is v/orth doing well. All gro\'VO. whothor old hands or new at this business of controlling field nice, should have on hand a copy of the leaflet "Mouse Control in Orchards", and should read it carefully. On field trips to orchards last fall, it was noted that several orchardists were paring apples before applying rodonticide. This is not necessary. Other growers had become careless and v/crc guessing at the amoimt of poison and bait used. Such methods not only increase the cost but decrease the offectivoness of the control method, /vn effective field mouse control program is less expensive than a haphazard one. Two or throe trees damaged each year in a block of trees can, in a few years, put that orchard in the red. Let's raalce up our minds to do a thorough job of mouse control this year! Carl B. Henry Shrivelling in Storage, Like advancing age, certain things about fruits in storage creep up gradually and linawares. Shrivelling of apples is an example. That nay be prevented almost lOO,'?, even though the ripening process may only be retarded. Shrivelling begins im- mediately o.ftcr harvest if apples are put into dry boxes, It proceeds rapidly if the storage air is also dry. Wetting dorm the floor, v/alls and the boxes themselves, frequently, is good insurance, A simple device for measuring relative hvuaidity, such as a wet and dry bulb thermometer, is quite essential if there is any likelihood of apples giving up moisture to the con- tainers and the surrounding air. -8- NOTSS OH RAT COI'JTROL Efficiont rcdcnt control mothods aro based en the habits and characteristics of the rodent to be controlled. The results obtained aro usually in proportion to the amount of this kno\f;led{.-o that the operator has of the particular animal and hoiv thorou[]hly ho applies it. Questions asked of rodent control agents at farra moctinj-'S can but lead to the belief that a far too large percentages of the people attending these meetings knov; very little of the life habits and characteristics of the i.iost coni-;ion farm rodents. For example, take the most danagiiig of all the rodents, the brorm or Norway rat ^raid ask yourself these questions. If you can ansver them, you should be able to control rats, rjhere do rats live and breed? At v;hat a^e does a rat breed? Tijhat is the largest opening aliovrable (round or square) to prevent rats from entering a building? v^Jhat v/ill a rat eat? 7,'hat materials are ratproof? Hoy; high will a rat jump? Hov7 d-^ep 'ivill a rat burrow? 'Till a rat take to the water readily? IIov; far will a rat travel? VJhere do rats prefer to travel? '""/hat does a rat dislike most of all? The last question is paramount. The rat dislikes most of all to bo exposed. Thus the elimination of debris, proper storing of merchandise and the correct construction of buildings become of first importance. The farms which go from year to year without a rat or mouse problem are the ones that carry out a strict sanitation program. Doors must be fitted to the proper clearance and v;indows and other opening rat-proofed with the correct material. High grass, vraeds and debris should be, kept away from the ex- terior of buildings, More education on the habits and characteristics of rodents that drjnage farm crops and buildings could v;ell bo included in our agricultural school progrfr-jii, Carl B, Henry and Charles C, Scott Poultry Manure as an Orchard Fertilizer. Just because an occasional grower has used too much poultry manure in a bearing orchard does not mean that this i.-.atcrial is completely ruled out as an orchard fertilizer. Applied sparingly and broadcast over the area between the trees, poultry manure works like magic in peppint; up a scanty cover crop, V,hcro the trees aro impoverished a little more may be applied as a m.eans of encouraging the development of greener leaves which, in turn, v.dll result in apples of slightly larger size, and more of them. The secret in getting ideal color of fruit, early maturity, and the finish which the market demands, is to place a definite liiTiit on the amount used, far below the overdose which experience shows will result in a "henyard" tj-pe of apple. This apple is inclined to bo la.to maturing, more spongy/ in texture, of much poorer color and, in general, unattractive. -9- Strawberry Leaves and tg'ext Season's Crop. There is said to be a fairly close correlation betv.-esn 'the" nimber of vij^orous leaves on a strawberry plant in September and the ntmber of berries the plant produces the follov/ing Jime* This explains the disappointing yields of late formed runner plants and the bumper yields of veil spaced plants v/hich form their root systems in late July or early August, lYintrsr Fruit .'School. No plans have been made for a 1948 Fruit S'diool thus far, V.^iether or not a School is held ViTill depend in part on the prospective enrollment. Any reader of Fruit Hotes interested in attending" a School of from 3 to 5 days diiration some time betv/een January'' and April is invited to drop a card to "/. E. Thies, Depart- ment of Pomology, University of liassachusetts. Please indicate (l) your preforence as regards subjects, (2) number of students you represent, (3) month preferred, and (4) any other suggestions. Perils in Pear Picking, In a recent is.^ue of a Boston paper there appeared tv70 items ~c*oncGniing elderly men vrho had suffered injuries in falling from ladders v/hile picking pears. Doubtless similar stories about yo\mg or middle- aged apple pickers might be told. The harvest season invariably bring its list of casualties resulting from this once-a-year venture into the tops of tall troes, Prunors seldom shoir such a venturesor/3 spirit. The lesson to be draTm from the harvest season casualty list is briefly this: '."whenever a tree requires a ladder more than 20 feet in length, the oMier should sharpen his sav/ and do one or more of the follov;ing: (l) cut out some of the trees entirely to prevent the others from reaching slcyimrd, (2) if the trees are 40 years old and older m>ake a start on removing the whole block, and (3) v;here spacing is satisfactory but tops are beyond reach, "top" the trees to a height of 15 to 17 feet, Winter injured 3aldv;in trees present a special hazard and should receive priori'cy as regards the crosscut saw. Keeping "Posted", In the Middle Vfest a thorny tree knovm as Osage Orange (Uaclura pomifera) was very extensively planted years ago as a hedge to mark the boundaries of fields. As these tre^s were removed, tliey -./ere cut up for fenoeposts ajid are proving extremely durable. They are said to outlost the average farmer. One of the early nurseries in lov/a is reported to have sold nothing but Osage Orange trees. -10- Chokecherries Shovj Autimn Coloririf; in July, One doesn't ha^e to wait until a -tumn to see reddiTh leaves along the roadside. As early as July the leaves of chokecherries Infected \;ith X-Disease sho-j a distinctly reddish coloration. As a red flag denotes dan.ger, so these red''ish leaves send forth a v;arnin{; to vrould-be peach growers in the vicinity. It is a v/aste of tine and irioney to set peach trees v/here such an environment exists. If a peach orchar.d is already utider v/ay, all chokecherries v.'itiiin 200 yards should be sprayed v'ith Anmate in July, 1948. L'iouse Guards Koed Attention This .^'all. Hire guards serve a useful purpose~d\rr'ing the' early life of an orchard, pro- vided they are set lov; enough to prevent nice from getting underneath. But tree trunlcs increase in diaiiieter v/hile the guards reuain as they v/ere originally. Too often the grower goes along from year to year with a fo.lso sense of security. An 18- inch piece of l/4-inch mesh wire can scarcely protect a tree vrith a trunlt diameter of 7 inches because the dia- meter of the prote'^.tive band is less than 6 inches. Some- times the guard exerts a throttliyig effect. At other times it develops easy points of entrance for the ever v;atchful moxvse, A v.'atchful grower can avoid both of tiaese conditions. A Bumper Strawberry Yield. Host strav/bcrry growers are content if they harvest one quart of ben-'ies per original "mother" plant. On that basis, an acre requiring approximately 5000 plants mifrht be expected to yield, about ths-t number of quarts of berries the follovfing season. Last Gumi.ier a home planting of about l/lO acre involving 500 plants on the property of Co'onty Agricultural Agent Stanley L. Burt in Sunderland yielded 1118 quarts, or more than 2 quarts per plant. Can anyone "top" this? Tour of By^Produ.cts Plants, Before this issue of Fruit TTbTes is receivodT" noticos of an in- teresting tour to be held in late October v;ill be mailed to members of the II.F.G.A. by Secretary Vi. R. Cole, An opportiijiity will be offered to see modern equipment in operation in Ayer, Little- ton, and "iVestford, It looks like a verj v/orth v;hile tour. The Odd Variety Season. Every day brings to the University speciraens of apples for identification. An apple of the Ewalt variety, an old forgotten apple, arrived I'ron two different individuals oq aucoossive 4ays, '•'^X.A.AJ.A^ November 28. I9U7 Prepared "by the Fruit Program Committee of x\:<^ W. Ho Tliies, Extension Horticulturi; iL'-.f The Red Apple Clulj Mulch Conserves Moisture Codling Moth in I9U7 Studies of Apple Scab Biological Control A Promising Red Sport Contents Planning a Pruit Storage The Building Situation Tire Prevention Program Growing Additional Mulch Nursery Inspection Trip Suggestions on Mouse Control Issued "by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of i'lay '6 and June 30, 191^5 Willard A. Munson, Director, University of Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services cooperating. - 1 - THE RED APPLE CLUB TT.venty-one Massachusetts growers have qualified for membership in a new "honorary fraternity" knovm as the Red Apple Club, This nev/ project emphasizes three importaiit factors in orcharding; namely, control of insects and diseases, fruit color, and yield. In order to qualify, the crop must (1) be at least QO/iJ free from insect and disease blemishes, (2) grade at least 60^ U, S, Fancy, and (3) amount to at least 400 bushels per acre if trees are 20 years old or older, 300 bushels per acre if trees are 15 to 20 years old and 200 bushels per acre if trees are less than 15 years old. Inspection of the apple crop is made on the basis of a carefully taken sample amounting to about 5 bushels, each apple being e:x;a2iiine d for preventable blemishes and for color. In a iarge orchard comprising several blocks and several varieties it would obviously b* difficult to obtain a sample which would be representative of all the apples eft the farm, If^jiace the grov/er is permitted to ask for an examination of tho fruit in one particular block, so long as it contains at least one acre. In moct cases, the samples have represented a block of 5 acres or more. Membership in the Red Apple Club is distributed as follo^/s: V/orcester County - 5, Hampden and Middlesex - 4 each, Hampshire and Essex - 2 each, Berkshire, Bristol, Franklin and. Norfolk - 1 3ach. A certificate of membership will be presented by the Massachusetts Fruit Growers • Association at the Annual Meeting in January, 3fC 3fC ^ 3|C jfC 3fC ^ ^ 3|C JfC ^ 3|C 3fC 3fW )f» 3fC 3ft ^ 3|C 3|C LIULCII CONSERV'ilS MOISTURE The I'ef ent prolonged drought gave an excellent opportunity to check on the value of mulch as a cor:server of soil moisture. On October 27, just before the heavy rain of the 30t'i and 31st , soil samples were taken in a raspberry planting half of which was mul.cned and half of which v.'as not* The soil under the mulched half was cool and mor.st to the touch. There was moisture enough present so the soil adhered well to 'oho soil auger and no difficulty was experienced in gotting samples, Vjliere the mulch was heavy and thick, about 8-10 inches, the soil appeared nx)rQ molct than v/here the mulch was thinner, 3-4- inches. On the unmulchec. half the condition was quite different. The soil was so dry that it wouldn't stick to the soil auger. It ran off like sand, Y/hen the several samples were dried and weighed, it vms found that the soil under the mulch had an average moisture cantent of 22 percent, just tv;ice that of the unmulched soil which v;as 11 percent. Although the recent rains have helped, the soil in some places is still pretty dry. Unless there is considerable rainfall before the ground freezes, trees may go into the winter in an unsatisfactory condition, A little dry weather in the fall to slow up grov.i;h and make the trees harden their wood for winter is a good thing. But like other good things, it can be overdone. If trees go into the winter in too dry a condition, cold, dry winds can do severe damage* at least to fruits or varieties which are not particularly v«'inter hardy. Perhaps this is the yeai' when mulch \;ill pay an extra dividend by reducing the amount or severity of v/inter injury, — J. S, Bailey - 2 - CODLING MOTH MP 1947 EXPERILSNTS ^ Apples in the experimental orchard at the Vifaltham Field Station had the greatest infestation of codling moth in 1947 that has been recorded in 22 years - BUT ONLY IN ONE BLOCK. That block was sprayed v;ith benzene hexachloride, an insecticide noted for its short period of effectiveness and one v/hich is not considered especially effective against this pest. The blocks where DDT or lead arsenate, either alone or in combination, v/as used v;ere either entirely free or had an insignificant infestation averaging less than 3 codling worn stings per 1,000 apples. Since all of the blocks were sprayed on the same day, vie must assume that the timing of the applications in the spray schedule was satisfactory, at least where DDT or lead arsenate v/as used. The dates of application were; First Cover ,.,....,....••••«• June 4 Compare these dates v/ith Extra Curculio ,,,.♦.,,,,,,,, , June 10 your application periods. Second Cover June 23 naturally allowing a fev." days Third Cover July 11 for climatic differences between Fourth Cover July 30 your orchard and Vialtham, Most of the worm injury occurred in July from late hatching first brood v.'orms, and the sprays on June 23 and July 11 v/ere the most critical. Obviously the extended periods of hot, dry v/eather favored codling moth development, but even so a reasonable spray schedule should have given reasonable results, DDT continues to prove its effectiveness against codling moth and personally 1 believe that a combination of lead arsenate 2 pounds, 50Jo DDT wettable pov;der 2 pounds in 100 gallons of spray is the most effective forrnula of insecticide for ALL COTOR SPRAYS. Could it be that the old familiar bug-a-boo of inadequate coverage is still the cause of trouble? — W. D, Vi/hitcomb ♦ =(< ***************** * STUDIES OU APPLE SCAB AT THE VfALTHAIvI FIELD STATION Our plan of study v;as designed to clarify our knowledge of Phygon and Puratized Agricultural Spray, The interest in these materials seemed dominating. Our v/ork in 1946 revealed the astonishing fungicidal action of Phygon, at 1 lb, to 100 gallons of water. Our work in 1947 gave similar astonishing results in the control of apple scab with Phygon l/2 lb. to 100 gallons of water. In 1946, Phygon caused some degeneration of the green matter in the leaves and there was indication of a decrease in size of individual fruits. This year l/2 lb, of Phygon caused similar foliage injury whether one or more sprays were applied. Is the injury serious? Is the effect from the pre-blossom applications more or less than the post blossom applications? Can the injurious element be buffered by the addition of a corrective? These are questions that only further study can answer and the help of chemistry is needed. Injury to the face and heuids from contact - 3 - wi-bh Phygon v/as experienced by some growers, Howard Gilmore offers an ingenious "Fay IJountain Method" of overcoming this problem, - "Fill the spray tank v;ith water; then place the bag of Phygon under water and empty its contents". There is nothing gained by first iuaking a slurry of the material. At Vvaltham we dumped the Phygon into the tank. It has been claimed that sulfur and lime depreciate the action of Puratized Agricultural Spray. Extensive laboratory and orchard studies indicate that these claims are exaggerated and even doubtful, Puratized and paste sulfur combined performed about the same a? or a little better than Puratized, or Puratized and dry wettable sulfur combined. Puratized and Ferraate combined was highly effective and virtually the same a;j paste sulfur alone. Considering all of our results (small and large scale tests), Puratized with lime, and without, showed no significant difference. Our tabulation of apples for scab is as follov/s: Treatment Puratized, 1 pint Paste Sulfur, 11,75 lbs. No treatment Puratized, l/S pint Paste Sulfur, 5.87 lbs. % Scabby Apples Mclnt^ DSh Mcintosh Delicious 'h- Kendall 2,23 3^65 0.0 0,5 .20 0.0 0,0 0,8 90,68 71^26 1.04 1.0 0.19 0.5 Puratized, 1 pint Lime, 3 lbs, Puratized, l/2 pint Kolo Spray, 3,5 lbs, Phygon, 1/2 lb, Puratized, l/2 pint Fermate, l/2 lb. 6,97 2.42 0,70 4.95 2.55 0,47 .06 0,0 .46 0,0 0,0 1.5 3,6 0,3 The early protectant sulfur sprays should carry at least 6 lbs. of actual sulfur to 100 gallons. For 50^o Paste sulfur the equivalent is 12 lbs, of paste. For 70^0 Paste sulfur the equivalent is 8,6 lbs, of paste. Though some allovance may br; made for the finer particle size, peculiar to paste sulfurs, it is never- theless desirable to provide at least 6 lbs, of sulfur to 100 gallons in the early sprays, , — E. F, Cuba ARE Vffi COMING TO BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PLANT DISEASES? Combatting insect pests and plant diseases with living organisms comes under the category of biological control. The action of ladybug predators on aphids, and the Macrocentrus parasites on the larvae of the Oriental fruit moth are examples of insects controlling insects. Employing the "milky disease" against - 4 - the Japanese beetle grubs typifies insect control v/ith a specific bacterial organism. The destruction of plant lice by certain species of fungi illustrates biological control by pathogenic forms of fungi. In the realm of microscopic life, nematodes have been found to pierce the cells of fungus threads and suck out the contents. Aside from the direct attack of one fungus upon another, the mere presence of many fungi and bacteria is able to suppress or completely inhibit the grovrth of other micro-organisms by the action of certain soluble excretions or grovrfch by-products. Penicillin is such a substaiice produced and released by members of the Penicillium fungi, and is well knovm to be deadly to many disease-producing bacteria of humans. Streptomycin is a still more recent "drug", produced by the fungus-like organism, Streptomyces, vmich will destroy certain disease bacteria that penicillin will not affect. In recent years, plant pathologists have experimented with these so-called "drugs", azid some interesting inforraation is forthcoming v;ith the use of streptomycin, A pathologist in California found that streptomycin readily kills the different bacterial organisms that cause fire blight, tomato bacterial canker, bacterial leaf spot of carrot, potato scab, bean blight and still others. Plant pathologists in Wisconsin reported recently how they obtained a similar extract from Streptomycos and completely inhibited grovrbh of the apple scab and peach brov/n rot fungi in laboratory cultures with dilutions as high as vne to 8 million. In greenhouse tests, infection of susceptible apple leaves by apple scab v/as greatly reduced or prevented outright by spraying them with a water dilution of streptomycin 4 hours, also 4 days, before inoculation with the scab spores. This appears to be a new angle to the use of organic fungicides for plant disease control, — or is it a type of biological control? — 0, C. Boyd ******************** A NOTE m^ HAI'ID POLLINATION The follovvTing comments on a new method of insuring pollination were recently made by Ben Drev; of Westford; 'HVe secured definite evidence that our hand- pollinating efforts resulted in more apples per tree, than on those trees not hand-pollinated, but the difference was so slight that v:e need to know a lot more about the many factors involved, particularly the timing, before trying this on a larger scale, "l(Ye treated about an acre of large trees (Mcintosh) with our self-collected pollen from Astrachan blossoms, using small camel-liair brushes," ******************** GALBRAITH BALDT/IN, A PROMISING RED SPORT In 1934, a small brunch on a Baldwin tree located in Block 0, one of the old experimental blocks of the Liassachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, was observed to produce five highly colored apples. This branch was first noticed by Floyd Galbraith who -v/nrked in tho Station orchards at that time. The sport has since been called "Galbraith". - 5 - One year shoots from the sporting branch were top-grafted on a tree in the spring of 1935 to see if the high color could be maintained, .After the grafts had been knovm to produce highly colored apples, trees were propagated from them and planted in a new stock orchard. The trees were planted in 1939 and have now borne two crops of highly colored apples in contrast to regular Baldv/ins grooving adjacent to them. About two weeks before Baldv;in harvest the Galbraith Baldwin takes on considerable red color and by harvest time it is an over-all red which extends all the way into the calyx end of the apple. The red is of medium shade, not quite as bright as Gallia Beauty nor as dark as Starking, It is very attractive and has a certain' snap to it. The apples appear to be the same as regular Baldwin in all respects except color, Galbraith Baldwin apples have a uniform shade of red in contrast to regular Baldwin which may vary from dark to bright and snappy to dull, T/hile the popularity of Baldwin has declined slightly in recent years, the Galbraith' strain of Baldv/in appears to be superior to any Baldivin now being propa- gated and certainly is worthy of consideration by those who wish to continue growing the variety, — V/, D. V.'eeks PRELEIIN.^Y PLAIJMING FOR A FRUIT STORAGE There are several iraportant factors to consider in planning a fruit storage with packing facilities. These in a reasonable order include: circulation; type of structure; materials; cost; and operating costs. The item of circulation can be reasoned by making small sketches of different idoas and tracing the lanes or routes over v^hich products and men must move to, within, and out of the storage and packing areas. Herein lies the greatest planning difficulty, but until the shortest and most sensible routing is devised for every operation the entire lay- out may contain "bugs" v/hich ivill always remain to cause v/asted time and extra expense. Routing from orchard to building must be planned stop by step through unloading, motions v;ithin the storage, both horizontally .and vertically, to coordinate vifith the easy meeting of empty boxes, grading, covering, return to storage or movement directly to market. Good routing or circulation sh-Tws up when the directions are continuously one way with the absolute minimum of cross traffic and wasted motions, naturally the type of structure will depend upon the kind of operations the grovrer intends to pursue. If he stores and cools fruit before grading and sale, the plan will be different than if he first grades > cools, and sells. The same becomes true for any other ccanbination. He may prefer to carry on his business ' using several methods which v/ill require most careful consideration to make all parts work well. For some to place the grading room along side of the storage may be quite ideal, but perhaps not bt^st for others who may find it better to plan the grading room in line with the storage. Materials and costs go hand in hand. Availability of these and skilled labor make a good combination. Unusual materials along with labor unfamiliar v.dth these mean higher costs, Maintenance, insurance, and depreciation can be large or small. Substantial materials and construction are generally real economies in the long run. - 6 - A considerable part of the operating costs can be determined before building. Of these the question of amount of insulation versus size of refrigerating nachinery enters strongly. Y/hen insulation materials are rather high in cost it may be cheaper to use less of these and install a larger cooling unit. The reverse holds true at other times. Running costs of the larger unit are seldom too important, Vihich to choose, because conditions do change, may be decided on the "first cost" basis. Wasted motions because of poor planning will alv/ays be costly. The real secret to economy of structure and labor hinges upon good preliminary planning, -- M, J. Liarkuson ******************** THE BUILDING SITUATION , I ■! ■ I I — ■ I IM M ■ ■■!■ I« ■■ ■■ ■ ■■■■ ■!■ V « In ten years the value of farm structures has doubled. This is due in part to the decreased purchasing value of the dollar, to the scarcity of lumber and the relatively high costs of labor. To replace these buildings would cost three times their former value. These are round figures. Close estimates are difficult to obtain because of the confusing building situation. One of the greatest tragedies that can befall a farmer is loss of his structures including contents by fire. One farmer out of every forty is visited by fire every yoar and about half of those visited have serious or crippling losses according to Howard Russell, Chairman of the Farm Fire Prevention Committee, The farmer can do two tilings -v.-hich v/ill reduce these losses. He can heed the precautions directed to farm men and women prepared by the Farm Fire Prevention Committee and he can carry adequate insurance on his buildings and contents. Farmers v/ho are careful, thoughtful, and fire conscious and whose employees are trained similarly, generally have a better record of losses by accident and fire than those who disregard warnings, instructions and suggestions for safety. Building materials are becoming more plentiful as production is increasing but scarcities will exist until the needs of housing become more normal. It is likely that prices of labor and materials will stay high for several months at least. It is always a matter of conjecture when and how much prices will fall. It is most linlikely that prices v;ill ever drop to the level of the thirties because of the permanently reduced purchasing value of the dollar, IThether one should build at the present time or not depends on many factors. If his business is such that he can reap quick and large profits sufficient to. warrant the structure and can liquidate the business quickly, the investment in a structure may be vmrranted. On the other hand, the probable income from many New England f&ms will not justify the present high cost of construction, V.Tien construction can be deferred, it is usually advisable to do so. Masonry vmlls for fam structures are becoming more common. Many farmers have said that the use of cinder block masonry in construction compares favorably with v/ood frame construction, Vv'ood masonry requires two coats of a water-proof cement paint applied v;ith a scrub brush, othervJise the walls will absorb dampness from the rain, ' — \'J» C, Harrington ******************** - 7 - STATE FIRE PRBVEFTION FROGRjtt'I At the Fire Prevention Conference called in V/ashington last spring by President Truman, the governors of each state were asked to call similar meetings on a state-wide basis. Accordingly, Plis Excellency, Governor Bradford, requested that every organization interested in either fire prevention or fire protection be present at a conference at the State House on October 27, and indicate what ths organization could and would do to reduce the v.-aste resulting from farm fires. The magnitude of our collective farm fire losses is almost astounding— approximately ^1,000,000 annually, with losses from a few dollars per farm to perhaps ^20,000 or ^25,000, These losses are divided so that farmers each pay on an average from ^25 to 4-^0 annually. Unfortunately farmers are never fully reimbursed from losses by fire as buildings are usually insured for only a fraction of their present day worth and an even smaller fraction of their replacement value. The same also holds true for the cattle, crops, feed, machinery, and equipment either stored or a part of the structure. Other losses e.re interruption of the year's incom^i and inconveniences v/hich last until replacements are completed. The firo prevention committee specifically recommended in its report to the Governor, the f ollai7ing; To FARIvIERS: prevention 1, Make all chimneys and smokopipes safe by cleaning, pointing, rebuild- ing or renewing. Provide one foot clearance bctv/een smokepipes and woodwork or provide adequate insulation, 2, Kavo electric v;iring and equipment inspected by a power company representative, or a competent licensed olectriciin; incroase size of wires and number of circuits v/here needed; add new circuits for new equipment. Use time-delay fuses of proper size on all motors, 3, Forbid smoking in all farm buildings except the dv;elling, 4, Install lightning rods according to Master Label Standards and keep them effective, 5, Consult v/itii your pov/er company representative before buying vielders and other heavy duty eq\iipment, 6, Dry hay thoroughly before storing; use thermostatic fire detectors and watch for aeating. 7, Cover all buildings with non-combustible roofing, 8, Keep premises clean. Clear all brusn, v;eeds, t^nd litter for a distaiace of 100 ft, from buildings to avoid conflagration from forest and grass fires, 9, Install main sv/itch near entrance of barn, so that electricity may be cut off outbuildings at night, 10, Request an inspection of your pr';porty by the local firo chief tuid follow his rccomrriondations. To FARS'IERS; Protection 1, Provide and make available water for fire department; as an easily reached farm water hole, reservoir, or cistern, unless public hydrants exist, 2, Keep fire extinguishers on hand and recharge periodically, 3, Keep light ladders v/ith roof hook and garden hose available, 4, Keep spray machines full of Vifater and ready for use except in freezing weather. To FARM WOIIEN: Prevention 1, plan hoi;/ to get your family out in case of fire at night, 2, Never use gasoline inside the house, 3, Never use kerosene to start or accelerate a fire. To FARM V/OlffiN: • Protection 1, Have a fire extinguisher on each floor and learn hov; to use it. 2, Keep baking soda or a carbon tetrachloride extinguisher in kitchen for grease fires, 3, Use care v/ith matches and all electric appliances, 4, Keep basements and attics free from rubbish, and keep all electrical equipment in good repair, — V/. C. Harrington GROOVING ADDITIONAL iilULCH MATERIAL There are at least 3 ways of securing mulch material for us in an orchard. They are: (1) Producing the material between the trees; (2) Producing the mulch on other areas of the fanti t'^' be cut and hauled into the orchard; (3) Purchasing straw, hay, or other material from outside sources. The possibilities under (1) and (2) are very often neglected although there is reason to believe that in many cases t^vo dollars worth of mulch material may be grovm for each dollar invested in fertilizers. In an Ohio experiment where the soil t-..sted about pH 5, no fertilizer at all resulted in a yield of mulch material consisting of mixed grasses, amounting to 1573 pounds per acre, V/here 200 pounds of Cyanrjnid per acre was applied, the yield on 5 different plots ranged from 3933 to 4689 pounds per acre, liVhere 400 pounds of Cyanamid was applied, the yield amounted to 5143 pounds per acre. High magnesium lime nitrogenous fertilizers including poultry manure ,and "complete" fertilizers are ommg the possibilities for stepping up the yield of vegetation in many Massachusetts )rchards, * * :ti 4: :tc :tci4ci|( * i|c :«c :f * « iK * * * * * - 9 - REPORT ON 1947 LTURSSRY INSPECTION TRIP The nursery inspection job in 1947 was the largest and most extensive under- taken so far. It included the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Nev/ York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Alabajiia, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, In all, 32 nurseries were exaiiiined including most of the larger nurseries in these states. Six inspectors participated in the work v/hich extended over 3 weeks and covered 6500 miles of travel. It took 981 man- hours of actual v;orking time at a total cost, including travel, of almost $i5,000 to do the job. As nearly as we can estimate, we have examined between 3 1/2 and 4 million apple trees as v;ell as perhaps a million pear, plum and cherry this past summer. Of this number about 75,000 were misnaraed trees. Ko inspection work was done on peaches in 1947 due mostly to lack of time. Each year brings in some new requests from nurseryiaen for this service. Y»g are trying to find and train a sufficiently large crew of inspectors to handle all requests. In the meantime, v/e are doing the best we can and giving service where the most can be accomplished, — A. P. French FURTHER SUGGESTIONS ON MOUSE COHTROL The following questions may be of some help in reviev/ing the mouse control program. If a grower can truthfully say "Yes" to each question, then at least one of his fruit growing worries is lessened, 1, Have the dropped apples been picked up throughout the entire orchard? If they have, is it knovm in v.'hat sections the most nibbled apples were found? 2* Has every block in the orchard been carefully checked to deteririino the degree of mouse infestation and have the most heavily infested areas been noted? 3, Were active mouse signs, such as fresh grass clippings, smoothly worn runways, and nibbled apples, looked for or v;as the mouse infestation determined from casual ooservations while v;orking at some other job? 4, T/ill it be safe to leave the tall grass or v;oeds that are growing close to the tree trunks? 5, Is there a supply of rodenticide or zinc phosphide treated steam crushed oats bait on hand? 6, Was rodenticide used at the rate of one level teaspoonful to one quart of cut apple bait? Was it accurately measured? 7, Vifere all areas in and around the orchard, where mice have protective cover, baited, as well as the area within the drip line? 8, Are the wire tree-guards in good order, set v/ell in the groun and no openings virhere v;ire is joined together? 9, Have the hired hands, doing this work, been properly supervised and thoroughly instructed? (a) Can they distinguish an active mouse runway from an inactive one? (b) Do they knov; the most likely places to look for mouse activity? (c) Have they been impressed with the importance of this annual orchard problem? Any grower can check the results of his efforts by spending a little time trapping, particularly in areas v/here there is some doubt as to how v/ell the viork v/as done, — Carl B. Henry ^gi^^-^^^ K-{'' V^ X. '/ ( : /'/ { \ cn:'... f ,r Prepared "by the Fruit Progrsjn Conmittc-e of tno Ib-t; W, H„ Ihies, Extension Horticulturif •. December 30, 1947 Conteut; New Uses for Deciduous Fruits Seepage Spots in Orchards Contour Orchards Apple Insect Control Eradicating Apple Scab Hardy Stocks for Baldwin Trees Fire Protection On Fruit Farms Rat Control -- A Year Round Job The Farm Woodlot Index for 1947 Issued by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of Ma^' S ixrA J'2n-5 J>0, 191U5 Willard A. Muut-on, JJirector, Unirersity of jViass?.ciuisetts, Uiiited Statec I3epa.?tmon^> of Agricult\xr« and Couivty Extension Services cooperating-. IffiW USSS FOR DEC IDUOUS FRUITS; The need for new and wider markets for deciduous fruits, particularly those portions of these fruits that are sometimes wasted, has caused the U.S. Dept, of Agriculture to undertake a long-time project under the Research and Marketing Act in the hope of expanding the outlets for these products. It is estimated that around one-sixth of this country's apple crop is either wasted or brings a very low price because the apples are undersize, offshape, or have some other defects that make them less desirable for the fresh fruit market* Similar wastes occur in the production of practically all of the other deciduous fruits. The research v/ill be conducted by the Bureau of Agricultural and Industrial Chemistry's Eastern Regional Research Laboratory in Philadelphia, and its Y/estern Regional Research Laboratory at Albany, Calif., in cooperation with the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station at Blacksburg, Vb.» , and possibly other experiment stations. Studies will be made on peaches, pears, apricots, plums, cherries, grapes, and berries. This v/ork is being undertaken lai^ely as a result of the success the Eastern Regional Research Laboratory has had during the past few years in finding new out- lets for apple products. Of the 18 products now being made commercially from apples, two of them, apple concentrate and apple-flavoring essence, v/ere developed in the Eastern Laboratory. The apple essence has received a particularly enthusiastic commercial acceptance, and is being u6«d in the manufacture of candies, soft drinks, jellies, and other products that lose flavor during cooking, SEEPAGE SPOTS IN ORCHARDS On many hillside orchards farmers are troubled by wet spots caused by under- ground seepage. Underground v.-ater tends to follovv' along a hardpan or clay layer (See Fig. l) and when this layer comes close to the surface, vrnter seeps out and keeps the ground below wet. Occasionally these spots become so vret that they are a costly nuisance - bogging down equipment and keeping some trees from reaching maximum production. In general (See Fig. 1) the solution is to intercept this underground seepage water by a tile line around the slope. The assistance of someone experienced in this type of work is usually necessary since test holes must be dug to locate the sub-surface flow before excavation is started for the tile line. The intercepting tile must be installed above the v/et spot at a place v;here the impervious layer is below frost line, preferably more than 30" belov/ the ground level. Tile laid in this manner should have a grade betv/een ,1% and ,5;'c. Vflien v/ater from the intercepting tile must be emptied at the bottom of a steep grade, bell tile should be used as a conduit. On steep grades land tile is likely to cause subsurface washing along its path. Generally, at least two concrete collars are necessary on the bell tile conduit - one v/here the tile system joins it and the other at the outlet (See Fig. 2). Assistance for this type of work has already been furnished by technicians of the Soil Conservation Service working through local Soil Conservation Districts, Benjamin Isgur District Conservationist Cause of 3 eepy Area; - hardpan layer coming close to' surface of soil at break in slope Fi^i ie.:^ V>cW- yy ^-".C w vvicJ \y' :^Ji. ik. df ik- ijj/- \>V J^ Vff >Ati ^ \ -W Jki. aW ■Ju isi" ..„ . Si* ^< 5UOr>- Intercepting til© line to catcli v/ater just above seepage area. , /: Note depth of test // holes. -WvC F,3Z -3- SHALL m PLAMT ORCHARDS ON THE CONTOUR Contour plantin^^ is almost a necessity for the average cultivated New England orchard. 1/Ve have all seen v;hat has happened to the soil of many a peach orchard where no special precaution against erosion was taken. It has happened in apple orchards, too, and one writer recently referred to the apple grov/er as the "most myopic of all in this matter of soil conservation", nevertheless, we must admit that it is not imperative that orchards in complete sod be planted on the contour. For sod orchards on slight slopes, there is no advantage from contour planting, but there is benefit if the orchard is cultivated as a whole or in strips. Cultivation is sometimes practiced in young apple orchards and omitted as the trees approach maturity. There is no question about the advantage of contour planting v/here soil erosion is a problem* Many New England orchards are on slopes of 10 to 15^i, I have seen them on slopes above 20^o, There are good reasons v;hy some of the best orchard sites are on sloping land. It happens that some of the best apple soils of this section have a characteristically sloping topography, and furthermore such topography promotes good soil and water drainage. On slopes above lO'/^, it is both difficult and expensive to operate tractor-dravm equipment, and above 20^ such operation is almost prohibitive. Engineers tell us that contour farming saves from 10 to 12/'o in time and 9 to lO^b in fuel and oil over up-and-dOT/Ti-hill operations > and there is less wear and tear of equipment, to say nothing of being easier on the operator. On the lesser slopes, contour planting may mean the sacrifice of one degree of freedom of movement of equipment through the orchard, but on the steeper slopes the direction of movement is pretty well determined by nature, I have seen orchards on such steep slopes that it was impracticable to move equipment up and down the slopes and where movement v/as as near on the contour as the lajTOut of the orchard would permit. It might better have been laid out on the contour in the first place; it cannot be done afterward. Contour planting should be considered only as a means to an end. It is not itself a method of erosion control, but it gives a basic framework on which conser- vation practices such as terracing, ridging, simple contour cultivation and strip cultivation may be planned and carried out. Then there is the question of road location. Nearly every orchardist knov;s the problem of road erosion on sloping land. Sometimes it becomes so serious that it is necessary to relocate the roads. Considerable thought should be given to lanning orchard roads so as to reduce erosion of them to a minimum. So far as possible, they should be on the contour. This usually means longer roads, but the "longest way around is sometimes the shortest v;ay through". Space does not permit our going further into the pros and cons of contour planting of orchards, nor of giving details of methods^ Orchardists desiring more on the subject, particularly those v;ho are contemplating planting an orchard, might viell consult txvo good publications in this field, namely; "Soil Management Practices in the Orchard", ^Michigan Experiment Station Circular Bulletin 199; and "Conserving Soil and Moisture in Orchards smd Vineyards", Farmers' Bulletin 1970, Technicians of the Soil Conservation Service will give technical assistance to orchardists interested in developing conservation plans for orchards. Applica- tions for assistance should be made to the board of supervisors of the soil conservation district in v.'hich you live. For further information as to procedure consult your county agricultural agent, A. 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R o sH rH D (U (B >H fe o 3 o 3 • H ^ o O t, 0) Q, tH o Q c/3 Q C/3 :3 ^ >> o 02 u xf u Pl, Pl, CQ O n 1-q o S r-f ® a) ^ n o o !h Ch xi a, -^ ^ o m Pi -p 3 ta •p . a c ■— 1 M El ■H U )— 1 jj o o rf o Eh tH ^ '^ to ■H b y r-* m ^H O <: o •H ^ rH t.O ^ Ch W § e-t u T) j:: 3 -o bD X) A W o o I o -p 4 -5- EVALUATION OF PURATIZED AGRICULTURAL SPRAY ^ AN ERADICANT FOR APPLE SCAB Science has been searching for the ideal fungicide for controlling apple scab. Since 1908 when liquid lime sulfur came into use as a funt,icide for scab, to replace Bordeaux mixture, notable progress has been made in this direction. This article is written to consider the usefulness and limitations of puratized Agricultural Spray, This material has good scab-protective and curative values. It is expensive. As a protectant for scab it gives no better control than high grade v/ettable sulfur, vjhich is much cheaper. For that reason its use as a protectant spray is not encouraging. Under most conditions it is non-injurious to the trees and it is compatible viith sulfur, Fermate, Nicotine sulfate and lead arsenate. As a curative spray for scab, on the basis of the writer's research work at Walthara, it is superior to liquid lime sulfur, its only competitor, Hov/ever, its action as an eradioant or curative is intriguing. Inconsistent curative results are reported by growers, and to explain these discrepancies statements have been mads that sulfur, lime, hard water, magnesium and clay in the v;ater invalidate or depreciate the toxicity of puratized. Some of us even think that the variable results are due in part to the age of the scab spots, the younger infections yielding and the older ones not yielding; also that the absorption of puratized by the scab fungus in lethal amounts is influenced by the physiology of the scab fungus or the leaf cells on which it forages. Changes in the chemical composition of the product itself cannot be ignored in searching for the answer to the problem. The age of the scab legion is not necessarily a criterion. Scab spores in all ages of foliage lesions are killed. Nevertheless, it is best to spray the trees to eradicate scab at the calyx period or very soon thereafter to prevent the scab from parasitizing the loaf tissue to the killing point, and from sporulating further, Puratized Agricultural Spray should not be used after June 15 nor beyond 20 days after calyx. This is a precautionary measure intended to prevent any possibility of tainting the harvested fruit with mercury. Since in this period both primary and secondary scab of various ages of infection are apparent, this is the appropriate period to eradicate foliage spots. Eradication of these infections with Puratized is ultimately complete. The lethal action of Puratized on the scab fungus is not necessarily immediate, Ilany growers have been disappointed because spore germination tests after treat- , xaent have indicated a negative or incomplete result. Eventually and in most cases, however, scab is satisfactorily arrested. There is indication that lime and bentonite weaken the action of Puratized. The addition of one half the formula of v/ettable sulfur to 1 pint of Puratized can be an advantage on the basis of tests in 1947. Paste sulfur or a high grade dry wettable sulfur free of bentonite or similar inert material is preferred. Fermate 1/2 lb, may be substituted for sulfur with the promise of even better control of foliage scab, Puratized Agricultural Spray is a good protectant against fruit scab but it will not eradicate it. Obviously then it is important to apply the Puratized eradioant spray at calyx or soon thereafter to keep foliage scab from spreading to the fruit. Finally we are still searching to leurn why the 1946 and 1947 productions of Puratized Ab^icultural Spray used at the rate of 1 pint in 100 gallons have not eradicated scab as promptly nor as completely as the mora concfentrt\te'i 1945 Puratizad N5E, used at tne rate of I/2 pint to 100 gallcMas water, E. F. Guba -6- Land Clearing A new publication, "Clearing and Improvement of Farm Land in Massachusetts" is novi available through tne Hailing Room at the University of Massachusetts or your County Extension Office, Just ask for Bulletin- No. 439. Quoting from the cover page, "The primary purposes of this study have been to appraise the methods used in land improvement, to evaluate the results in terms of cost-benefit comparisons, and to study the significance of land reclamation for the future of agriculture in Liassachusetts", Any fruit grov/er interested in clearing additional land or improving land novv in use \yill find helpful suggestions in this publica- tion. Hardy Stocks for Baldwin Trees. It is a well knov.-n fact that we have no apple variety which completely replaces the "good old Baldwin", Cortland and Gallia are partial replacements, but there is real need for a combination eating and cooking apple to extend the iiclntosh season. Many grovrers v/ould probably take a chance on planting another Baldvdn block, W'jre it not for the susceptibility of this variety to winter injury. This is particularly true in view of the new red sport (Galbraith Baldvdn) described in the November issue of Fruit Notes, V/hy not develop a Baldwin orchard of this new strain on one of the hardy stocks, such as Virginia Crab or Hibernal? Baldxvin trees on such stocks have been brought through severe v;inters at Orono, i.Iaine, Tho chances in Liassachusetts are very much better. To establish such an orchard a Virginia Crab tree, for example, which has been budded on a seedling root is set out in the orchard and allov.'ed to develop a sot of scaffold branches. These branches are later grafted or budded to Baldv;in at points about a foot distant from the leader. Thus v:e get a Baldwin tree with a seedling root, and with a trijnk and crotches of a very hardy variety, Anj'' grower interested in starting such a block of trees may obtain the necessary information by contacting the compiler of Fruit Notes, ♦ He***********:):*** YnTiat is "Orchard Reorganization'*? iiany of our present day fruit plantings repre- sent long years of "hit and miss evolution". Innumerable blocks of fruit trees have come into existence, not because the ov.Tier considered the soil and site ideal, but because particular areas v;ere not well suited to anything else, "If it's too poor for hay, it will at least grov; apple trees", seems to have been the philoso- phy behind some of the orchards of grandfather's day. And to make matters v/orse, small detached areas were often planted, thus contributing to inefficient managc~ ment, while in some cases, extensions of particular blocks v;ere accomplished by planting trees on areas which v:ere either poorly drained or hopelessly rocky. In its simplest terms, orchard reorganization means revamping our present day plantings to reduce the amount of labor required and to increase the per acre yield. Probably every orchard in Massachusetts lends itself in one way or another to this kind of improvement. Among the possibilities are (1) elimination of crowding fillers, old trees, blocks in frost pockets, etc., (2) drainage of wet spots, '3) removal of stone walls and boulders, (4) improvement of environment, . ^5) improvement in facilities for pollination, (6) consolidation of blocks and ex- pansion by planting on better soils and sites, (7) smoothing of orchard floor to permit easier movement of equipment, (8) installation of better v.'ater supply for ."praying, and (9) any other labor saving or yield increasing practice within reason Evory acre at its best means every permanent tree at its best. -7- FIRE PROTECTION ON FRUIT FAPJ-IS The recent destruction of several large Cold Storages by fire raises the question as to what can be done to prevent the repetition of such losses. In talking to Stacy Gay of Three Rivers recently, I discovered that he was very much interested in this question. In his or.m storage he has one small carbon tetra- chloride fire extinguisher which holds perhaps two or three quarts of liquid. Such a small capacity extinguisher would probably be useful if one were right on the job when the fire started. But usually fires don't start at such opportune times. Since an orchard sprayer is an excellent piece of fire fighting equipment, the question was raised as to how a sprayer could be fixed so that it could be used during freezing weather. Seldom is there heat enough in storage or outbuildings to prevent v;ater from freezing. Therefore, the question is, what could be added to the water in a spray tank to prevent it from freezing so that it v/ill alv/ays be ready for use when needed. The material must be non-inflammable, non-corrosive to the metal tank or pump, it must be cheap, if used around electrical equipment must be a non-conductor, and must be readily available. Also, v;hat can be done to keep the engine and pump in condition for instant use? For example, how can the pipes in the pump be kept from drying out? Until very recently our storage on the hill had nothing but the conventional acid and soda tjrpe extinguisher which v/ould be very dangerous for the operator to use around any electrical equipment, I wonder hov/ many fruit growers are aware of this danger and havo provided themselves with t;ypes'of fire extinguishers contain- ing carbon tetrachloride or carbon dioxide to use around electrical equipment, ■ ■.>••'. • ■ , J, S. Bailoy RAT COIjTRQL — A YEAR ROmfP JOB Rats never take vacations. They nay raise 6 or more litters per year with from 6 to 22 in a litter. Ignoring the death rate, the progeny from one pair of rats could exceed 350,000,000 in 3 years. Hence rat control must be a continuous job. "Rat-control weeks" are entirely ineffective against the continuous activities of rats, unless they arc followed by a year-round program of rat killing. Once rat numb^rt arc reduced in a community thoy can be kept down at little cost by "maintcnsince control". If regular control is neglected during the year, rats will rapidly increase, until they require another intensive and expensive rat-control v.Gek. Costs aro decreased and losses of grain are miniuizod whon each farmer, miller, and householder makes rat control a part of his regula,r chores, Pre-baiting is still one of the most important steps in rat poisoning. No one can tell you very accurately ho\i many rats you are feeding on your farm or in your tovm. The chances are thr.t you aro host to many more rats than you think possible. The chances an. als^^ vjry good that in attempting to control your rats haphazardly, you have suc^-eeded in training them to distrust you, to be wary of food. Nor do you kno\v ^^'herf=' these rats of yours are concentrated. You may be able to predict, more or less accurately, that most of them are around the chicken house or in the barn, Yjliat percentage of the total population? You do not know. Pre-baiting with unpoisoned food that is clean and fresh will tell you much about your rat population. -C5- Take plenty of time to pre-bait, a r/eek if necessary. As far as possible, remove all sources of food for rats before exposing baits. Cover grain bins, empty self-feeders, protect garbage, etc. Do not disturb the environment any more thcai necessary as this tends to nake the rats suspicious. The best bait for your farm can only be determined by trial. Some suggested baits are as follow; Ivieats: Fresh hamburger, ground bacon, canned dog food, dried dog food, Fishj fresh ground fish, caimed fish as salmon, tuna, sardines or cat food, MAW AG I! :G THE SIIaLL FOREST (since many fruit farms in Massachusetts include a farm woodlot, the following suggestions from an experienced forester v/ill be of interest to fruit growers) In this issue of Fruit Notes I v^ish to discuss the management, protection, estimating, cutting, and selling of the forest crop, taken from the farm v/oodlot. The farm ivoodlot is a small forest, but v-^ry important in the mcjiagement of a well run farm. The farm woodlot provides many items needed on the farm. It is not possible to ignore this source of supply. Let ne describe a small forest and how it is possible for you to help it grow. The small forest should have trees suited to the soil, climate, and locality. If you watch this very inportont condition, you \/ill have a good 'salable crop later on. Poor or surplus trees must be thinned out and taken out to give the gold ones more room to dovelop. Such a forest should have no over-ripe trees, past their best grov/ing years, nor should there be any diseased or damaged trees and no very branchy or badly shaped trees, You will find the forest floor covered with needles, leaves, ti'dgs, and small branches. This covering permits the soil to absorb large amounts of water needed by the trees and also prevents erosion. Beneath this litter is a moist fertile layer of riumus covered with sub-soil. Over-grazing and fires should be controlled. Over-grazing will ruin viha.t otherwise v.ill become a well managed and v/ell kept forest on the farm. If the trees are all of the same age, the crowns almost touch to form a sort of ceiling of foliage, called a canopy. In a nixed aged stand, there is no continued canopy, but in either case crovms are healthy and usually ma.ke up about a third of the total height of the tree. How con you help the forest grow? l;/e all knovif that a forest grows by itself, but we also knov; that it will grov/ faster, and bring more profit if the owner helps it along. The oivner wants to have as many trees as ho can of the best quality possible in his forest, and he has these by good management and good management alone. In your v/oodlot you will find trees that are crooked, treos that arc forked, trees that arc diseased, some that are dying, and others that stand too close together. Those aro the trees to concentrate on at the time of cutting, whether you are cutting for saw logs or for cordwood. Every time you do any cutting in the v/oods you should be making an improvement cutting. From these harvestings you will be able to get some firewood, possibly some puJ.p,wood, and bean polos or tobacco poles. You will also be able to ^et sone rails for your fences and certainly you will bs able to get some fence posts v/hich are very badly needed on the farm. All of these materials taken from the farm forest represent clear t^ain. Now in the farm forest we vdll find weed trees, such as red maple, pitch pine, choke cherry, and often times various other types of hardwood sprouts which choke out the better types of trees. All of these poor specimens should be cleaned out. If no use can be made of the unwanted small trees, a good way is to lop off only their tops. Then they will live on, shade the ground, and force the better ones to grow tall and straight. In order to save time my recommendation is to cut only those inferior trees \vhich are actually choking off the better ones. In the next issue I will discuss thinning and pruning for better quality luinber, - R. B, Parmonter INDEX - 1947 (The number following the month indicates the page on which the article appears) Apple Scab (i.Iar. , 1) (Nov,, 2) Biological Control (Nov,, 3) Blueberries (Apr., 6) BrovT. Rot (July, 7) Building Situation (Nov., 6) Codling Ivloth (Nov., 2) Coloring (Aug,, 5) (Oct., 1) Contour Planting (Dec, 3) Cultivating (F?b,, 4} Disea33 Free Plants (July, 7) Do Ycu lOiow (July, 4) Dr air age (le-i . , 1) Dv;arf iiess (.-lUg. , P'arm Safety (Aprr , (;Ov. , Fann 7jCodlot (Dec, Fertilizers (FoO. . Fruit rt;\. Fr.':)du-".ts (Dec, 1) Fruit Set ('July, 1) Fruit School (Feb,., 1) (Apr., 1) (Oct., 9) Fruit Varieties (Feb., 2,5) (laar,,3) (Nov., 4) Fungicides (Mar,, 6) (Apr., 2,4) (May, 5) (Dec, 5) Harvesting (Oct,, 2,9) Historical (liar,, 4) Index (Dec, 9) 6) 10) (hay, 1) (Aug., 4) 7) (.Dec, 7) 4) (iviar,, 5) Insecticides (Dec, 4) Leaves (Oct., 4) Magnesium (Oct,, 5) Marketing (Apr., 8) (l.lay, 9) Mulching (ilnv-:. , 1, 8) Nursery Stock (Apr,, 7) (Nov,, 9) Peaches (July, 7, 8) Pollinating (i»yr.. , 8) (Oct,, 6) (Nov, ,4) Pou] bi'y i.iai.'ur? (Oct,, 8) Propping ^C^t 6) Raspber.-'!.os (:iar.; 2) (Apr,, 5) Red r^ple Club i. aay, 2) (Nov, , 1) Rodfti:t Coiitrr-1 1,'Jctr, 7, lO) (Nov., 9) (Dec, 7) Spidc-rs (,lto/, o) Spraying (Feb. 5) (Apr., 7) (iviay, 6) Soils.. ''.^.ir. , 10) (ivIay, 3) (July, 10) (iiUt,.., 1) Soil .^icidity (ilar. , Storage (Feb... 3) ^Xt., 7) (Nov., 5) Strawberries (July, 6) {^':^^.» , *i; Tree Removal (liay, 9) Vieed Kill'^rs (i.Iay, 7) V/inter Injury (Feb., o) 5) (Apr., -•fa' 3 3 ) 10) ,,,f^^^^% • ^4/ % \ //■ Prepared "by the I'ru.'.'^ Prosr-am Comviit't :::; oi tno -v W. H. ThiGs- Extenc^lon Horticultu;;- February 28, 1948 Contents Peach Buds and Low Temperatures Evaluation of Fungicides Shall the Apple Grading Law Be Changed? 'Western' Lead Arsenate What Kind of Spray-Oil? Managing Small Forests Issued "by the Dxtcncicn Service in furtheraace cf A i''. % of Kay i.> '^nd June 30s 1914, Willard A.. MuXiSont Dix'sctor, Univsrsioy of MassachusertSj Unitsd States lOepa^r'smaAt of Agricxilturs and Oo^mty Extension Services cooperating. - 1 - PEACH BUDS AND L0£ TEIvIPERATURES Peach buds in the University orchard survived a minimum temperature of -16,5° on January 24, A recent examination reveals that there is less than 1% injury to tender varieties such as Triogem and Golden east. In some seasons a minimum temperature of -16° v/ould cause considerable injury to peach buds or might even destroy all of them. Such seasons are those v;hich have periods of mild v/eather followed by a sudden drop to a low minimum. Fortunately for the peach growers, this winter has been one of long continued cold v;ithout any periods of mild weather. The maximum temperature barely v/ent above freezing for a month previous to January 24 and there were seven or more nights when the temperature was below zero. This extended cold spell conditioned the peach buds so that they were able to withstand the low temperatures which occurred in our peach orchard. In orchards where the minimum temperature dropped lower than -16° there will no doubt be more injury than we observed, but it should take an extremely low temperature to kill every peach bud this year. — W, D, Y.^eeks New Strawberry Variety Released Fairland, a new, early, red-stele resistant strawberry which may be adapted to NeiT England, has been released by the USDA and the Univ. of Maryland, Trials in the Northeast indicate Fairland as suited to the region v/here Howard 17 is an important variety. Selected in 1938 from crosses between Aberdeen and Fairfax at the Plant Industry Station at Beltsville, Maryland, Fairland has been widely tested as US-3205, Interested growers may buy Fairland plants from nurseries in Maryland and Delaware which cooperated in conducting the field trials. Blueberry Pollination The importance of cross pollination of blueberry varieties is emphasized in experiments by E, M, Meader and G, M. Darrow covering a period of 3 years, l/ork v>rith 15 highbush varieties show that cross pollination usually increased the crop sufficiently to warrant inter-planting of two or more varieties. It tended to increase the percentage of fully developed seeds per berry and resulted in larger berries. In 1945 the cross pollinated Rubel gave a AZfo greater crop than the self pollinated, and the yield for the first 8 days of har- vest v/as 3,6 tipaes that of the self pollinated. Raspberry Spur Blight Succumbs to Fermate A raspberry planting in the Connecticut Valley v.-hich v/as so badly infected by Spur Blight as to be practically worthless, has recovered completely under Fermate treatments and promises a bumper crop this season. Two Fermate applications on the new canes, plus a Delayed Dormegit application of Elgetol where the infection is severe, will do the trick. For full details, get a copy of the mimeo- graphed leaflet from your county extension office. Fermate is what might be termed a "specific fungicide" for the control of both Spur Blight and Anthracnose, !)ll)C*** + l(l****j(C****))t** ********* lit******* Safety is NO ACCIDENT >5 S >J r-H ^H 0 1— ( CO (^ 0 Sh 3 •H >-> a) 0 ^ rO 4:1 +J w © to •H ca -P ^ CJ CJ cl 3 w D ■P 3 -H T3 oX! o 0) (D 0 a >i 0 3 0 ^ G3 •H f^D rH rH ■H ■ H 03 •H oj •H ^ r-^ r="a M rH ^ ^. *H 0 ^H TJ C3 r-* Q) t, « ^ (P U^, 3 3 0 .-1 >^ K, 0 •H 0 •0 Crt w ■n) 0 ■r^ X -H u ^ c3 X j^ c« S m rl -H 0 0 a! 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C3 03 CO CQ 0 r^ Cm X3 M -H 0 • -p ^ -H 33 -.3 -p tj Z^ s 0 0 0 Q) S -P £3 0 •H 0 •H > CO r-i •H •H • H >H •H e3 -H r-H -P -P W i-H V. -P Vi to -PC? 0 i^ c-3 (D (U ^3 t3 :3 00 3 cJ Q CD tJ >J o3 -P ^ s 0 0 0 •■-) 3 •0 CQ S Oi rH v. c; -H 3 ^ X 0 0 0 C3 1— 1 a, • H Q 0 !-. a CO ^ (S) CD > (H 5: * r-M C 0 •H -P Jh 0 Q) c U (U UO p! 4J ' 0 -P cS +^ 1 -P cS iX, 0 in 0 pj -p 0 0 Uh '^ Ph 0 •H ro OF SPRAY- OIL? As a fruit grower, do you take better care of the motor in your car or tractor than you do the treos which provide your income? How do you buy oil for your motors? liost of you probably have a good reliable and favorite brand. You also know what viscosity or S,A.E, number is best f1 deficiency SITUATION (V\fe quote here part of a letter on this subject written by 1(7. G, Colby of the Agronomy Department) "Many if not most of the soils of our state are potentially deficient in magnesium. The easiest and cheapest way to supply magnesium, unless serious sym- ptoms of deficiency are present, is to use magnesium limestone. Since many of the orchard soils need lime, the use of dolomitic limestone serves a double purpose, viz,, correcting a soil acidity and supplying the nutrients magnesium and calcium. The use of high calcium lime mijjht even accentuate the need for magnesium. In the mineral nutrition of plants, the plant tends to take in a fairly constant quantity of bases, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. If the available supply of any one of these elements greatly overbalances the supply of any of the other three, deficiency symptoms of any one of these three may eevrlop^ In other v^ords, an over-supply of calciiom makes it more difficult for the plant to obtain both magnesium and potassium and an over-supply of potassium in turn makes it more difficult for the plant to obtain magnesium and calcium, etc. This helps to explain, for example, why plots treated with potash frequently develop magnesium deficiency symptoms whereas plots receiving no potash show no magnesium deficiency. It seems to me that the A.CP. has some-^ing very worthv;hile to offer to the orchardists of Massachusetts and that if the conservation program can give magnesium limestone rather than high calcium limestone, they will be accomplishing two objec- tives, viz,, neutralizing excess soil acidity and supplying the nutrients, calcium and magnesium," -2- Effect of Mulch on Yield of Northern Spy ^ples The following data showing the effect of a liberal mulch in a Michigan orchard is furnished by E. J. Rasmussen, now of New Hampshire , The year the trees were mulched, each tree received 500 pounds. Wo mulch or fertilizers viere applied later except on the check trees which had the regular fertilizer treatment. It will be noted that the effect of one application of mulch in 1942 began to wear off after about 5 years when compared to unmulched trees. Mulched, 1945 Year Unmulched Mulched, 1942 1942 9,5 bu. 17.0 bu. 1943 8,5 bu. 20.8 bu. 1944 17,0 bu. 20.7 bu. 1945 5,5 bu» 9,2 bu. 1946 20,1 bu. 24.4 bu. 1947 19.4 bu. 21,2 bu. 7.5 bu. 17.7 bu. 5.8 bu, 31,5 bu, 27.1 bu, FAmi AIJD HOME VffiEK FRUIT IviEETIKG University of Massachusetts, ijihorst - July 21 How Many Trees Do You Spray Per Minute ? Knowing the output of our spray pump and. the number "oF trees passed per minute v/e can easily figure the number of gallons applied on each tree. Following are the numbers of trees passed per minute while driving at varying speeds in orchards with trees spaced at different distances: Mi le s per Hour Tree Spacings (feet) 1.0 1.5 2.0 3,0 4.0 ]|clt;itc>|tc:|fere quickly and completely inactivated by thoroughly soaking with penicillin and streptomycin. Commercial preparations and locally produced crude preparations were equally effective. Streptomycin v>ras found to be somewhat more efficient than penicillin. 4» At the same (Arizona) Station, J« G, Brown found (p» 3) in similar tests that those antibiotic materials acted only upon the diseased tissues, killing the gall cells and causing the galls to disintegrate, but having no effect upon the healthy host tissue (root, stem, branch) from which the galls had developed. 5, Fernate concentrate spray from airplane for apple rust control; A. B. Groves, u» Va, Station (p, 11). A single application Hay 11 on York and Y/inesap trees, using 7,5 oz, of Fermate per gallon of water, at the rate of 8 gallons per acre, gave a reduction in cedar rust spots of over 94%, 6, Sour cherry susceptible to the peach X-Disease; D, H. Palmiter and K, G. Parker, New York Station (p. 20). English Morello and Mont- morency cherries growing near X-diseased chokecherries and peach trees showed virus-like sjTiiptoms, Graft and bud inoculations into peach trees from diseased cherry trees produced typical X-disease symptoms in the peach trees. Corresponding symptoms were produced on sour cherry trees by inserting buds from X-diseased chokecherries. As a result of this disease, 55>o of the trees in one English IJorello orchard produced no fruit in 1947* 7* Apple bitter rot reported on fruits of sour cherry; Clyde E. Feet and Carlton F. Taylor, VJ. Va, Station (p. 20)* Dry sunken rot v/as produced on one side of the fruit with typical pinkish spore masses, with up to 15yo of the fruits affected in some trees. Successful inoculations of apple fruits proved the correct identity of the fungus, 8. Apple bitter rot on peaches; G, B. Ramsey, M, A. Smith, and B, C. Heiberg, U.S,D,A, (p, 22). Certain shipments of peaches in northern markets from Georgia during July 1947 showed brovvn, dryish lesions from one-fourth to three-fourths inches in diameter vath typical bitter rot pinkish spore pustules. Inoculations produced typical bitter rot on apples and pears, also similar lesions on peach and plum fruits, — 0. C, Boyd 50th Anniversary of the Cortland Apple The original cross between Mcintosh and Ben Davis which resulted in the Cortland variety is said to have been made in 1898, just 50 years ago, and the first tree bore its first apple around 1906, It vms introduced about 1915. The intervening years have seen thousands of tests of this variety, it has been tried under all sorts of condi- tions as regards soil types, spray programs and storages, V/e believe it has stood the test fairly well and is today well established as one of our fairly important varieties. Certainly its reputation has improved during the past 10 years. Possibly the old saying, "It takes 60 years for an apple variety to prove its worthv/hile- ness" is partially true. Coverage Possibilities of a Fine Mi st Spray The numbers of droplets per square inch resulting from the distribution of a gallon of liquid uniformly over a surface of one acre are indicated by the following data. (A micron is about 1/25000 of an inch and 1000 microns are equal to about l/25 of an inch): Diam, of Droplets Number of Droplets per Square Inch in microns _______ ___, ______ ' 60 9224 100 1164 200 142 500 , 9 ■ 1000 • 1.1 In still air, droplets 50 microns in diameter require about 5.4 minutes to fall 50 feet, v/hile those with a diajueter of 5 microns require about 5,5 hours to fall the same distance. A Sling Psychrometer in Every Storage To eliminate guesswork concerning "the relative humidity'~Tn an apple storage every storage owner should own and use a sling psychrometer, more commonly knovm as a wet and dry bulb thermometer. The cost amounts to about 4 or 5 dollars. Proper relative humidity and proper temperature go hand in hand in the maintenance of top quality. Premature ripening as well as shrivelling are prevented by keeping both of these factors as nearly ideal as possible. Experiments show that an apple loses more v^ater at 50° and relative humidity 80^i, than it does at 30° and relative humidity 10%» *********************** A Now Bulletin, "Apples as Food" This ue^v publication. Bulletin No, 440, by Essolon, F'-jlli^rs and C-utowska, is now available from the Mailing Room at the University or from your County Extension office. It covers the folloT,;ing topics j History of the apple, production and consumption, composition of applos, factors affec- • ting composition, effect of processing fmd cooking on composition and nutritive value, and physiological and therapeutic pr-iperties of apples. It also contains a very complete bibliography. *********************** Menacing Mummies Peach mummies are the result of decayed peaches from previous years and yet they are themselves extremely resistant to further decay. Their rolo in the spread of Broxm Rot is a dual affair. Not only do the partially buried mximmles on the ground give rise to spores which develop in large numbers in the toadstool-like grov/ths, but the dried mummies on the tree may themselves take on a grayish appearance and produce so-called conidiocporos. Those mummies are a menace whether on the tree or on the ground. Light cultivation during the spring season tends to breaic off the fruitin^ bodies from the mummies on the ground and thus prevent the maturity of spores. It is not very commonly known that a mummy may lie dormtmt for 3 to 5 years only to function as a spore producer wiien conditions become favorable as for example, whon tl-iC mummy becomes covered by a thin layer of moist soil. Brov;n rot control is greatly simplified if all of the mummies are dostroyejd or treated in such way as to prevent spore development, *********************** -6- CHmilCAL THIMING OF APPLES Dinitro Materials ,^jpl.. thinnin'^ preccnts nowc prc;bl»jas« Varieties vary- widely in their tendency to set heavily, bear regularly, and in their pollination requirements. The amount of bloom, time of bloom, vigor and age of trees, pollina- ting vfeather, type of polienizers in the block, bee activity, soil, and nutritional conditions of the tree must be considered. The dinitro materials, Elgetol and the powder DN No, 1, are the most suitable dinitro materials. They must be used at blossom time, IVith the varieties Yellow Transparent, Duchess, Y^ealthy, Baldwin, and Golden Delicious, these materials should be applied the first day of full bloom of the spurs. Some varieties, particularly Wealthy and occasionally Baldwin, may have a large number of flower buds laterally and terminally on the past season's shoots which generally open two or three days later than the spur bloom. On such varieties, a second application at half strength is often necessary. For varieties like Delicious, Northern Spy and H, I, Greening, the dinitros should be applied the second day of full bloom. These varieties apparently need more time for cross pollination to take place. These three varieties, v/hen vigorous, fully grovm, and adequately cross pollenized, may need thinning to obtain suitable fruit size and overcome their tendency to alternate. Of the dinitro materials, DN No. 1 is begin- ning to gain favor over the liquid DII's and the pov/der DN No, 2, since it appears to thin as v/ell as the other dinitros but is less caustic and injurious to the foliage. Following is a suggested concentration schedule when using the dinitro . materials, Dinitro Per 100 Gals. Variety Timo of Application Liquid Powder Duchess 1st day full, bloom 1 1/2 to 2 pts. 3/4 to 1 lb. Yellow Transparent 1st day full bloom 1 l/2 to 2 pts, 3/4 to 1 lb, Vfealthy 1st day full bloom 2 pts. 1 lb» (possible 2nd application for lateral I; terminal bloom) 1 pt. 1/2 lb, Baldwin 1st day full bloom 1 l/2 to 2 pts, 1 lb. Golden Delicious 1st day full bloom 1 pt. l/2 lb, Delicious 2nd day full bloom 1 pt, l/2 Ib^ Hormones During the last tvio years considerable interest has been shown in chemical thinning with naphthalene-acetic acid and some of its derivatives. It has been used successfully on Delicious, Baldv/in, Yi'ealthy, and Northern Spy applied at calyx time. The commercial preparation about which most is known is "App-L-Set" and the concentrations suggested are based on experiments with it alone. Other commercial formulations may or may not thin to the same extent. This type of material has the advantage over the dinitro materials in that accurate timing of the spray is not as important. Also, it may be applied after the blossom period when there is less chance of frost and the maximum amount of pollination and fertiliza- tion has token place. This period of delay can be important and helpful in deciding whether to do any chemical thinning in "sarly blooming seasons or when weather condi- tions have not been ideal for pollination and fertilization up to the time of full blocm. However, the hormone materials may be somewhat erratic in performance and cause occasional txvisting of the "leaves. Also, it is not yet known whether trees of such alternate bearing varieties as TJealthy will bear annual crops follov/ing its use. In other v;ords, v/e have loss experimental evidence v/ith this material than we have with the dinitros. The suggested concentrations of App-L-Set for thinning at calyx time for vigorous mature trees are: Ounces of App-L-Set Varieties at Calyx Time per 100 gals. Delicious 4 Northern Spy 4 Vfealthy 8 Baldwin . 8 We v;ould expect, but have no evidence to prove, that Early Mcintosh, Duchess and Yellow Transparent v^rill require from 6 to 8 ounces of App-L-Set at CaljTc time, — F. Y/. Southwick YOU cm SAVE OK SPRAY OILS BI 1949 V/hy not use a safer, more effective oil spray and save on spraying costs at the same time? It can be done -- one 1947 Red Apple Club member is doing it every year. On the farm of Mr, Shaun Kelley, in Riclimond, Berkshire County, orchard manager Edivard Coningsby proves that savings are possible, Hov/? He does not purchase a concentrated oil emulsion (v;hich usually contains at least 14)4 water and is difficult to hold over from one season to the next) nor a miscible oil (which is often less effective because so much material is likely to run off the tree and may be expensive too) nor an ejiiulsible oil (ivhich has many advaiitages ,but , like the other two, imless you are sure, may net contain the safer and more effective types of oil and also may be expensive). Instead, for the Kelley farm orchards, a hij;,hly-paraff inic , straight oil is purchased — a lOO^'b oil having specifications equal to those listed in the February 28 FRUIT- NOTES for the "Better equality. Higher Cost, Safer" tj-pe of paraffinic oil. Let's call it a high gravity (at least 31), high unsulfonated residue (at least 90) or "superior" oil. How much did it cost? This superior oil actually cost the grovrer less per gallon than vvould a concentrated oil emulsion (with the v;ater in it), a miscible oil or an emulsible oil. And, furthermore, since it is a superior oil and thus more effective, the grower uses it at a lower concentration of only 2 gallons of actual oil per 100, Still another saving is possible, Ivlr, Coningsby emulsifies this superior oil in the tank of his spray-rig, Ke uses Bordeaux mixture (2 lbs, copper sulphate, 4 lbs, lime) as the emulsifier. And there is the point. By using a superior — a safe oil — the .lil application can b-i continued into the late delayed-dormant , when 2 to 3 spur leaves twe curled back from tlic- cluster bud. In many years a fungicide is necessary at this timo. The jordwaux mixture not only emulsifies the oil but also acts as the fungicide. It would appear to me that tiiis combination might save, in some years at least, separate applications of an '.:)il in the green tip or early delayed- dormant followed by a fungicide in the late delayed-dormant or early p re-pink. Some grovrers prefer not to use copper because of the possibility of russetting under some conditions. That need not prevent them from taking advantage of the savings described abovo, A commercial blood albumin containing 4 ounces of actual blood albumin and 12 ounces of inert clay per pound makos an excellent, thoroughly tested and inexpensive emulsifier for tank-mixing oil sprays* Fermate or a similar -3- material may be used as the fungicide. In fact, blood albumin (2 ounces actual blood albumin or l/2 pound commercial material per lOO) is recommended for use along with the Bordeaux mixture in New York where some 75-80^9 of the apple growers tank- mixed superior oils in 1948 for delayed-dormant and late delayed-dormant applica- tions. If they know you are interested soon enough, I am certain that your dealers v/ill cooperate lOO^j in making sure that they can supply you with commercial blood albumin and with straight, paraffinic-base oils having the recommended specifications and at prices allov;ing for real savings. Some 6 or 8 oil producers and refiners had regular and superior paraffinic-base oils available in 1948, Prepared miscible and emulsible oil products made from superior oils are available if you desire them. You may have been told taiik-mixing requires extra time and is inconvenient. Here are some facts. Tank-mixed oil emulsions may be prepared in any conventional type of spray rig now in use in Massachusetts orchards including the speed sprayer. Besides adding the emulsifier, just three operations are involved which are not necessary with prepared miscible oils and some oil emulsions but which would improve and safen the use of oil sprays if practiced where most oil emulsions and all emulsible oils are employed. They are: (1) shutting off the water after from 10-15 gallons — never more — are in the tank (2) pumping the mixture of v;ater, emulsifier and straight oil through the pump and back into itself, preferably through a gun or broom for at least one minute — (1-|- to 2 minutes if you guess at it) -- this makes a good time to fill and light the pipe (3) turning on the water again to fill up the tank. In other words 2 minutes is all the extra time that need be required to prepare a load of tank-mixed oil emulsion. Complete directions for, and demonstrations of, tank-mixing oils viill be available in 1949 through your County Extension Service, Complete specifications for the regular type (minimum values of 28 gravity and 75 imsulfonated residue) and superior type paraffinic-base oils as drawn up by Doctors P, J, Chapman and G. 17, Pierce of Cornell University will be available early in the fall, — Ellsv^orth H, ViTieeler ******************* THE ABC's OF FIRS PREVENTION In a recent farm survey 81^:i of tiie farmers v/ere found to be tolerating dangerous fire hazards which rr iters ' Laboratories should be used. Failure to appreciate the ABC fundamentals of fire costs farmers an estimated 4^90,000,000 viforth of property and kills approximately 3,500 people on farms each year. HOW FRESH FRUITS RATE IN FOOD VALUE (From a chart supplied by the Bureau of Huiaan Nutrition and Hone Economics) per 100 grams «' raw food, editle portion B Vitamins Approximate measure equivalent to 100 grams of food 1 Vita- min A Value Vita- min C Thia- mine Ribo- flavin Iron Calories Apples Apricots Avoc ados Bananas Blackberries (or dev/berries) Blueberries (or huckleberries ) Cantaloups (or nuskmelons ) Cherries Cranberries Currants (fresh).,. Dates Figs (fresh) Godseberries Grapefruit Grapes Guavas Lemons Limes ,,.. , Mangoes Oranges , Papayas Peaches ........... Pears ,,, P e r s immon s (Jap a- nese ) Pineapple ., pluiTis ,.. , Raspberries ....... Rhubarb ........... Strawberries Tangerines Vmtermelons 1 small 3 -g-, 4" diameter 1 medium 3/4 cup , 3/4 cup I 1 slice 3/4" thick J 2-3 medium ....... j 3/4 cup ,, I 1 cup diced J 3/4 cup ,,,.. \ 2 snail slice, X 1" X 2^-" + ** ■=■ melon, 5" diam. » *♦ 3/4 cup 1 cup 3/4 cup 12-15 2-3 large 3/4 cup 1/2 medium 1 bunch of 20-25., grapes -g- cup or 1 large.. -^ cup juice ...... ^ cup juice ...... -g- cup or 1 mediu:.!. 1 medium 1 wedge 3" ,. 1 medium ......... 1 medium , . ,', 1 medium * * !if =^ % * (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) I 65 55 265 100 60 70 25 70 55 60 315 90 45 45 75 80 45 55 75 50 45 50 70 85 60 55 75 20 40 50 30 *** Excellent; ** Good; * Fair; Less than fair (no entry) RATINGS; Excellent, good, fair, as used in this table are based on the dietary allowances of nutrients for a moderately active man, recommended by the National Research Council in August 1945. To rate Excellent, a ravif food provides at least 50 percent of the daily allov/ance for each nutrient; Good, 25 percent; Fair 10 percent. Ratings- do not take into account losses of vitamins or minerals that may occur during cooking, cutting, or other preparation. 1 Approximate measures are compiled from various sources, 2 Data are insufficient to rate the food as a source of this nutrient. -10- iMAI'IAGIMG THE StiALL FOREST At this time of year a question arises, "Should I plant forest trees?" This can be answered in a general way but it is alv/ays better to have advice from the Extension Forester, County Agent, or the Soil Conservation Technician. Trees of useful varieties and successfully staa-ted on the right land are almost sure to return a profit to their aV'Tier, The planted forest also yields many products ■ needed on the farm, such as posts, firewood, lumber, and timbers. It is also a home for wildlife, may serve as a vjindbreak, will conserve moisture and prevent erosion, also it will give the ovoier and his family recreation. Generally, forest trees should be planted: (1) on cut over areas or in forests so run dovm that they are not reseeding or are reseeding too slowly; (2) on land that' viTill be or has been ruined by sheet or gully erosion; (3) on rocky, hilly or worn out land; (4) on land restocking to worthless kinds of trees; (5) on odd corners of woodland too small or inaccessible for cultivated crops or pasture, inother question that always comes up, "Yihat kind of trees should I plant?" Roughly speaking, we have light sandy, gravelly soil on v.'hich red or Norway pine is the best tree to plajit, Y/e have sandy loam, a_ little heavier soil and sill. light, on which white pine grov21, have cleared un varietv mixtures aiaount- ing to hundreds of thousands of trees. Today most eastern nurseries are fairly free of misnamed trees, Apple Crop Prospects. (Statement prepared by C. I), Stevens and A. C. Hackendorf '"^f the II. E. Crop Reporting Service.) The united States apple crop in commercial areas is indicated by June 1 conditions t.) be moderately smaller than both last year and average. Pr-. spects vfere reduced by poor pollination v/eather during Lay, especially in the Central States, T)ie crop varies from one to tv.'o v;esks earlier tnan last year in the East to about tw^'j v.oeks later in the Pacific C »ast States. For the Middle ^itltaitic States, a crop of about the same size as last year and moderately smaller than average seems probable, Hov;ever, the lateness of the season, cool, rainy v/eather at bloom time, ejid the uncertainty as to the size of the June drop makes any statement hazardous at this time. In 1:1 ew York, frost dam- age was light except for a few Hudson Valley sites, but there v«as much rain and cold weather during the pollination period. In Pennsylvania, the heavy bloom in the important Adjuns-Pranklin-Yjrk area did not produce a heavy set because of rain and frost at bloom time, Jonathans Luid Roaes appear to have good prospects but Staymans, Delicious, a:id Yorks appear very li^^ht. In the South Atlantic Statos, ^Tuv.'crs report an unusually ne-sh trees alternating with Delici'-'us or Cortl-ind show, in general, a go-)d set. Solid bl.jcks of L.clntosh shwv;, ;n the average, a light sot. Many observations have been made of Mclnt'/sh trees immediately adjacent to a Red Astrachan or other gojd pollenizer. In these cases, we 'if ton find as mejiy as tw-i or three liclnt-^ish apples on a single spur. This conditi'm djos not exist in the case of t, solid ticlnt )sh bl 'ck. To surainarize the situation, \fo must make better provision f )r cross pollina- tion as a means of insuring a set of fruit in u season such as this. Grafting one brcoich in- every Llclntosh tree to a go .d pollenizer next spring may return big dividends in the years tt c Jme, Vfe Visit '"eltsville. ^ -.;hree-da2/ visit to the Pliait Incustry Station at Belts- ville, lloryliuid raid to 'v/ashington, D.C, l:ay 24 to 26, v/as most interesting and informative. A day cJid u half was spent in looking over experimental v^ork and conferring v/ith U,S»D,A» workers, l^ew developments in small fruits and in tree fruits vrere reviewed. The more important observations will be presented in an early issue of FRuIT IJCTSS. -3- DO YOU KNOW? That the bushel container t/s use in narketing apples frequently costs more than the pest control pro^^rana? It is entirely possible, oven under present day costs, to spray or dust aii orchard very thorou,.;iily as many as 6 times for as little as 30 cents per bushel, provided v/e get a large niimber of bushels per acre. One hundred dollars per acre for spray and dust materials seems lilco a heavy investiaont. But if a crop amomitiiig to 500 bushels per acre is harvested, that means only 20 cents per bushel for riaterials. Labor and depreciation on equipment may add a similar- amount, Vfe frequently pay around 35 cents for a bushel box. That it costs more to establish a blueberry planting than it does for any of the other fruits ^rovm in Nev; Ei^igland? This- is true not only of tree fruits but of grapes, raspberries, strav;berries, etc. ITie initial cost of blueberry plants for a 1-acre planting may amount to ^^500 or more. In vievi of this fact, soil and site must be very carefully selected in oraor to justify so largo an initial investment. That the best v.ray of Iw.QriKg the cjst -.f pr:'ducii.g fruits ds t;. grow -,re bushels, tons, or quarts per aero v;ithout greatly increasing the per aero invest- ment? It costs about so mucii to fertilize, pruixe, spray and thin an acre of fruit trees. Put v;e can.loi:;er the cost per bushel by getting more bushels per acre. Struv/borrioE offer, a striking tjxijnple, Tho plants for an acre of land cost about so much. There is also a fairly fixed amount of labor in setting pltmts, placing runners, controlling v/e'jds, and in mulching. Our chances of making a profit are greatly increased if v;e can produce 6,000 quarts per acre instead of 3,000. That the controllable factors in strav.'berry grovdng have greater influence on yields than the uncontrollable factors? V/e commonly blarao thew^ath^r for a poor strawberry jdsld. But inclement v/eather may be largely offset by good management, A summer drought is loss damaging on a good soil. Excessive rain during the harvest seas m causes fov/er decayed berries if the planting has b^jen properly fertilized. Deep freezing of the soil acid consequent heaving of the plants may be avoided by mulching. The stravi'berry groiver has mere or loss complete control over such factors as soil, variety, spacing, pest contr'^'l, v-reod control and mulching. If tho planting is ■;thorvvi5e -i.!:., unfavorable v/eathcr ■.vill cause much loss reduction in yield. That hundreds of tons of poultry manuro are being i.'astod on poultry farms by dumping in out of the v/ay places? This valuable fertilizer sh"uld be put t-; use on farms \/itiiin easy hauling distaiice. On a fruit farm, it may be used to gotjd advantage in grwing additional mulch material on meadOTi l;.ind outside the orchard or in growing young trees. It may even bo used in mv;deratl..>n in early sprin^^ in the bearing orchard where the trees -aic. the cover cr.-'p sh'Jw a definite need of stimulation. That piles of prop poles aiid piles of apple wood in or near the orchard pr-'Vide ideal hibernating quarters f '-r c-'dling moth? Faere an old neglected orchard has been r-jm^-ved iSid t!ie trees cut int i firewjod, numerous c idling moth pupae are likely tr> be found under tho .IJ bark, from v;hich the moths emerge to infest nearby trees, A number if yearc ago, trees in a IJashoba orchard nearest such a woodpile were so badly infested by codling moth the next stunmer that tho owner picked all ^'f the apples off w,ien partially gro\.in and dostr^/yod thoin. -4- That a sav/dust xnulch tends to steal nitroj^en from nearby trees or shrubs? The reason is briefly this; Sav;dust is hi^^h in carbon and very low/' in nitrogen. The organisms responsible for the decay of sawdust themselves require nitrO(;;en. They take it from the soil and thus they offer strong competition to nearby plants, A tree or shrub mulched v/ith sav.'dust and given f the air in an apple storage is a practical means of preventing storage scald? Canisters i"f activated charcoal havs been found highly effective for this purp )se. Dotviils of this new drjv-lopment will bo presented in an early issue '^f FR^'IT NOTES . That the red brmded leaf r-'illor, 1 '-ng considered a minor apple p:;st in Massachusetts, has suddenly bee ^nc a ;aaJor pest in many orchards? In 1947 this insect v/as m ;ro tr 'mblesome, in general, than codling moth. It to..)k a hoavy t.ill in some of th^ orchards in the i:ash-;ba area, A thorough applicati >n of load arsenate in the calyx arid the first covur sprays, paying particular attention to the underside ./f the leavos on tJio inside of the tree, is ;m effective ntocu'is of combatting tho first br^od. Nev/s Item. Joe liclntosh of Scabville has f 'juiid a long-looked-for helping hand ----- at the end '^f his own arm. -5- That a peculiar pinched and t^reenish appeararice around the calyx end of an apple is due to an alternate host disease, knov.-n as quince rust? Delicious, Gravenstein, etc., are particularly susceptible, 'i'lherc the alternate host plant, the coHinon juniper, is found in lar^^e nujp.bers nearby, heavy infections ;uay be expected unless particulsa' -.tt-Jnti "n . is paid to et-rly season control through the use of F'erinate. That youn^ fruit trees including applies and peaches should r.iaJce a tenrJ.nal gr Tivth f :-.t loi.st 18 in. tl.e i'ir;-t year? It is a serious r.iietcike to allov< nev.'ly set trees to get off to a slo-.v start. Ever;;/thini^ needed to induce s-crong groT.-th t;hv5 first season should receive attention. These include a good. soil, early plr-oiting, a little extra nitrOf.c-n, mulchinL;, and in a dry season, v/atering. That the secondary spread of applo scab, unlike priiaary infections, comes about only as a result of rain ''./ui^hint and splashing the suircner spores from one part of a tree to another? Scab spots on leaves izi the top of the troo arc obviously more menacing than tliosc on lower brariches. The su;nmer sports , unlike the ascosporos, are not carried t..; a:;iy '■ixtfent by air currents . That the suffix "cide" Liiplies a destroyer or killer of ono kind or another? Examples aro found in such tenns us fuuiiicide, insectlcid3, larvucide, rodenticide, ovicide, bactericide, etc. In this ago of specialization vie have corae to look upon a material as having, a specific effect upon one typo of organism or up in one sta^^e in its life history. That, in many fields -v.'e ^re not. tiliinj.., the subsjil "f ^-rjjidf athcr 's day? One has only to exaiTiins tho surface soil at the tup of a badly eroded slope to detect definite subsoil charticteristics, A similar textured strata might bo found at a depth of several fcx-t ut th.e bottom of a slipo. It is no v.'onder that some parts of our present fields ^.roducc so poorly. The problem is not so much on-, of adding chemical fertilizers as .-'f modifying the soil texture. A liberal additi-n if organic matter in tho f-^rra .^f a mulch, ripplicatiins of high magnosiuia lime cuid a complete fertilizer v,'iil '\elp greatly to rest^>re such areas to their former pn ductivonoss. That the C''mr.ionly recommend :;d practice of trimming the r''-."'tE of strawberry plants at setting times is f>r c"invenienco in transplanting arid n't because the plants mai:e better t-,rov.-th? A reviovr of iic.lf a dozen bulletins reveals n ,) hint "f superior performance .'••f the pl;.nts. But m^st of tho authors refer to the fact that tho removal of long, strag^:ly roots speeds up tho plur.ting partly because one doesn't have t^' dig so deep a }:-jl'e, RED APPLE CLUB The Red Apple Club, an honorary fraternity among apple grov/ers in Massachusetts, will be conducted a^ain -cnis season. During the latter part of the euivxier aii opportuni-cy T.ili be offered ariy interested ..lassac.iusetts grov.-er with 5 acres or m.ore to apply for Club membership. The requirements based on one variety are as follows; (1) The crop must score at least 90^., free from insect and disease blemishes. (2) Grade at least 65;,i, U. S. Faiicy, ar.d (3) Yield at least 200 bushels per ucrc' if trees are less than 15 years of age, 300 bushels per aero if trees are 15 to 20 years of age, and 400 bushels per acre if trees are more than 20 ^^ears of age. A simple spray and dust record v.ill also bo required. Killing of rats by one means or another has been attempted as far back as history records. The results are usually temporary and nust be repeatea over and over again. Killing has been placed last in the rat control progra;.i for several reasons, jtoong these are the smartness of the rat itself, the laiov.dedge and care required to use poison successfully, the rapid populati^m increase rate ^f rats, and the failure in the past of -chose who have- relied on killing alone as a control measure. This method is more successful toid is least required v;here sanitation and rat proofing measures have been established and maintained, ****************** "No Dollars - N "> Dice", F, A, Ivlrbz, Foreign Liarketing Specialist, U,S,D,A. speaking before The Centennial Fruit Congress in St, L'Uiis, .iissouri, painted a dark picture for the future of fruit exports to European coiintries, lur, I.Iotz said the situation could be explained in four -v/ords: "Ko Dollars - No Dice", The relief prograias way include siJrn.o fruit, but until European nations resume pr^^ducti 'n -'f articles they can exchajtige for U, S, credit, there is little hope of resuming apple saip:;ients t''' Europe on prewar scale, ****************** PRESSURE LOSS IIT SPRAY EOSE AT DIFFERENT RATES OF YWu The working pressure at t.ho spray nozzle is much more significant than the pressure at the guage. This is especially true where a large amount of spray material is delivered through a spray hose of small diameter. The follov/ing figures indicate the heavy losses in pressure where siiiall dio/aeter spray hose is used with a pump of large capacity/. Flow in oallons per minute at 600 lbs, pres sure pressure loss in pounds per sq. in,, for 60-ft. length of hose with fittings V^ in. T7^ " h-.'.s 'he distinct advxi^o.FC f^ver ::■''!: ''^-cza or calyx applica- tions since i.ha cictenb of fruit setting and the ne-; ?.:rsity ■f'or thniming can be rather accurats'.y petnrm:-ri'-«i by that timeo Cf ocv-.-. s;.:. the oarlior thinning can be done, the g-;eutoi are the ohai'jces of obtaining di^oj ru'^ lu ooiimeroial size with the least reductioxa in yield vxid of mailing alternate bearing varieties bear more uni- form, annual crops, — F, "vT, Southwick and VJ", D, Weeks LATE-SEASON C0NTR0_L OF APPLE SCAB The surect m v.y to prjvc'nt iate season infection of apple Scab is to have no leaf or fruit inf ectM:!;. 7.']ivr. tha first of Au.;u'^t c\.-:rives.. Very few Llclntosh growers in ,ivaf-".-:,'^hu^.c-;-:t£i ere jn that position ';his .y-'^r •— cr in aruy year for that matter« A- lo";: £■'■ ,?•- -ivi Scab apjts aro pi'e'Sint in \he br^-es, :'i ths top brai^chot' in par ■:le' .i.ar.^ there Is danger of i'vulv -'j;.fo'-.-':i.v,i, parti^ul•.^rly (1) after the spray dop^'f.-;-.: f'-i-r^ -:.v:i h-.z-^ cOTor spray b.:.?omij'J '^utgr-OkVi o-' is leathered away, and (2) if conrinuouf or f.nte mil- tent wet periods of sufficient duration occur during August or Ssp-uenboru This year when many orchards sho^.T dangerous amounts of active Scab on the foliage, even though very light infections may exist on tho fruits, grov^ors need to know certain facts about requirements for fruit infection during the period -5- betvveen the last usual cover spray and harvest time. Based upon artificial infection experiments, using ivlclntosh apples in Now York State several years ago, pathologists found that wet periods of at least 40 to 45 hours are necessary for Scab infection during the first half of August, v/hile the fruit must remain wot for 3 to 4 days to allow infection during late August and early September, This means that there still is time to head off an infection of unprotected fruits if an application of sulfur dust or wettable sulfur spray is made (1) after a wet period in the first half of August has progressed to the 30 to 35 hour period and promises to extend still further, or (2) after a 2- to 3-day v;et period in late August or early September, Although no definite information is available on length of wetting period required for late season leaf infection, observations indicate that the upper surface of v/ell matured loaves may require nearly as long a period as the fruits. The under surface of leaves is much more readily infectod during August and September than, the upper surface. In considering standard spray materials possessing the longest protective properties for late season Scab control, the sulfurs rank first. Full strength Formate in the late cover applications coinmonly allows considerable under-surface leaf infection during August and September, whereas good protection may be main- tained from its use duriiig the same period on tho apples. Spray residues of wettable sulfur, or sulfur plus Formate, outlast Formate alone for leaf protection -- find probably also for fruit protection, — 0. C. Boyd FRUIT INSECTS IN MIDSUMi\./[ER — 1948 Fruit insect pests have made this an interesting season for the entomologist -- perhaps a hectic one for the grower. Or, should I say that insect pests are making this a tough season -- because they are not through yet. Of that unfor- tunate fact, wo can. be sure. Let's review a few of tho outstanding developments, note our mistakes and make plans to correct them before we forget v;hat they vrorc rjid how im.portant they became as the season progressed, PEACh'ES - The BHC-DDT coiibination appears to have done an excellent job for peach growers and has not caused injury. In a few cases those late Curculios did some damage after the final application had lost its effectiveness but the Oriental Fruit Moth never got started in the tenriinals where the three applications of DDT were applied at weekly intervals. Injury by Tarnished Plant Bug was also reduced, but an early — real early — petal-fall application of DDT would improve the control of this post. There uro too many peach trees being weakened or destroyed by the Peach Tree Eoror, It is now so practicable to control that insect with DDT that I hope growers really do a good job and thus lengthen the productive life of their trees, PEARS - Some excellent reduction in Pear Psylla early broods have been obtained with dormant oils applied before many eggs had been laid, DN materials including the novt DN-289 were good ovicides, but many eggs were laid after they could no longer be applied safely. Nicotine sulphate alone and with simraer oil have been effective against the nymphs of summer broods. -6- APPLES - This yoar tho najor insect pests of apples have boon - or are now - plum Curculio, Bud Moth, Red-banded Leafrollor, Codling Moth, European Rod Mite (or in some areas the Clover Llite), Still to bo accounted for are late Red-banded Leafrollor, sui:Tmer brood Bud Moth, second brood Codling Moth and Apple Maggot, Mites and jiphids night require additiono.l liieasuros also, — — — The prolonged period of emergence, feeding and egg laying by Pluin Curculio make it outstanding at present in actual damage caused to fruit. Heavy rains washed sprays off and it seemed almost impossible to maintain effective protection, Overv/intering Bud Moths were killed effectively by dormant applications of DN materials. Many orchards, however, provide excellent demonstrations of the necessity for complete coverage. They also point out the increased insect control to be gained by pruning off those low-hanging branches v;hich are hard to hit thoroughly. Control of the summer brood and the final damage to the fruit will depend upon how well growers have applied sprays to the undersides of the foliage during the latter part of July, i5|)plications of oil and nicotine in delayed dormant or even the thorough underneath application of load arsenate and DDT in early sprays were quite effective also. Red-banded Leafroller needs watching. Satisfactory control of this insect is impossible by ordinary spraying methods in trees v/hich aro not pruned, are full of watersprouts or hang right doxvn into tho grass. It is not an easy insect to kill, but all the evidence points tov/ards the use of DDT plus lead arsenate in one application, to the right place at tlie right time. The placo is the undersides of all the leaves and tho time is during tho last week of July and first two weeks in August, Of course, the roal time was back at Calyx, 1st and End Cover periods. Codling Moth seems to be under control v;here protection with DDT was complete throughout its rather extended active period. The first brood was late and v/e do not knov; yet hov/ extensive the second brood may become, European Red Mite has caused a great deal of damage although I am sure some growers with Red ilite injury do not realize it. It showed up first on Baldwins and Delicious and then on other varieties. The picture is complicated by serious outbreaks of Clover Mites in at least one area. The Two-Spotted Mite still has time to come into thi; picture. With good oils available — and they v;ill be if growers demand them — it seems unnecessary to endure the "run around" for svunmer Red Mite control I have witnessed recently. At present summer control measures are expensive, likely to be injurious and many times are ineffective. Let hindsight remind us, now, to use foresight in 1949 and to control the European Rod Mite early v;ith the proper applications of a good oil, Apple Maggot fly emergence started late and reached a peak slowly. The additional emphasis upon summer Bud Moth, Rod Mite and Red-banded Leafroller control in late Julj;- and August should have helped also to control this pest, — E, H. V/heeler Mpnthly Rodent Control Notes, Tho best time to prevent losses by rodents in fam storages is just previous to the actual storing of products. Controlling rats or mice after tho storage room is filled is difficult and cxponsivo. (Carl Henry) -7- OBSSRVATIGNS IN TV/O ORCHARDS (Tv;o successful growers, both former presidents of the IvIFGA, were asked this nonth to present their observations on anything of interest in their individual orchards. Their comments are well v/orth reading,) Artificial pollination. 'In 1947 we planned to dust a large block v/ith pollen from an airplane. For various reasons we did not do it, but had a bumper crop on ;vhat has alv/ays been a shy bearing orchard. Had we dusted with pollen v;q v;ould have given the credit to that. "This year v;e tried bee inserts on the hives in several blocks. The patented insert vre used induced most of the bees to vv-alk through a tray of pollen on their way out of the hive. It- looked as if tho bees could not help but carry a load of good pollen on every trip, Vfe used some pollen (VTealthy) that wo gathered our- selves and some that we purchased. Germination tests on both were nado in Amherst and pronounced o.k, "Vn'e vrere also careful to replace tho pollen about every two hours as v;e loiev/ it vrauld deteriorate from the light and heat of the hive. In tho blocks where the inserts were used, v/e had slightly more than a colony of bees to the acre. One was a Mcintosh block and the otiaer Delicious both of v/hich vjqto short of pollenizing varieties. Both have grafts that are not yet in bearing, "As to the results: B'":th blocks have practically no apples at all, Tlie Delicious block has four trees adjacent to a Jonathan tree that are loaded. No other pollinating varieties seemed to affect the Delicious, The llclntosh block has a good crop adjacent to Astrachan, an.d some apples near Ya'calthy and Cortland, Delicious pollenizors appeared to be '«;'orthloss for llclntosh this year,. As to conclusions: I will let you draxv your oim. 'iVo are not convinced that the method is worthless. However, our faith is badly shaken." (Jonathan Davis, Sterling Junction) Chemical Thinning and Other Observations, "A hormone natorial applied "as a thirjiing spray at double the strength normally used to prevent drop, did a fine job on '.Jealthies, and little hand thin- ning was needed. A fe\: weaker troes were thinned too much. Early Mcintosh were also thinned too heavily. Next time I v/ill use 6 oz, instead of 8 oz, per 100 gallons. Foliage on both varieties still shows the effects of the thinning spray. During the first few days tho trees lookod as if something had shut off the water supply. Another test I have made is Eastern vs, '(Ve stern lead arsenate, tT./o rov;s of each all season, (So far no difference has been noted.) More Russet on all varieties this season. Rosy Aphis plentiful on Cortlrxid, IJo Leafhoppers this year in spite of a straight load arsenate progrtuu, DDT last year must havo finished them, (Travel Note) - Leaf Curling Midge has arrived in Brimfield. Phygon has apparently done a good job in controlling Scab v/ith fev/er appli- cations and longer intervals bet^.voen sprays. Very little effect on the foliage has been observed, Grov;ers in this section are v/ondering if a slight yellowing near the edge of Mcintosh foliage is due to frequent, heavy applications of finely divided sulphur," (V/aikor Cheney, Brimfield) j^'IERICAl^I INSTITUTE OF COOPERATION COMNG TO STATE UNIVERSITY IS AUGUST The University of Massachusetts becomes the hub of the Araerican farm v/orld for four days this summer, when the American Institute of Cooperation meets here August 30 through September 2. Leaders of the farmer cooperative movement, members of cooperatives, educators f"rom colleges and universities, administrators, and farmers themselves will gather from all parts of the nation to discuss cooperation, to get acquainted with one another and with coiimon problems and to enjoy the varied attractions of New England, Recreation and sociability will center around a Gay Nineties Barbershop Quartet, a New England seafood dinner, a square dcmce festival, and a special pageant staged by the Iilichigan Fana Bureau. Nccrly 100 young people from Llichigan v;ill journey to Amherst for this event. The pagsant will portray the role of young people in cooperatives, Tho local committee on arrangements is headed by Dr. Adrian H. Lindsey, head of the depai'tment of a.gricultural economics at the State University. Theme of the institute is Fanner Cooperatives as a Part of the American Economy. Two special sessions v.'ill precede the main conference. These vjill come the morning of August 30, One is a conference to discuss extension teaching in the field of farr.ier cooperativos. The other a special conference of cooperative information editors, Tho latter ivill include a luncheon, Tho main conference will got underway that aftcrn'Oon, Two special schools will also bo hold in ac'van.ce of tho conference, August 16 to 27 at the University a collo^e couras on the Principles of Cooperation, This is for college credit, Cooporativs ^d.ucation will bo the subject of a workshop which will ..ioot from A--guGt 23 to 27, Aiid i.jiother vrorkshop on the subject of Cooperative Education for Residents of tiio G i 'larnuni ty will bo held August 27 and 28, Registration blanks for advance registration may be obtained from Roy E, Moser, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts ,• Amlierst. ' Reservations for tho Nev; England Seafood Dinner must be cOLiplotod by August 21, Headquarters for the Institute v/ill be in I.Iemorial Kail on the Uni-\rersity cs?jTipus, FARI'.'I ENEMY NO, 1 WANTED: For sabotago, robbery, murderi RE1.7ARDJ Millions of dollars in savings,' Y/JffiNING: Ho is savago,' Kill hin on sightj * He has the v/orld's vforst name — "Rut", . * Ho runs v;ith a big gang — aii estimated 150,000,000 rats in the United States, * Ho spreads disease a;uong people and animals, * He murdors chickens and young livestock in cold blood, * Ho takos a 200,000,000 bushel cut of America's grain crop. * Ho is trying to sabotage our Nation's food production, WAR H.iS BEEII DECLARED AGABIST TEE RAT,' JOIN THE FIGHT 1 ^njuit Ncftti. August 30,I9U8 "The New England Seven" In 1928, seven apple varieties were favored for commercial planting in New England. An appraisal of this list, 20 years later, is presented on Page 1» Prepared by the Fruit Program Committee of the Extension Service W. H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist Contents The New England Seven Harvesting Pointers Apple Maggot Fly Emergence Uratsrellas for Insects Pruning to Improve Size and Color of Fruit Notes on Mouse Control The Falmouth Strawberry Crop Eradication of Apple Scab Preventing Phygon Chlorosis The Red Apple Club Issued by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, Willard A. Mimson, Director, University of Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services cooperating. -1- TIIE Ilg.Y ENGLAIID SEVEH Horticultural authorities in New England got together in 1928 and prepared a list of apple varieties best adapted to commercial planting at that time. The seven varieties on this list were Ealdv/in, Delicious, Gravenstein, Mcintosh, Northern Spy, R. I. Greening and Vfealthy, It was not the intent to advocate the planting of all of these varieties in every Kew England orchard, but to provide a list from vjhich three or more well adapted varieties might be selected, Vi/hen the list was published the prediction v;as made that the next decade would find one or more of these variotie's waning in popularity. It v;as also felt that some of thorn would gradually be supplanted by newer sorts. It is not surprising, therefore, that our attitude has changed as regards variety recommendations during the intervening years, A list prepared today \vould differ considerably from that of 20 years ago. Speaking for Massachusetts alone, and vdthout any attempt to convey the attitude in the other Hew England states, our present day appraisal of the above mentioned varieties might be suiiimarized as follo;vs: Baldv;in Still considered a good apple although not being plojited at all extensively, Llaiiy trees damaged or killed by the cold viinter of 1933-4, Production not raUoh more than half that of 1928, but will continue to occupy a place of some importance on our markets for many years, Delicious 'iiTould undoubtedly be included in a similar list today although few growers produce this variety at its best. Size, color and yield frequently leave much to be desired, V/hero conditions arc favorable and a high percentage of Fancy fruit is groivn, this variety has proven profitable. One of its claims to a place on the list is its influence as a pollcnizer. Graven stein In spite of its excellence for pie or sauce and as an eating apple, tlils variety seems to be on the way out. Cold winters have taken a toll and few trees are being planted. The red sports are providing a partial substitute for this good old variety, Mcintosh (Dur Number 1 commercial variety which makes up at least 60% of the total crop, compared with 25^0 in 1925 and A0% in 1940, It is fully as popular as in 1928 and promises to top the list for years to come, A further increaso in the percentage of Mcintosh, hmiQ^er , should not be encouraged. Northern Spy This good old variety :)ccupics a very minor place in our commercial plantings. It is popular v/ith consumers although groijvors find it relatively unprofitable because -^f its biennial tendency, slovmess in coming into bearing, smaller percentage of Fancy fruit and a very tender skin, R^ I, Greening Of interest in only a few markets. Very few trees being planted, A good cooking apple, but might not find a place on a present day list* Yteglthy popularity v.'aning. Still a considerable number of trees in commercial orchards although not being planted by most growers. Variety cannot compete v;ith Mcintosh, Was widely planted as a filler tree. Production will decline as these are removed. If a list of seven commercial varieties were prepared today, it would certainly include Cortland and probably Early Mcintosh, Gallia Beauty deserves attention as a partial substitute for Baldwin", Red spvorts of Delicious, Gra^'■enstein, Baldwin and others should be considered v/horcver these varieties are being planted. And since the New England Seven included three varieties (R, I, Greening, Gravonstein and Baldwin) which are ineffective as pollenizers. Golden Delicious, certain Mcintosh relatives such as Ilacoun and Hilton luid other good pollenizers assume a role of some importaiace, particularly in the production of Mcintosh, a self-unfruitr ful variety. -2- HARV3STING POINTERS Avoid Bruises; Not only do bruises and skin punctures detract from the appearance of the fruit and offer places for the entrance of decay organisiiis, but they also tend to hasten the rate of softening: -and moisture loss. Experiments have shown that even one bruise can appreciably hasten the rate of softening of the uninjured portions of the fruit and may increase the moisture loss by as much as 400 percent. Moisten Boxes* If apples are to be stored in field crates or v/ooden boxes it is desirable that they be well moistened before they go into storage or very shortly thereafter. Dry wooden crates may absorb up to I/2 pound of moisture apiece from t?ie storage room air. Since moisture absorbed from the storage room air comes largely from the fruit, it is very dosirable that the boxes be v/ell soalrod. Add moisture regularly so that the relative humidity is maintained at 85 to 90 percent. Apples will show \asible shriveling when they lose approximately 5 percent of thoir weight as vrator vapor. Cool Apples Quickly: It is estimated that apples will lose approximately one week of their storage life for every day they romain out of cold storage after harvest. Also, as apples rincn they produce a volatile substance, ethylene, v/hich will hasten the ripening of less mature fruits, A few bushels of ripe Early Mcintosh or Mcintosh drops, for instance, can produce enough ethylene to shorten the storage life of a lot of firm, ripe llclntosh by as much as six weeks. Also, other vapors from ripe apples are capable of greatly accentuating the sowrity of storage scald on susceptible varieties like Coj-tlcmd, Consequently, store apples promptly and if possible keep early apples, drops, and rather ripe, Jjater picked fruit in separate rooms from those apples which are picked in a firm ripe condition imd are to be held for extended periods in storage, — F, VJ, Southvdck OBSERVATIOIvS OF ^FLE I/IAGGOT FLY SI'.SRGEi:CE The weekly reports of the day by day emergence of Apple Maggot flies provide interesting reading for those who beliove their maggot troubles are caused, at least partly, by"^late-emcrging flies, Ro,>;cr Peck, Dorrtmce Green cmd Ralph Roberts have reported on applo maggot fly emergence in traps located in Shelburne, vaibraham end Gra;iville respectively. From August 1 through August 15 these cooperators have reported, from their areas, fly emergence equal to the follcr,;ing percentages of their suirauor totals: vTilbraham 27f.; Granville 20;;i; and Shelburne 4?.y„ And, in addition, Ralph Rooerts reports that 18 flics have emerged in late July and August fr.m a box of maggot pupae placed in tlio ground in 1946, Even when we disregard migrating flios — which wo cannot afford to do — the above figures give us mtuiy reasons for continuing our protection against Apple Maggot well into August, — E, H. Y'Jhceler UIVIBRELLAS FOR INSECTS Are you groiving umbrellas for the insects in your orchard? Take a look now .- before the harvest gets into high gear. Step inside the trees. Are there any openings to the outside? V/ould you or any pest get wet if a broom or spray-mast, in action, went by the tree? Are branches v.'ith moderate or light loads of fruit, touching the ground? In other ^^'ords, you v»'ill do a better job of pruning next winter and spring if you examine your trees no*/ wiiile in full foliage. And j^ood pruning is the first step towards good pest control in 1949, The need of open trees which allow sprays and dusts to be directed to the inside of the tree and undersides of the foliage is emphasized by two factors. First, perhaps, is the increased use of spray-masts, heads or booms of various kinds. The man behind a gun could, if he would, pick out openings in a tree and, by adjusting the gun, take advantage of them, Waere mechanical arrangements are employed for directing the spray, the opening to the inside of the treo must be provided by proper pruning. Secondly, but no less important, is the presence of such pests as the summer- brood Bud Moth, the several mites and the Rod-banded Leaf roller in addition to Codling Moth, In spite of improvements in insecticides, thorough coverage is still most important v/hen controlling these insects and mites. Thorough coverage of all twigs and branches, both high and low, is essential for good Bud Moth and mite con- trol by early spring applications. How many of those hard-to-hit places could you eliminate without reducing your crop? Your trees will look a great deal different when pruning time comes around. Take a brush and a con of paint with you to a few typical Baldwins, Greenings, Cortlands or any others that look like umbrellas. Step insido and. mark the branches and limbs that need to come out. Also mark the ones that need thinning. These troes can then be used as guides to a better pruning job and improved insect con- trol in 1949. — E. H, Vmeeler PRUNING TO D.IPROVE SIZE AiTO COLOR OF FRUIT The harvest season is fji ideal time to observe the effects of previous pruning and to lay plans f 5r the next pruning session. Pruning, if it has any purpose at all, is designed to accomplish one or more of the following: (1) lower the per bushel cost of production, (2) increase tho percentage of salable fruit, (3) eliminate lov; grade fruit at the source by preventing its development. This applies tc fruit color ca:id size as well as pest blemishes. In the preceding article tho relation of pruning to insect control has been stressed. Let's carry the thought one stop farther and talk about those little, green apples of poor quality. Once upon a time certain horticultural teachers emphasized tho low headed, open center tree, "Gut u big hole in the top and let^ tho light in", they advocated, not realizing that in so doing they were eliminating vigorous fruiting viand. This method meant cutting out young, upri^^ht growing branches in the hope of invigorating the older, shaded wood* This doctrine is based on wrong assumptions. One needs only to study the development of a bearing tree to sense tho fallacy of continually savring off those gr-Tv-rths which extend upv/ard and outward. Instead, it seems advisable to cut out -4- the older, drooping, shaded parts of limbs. A study of the kind of fruit produced on those handicapped parts of the tree at harvest time v;ill reveal the reason. A secondary branch graving do\';nvvard from the underside of a scaffold ILmb on a mature tree vifill tend to produce fruit of sr.:aller size tind poorer color. This is especially true if the branch is in dense shade, because the lea.ves from v/hich the apple obtains its carbohydrates have poorer light exposure and are therefore less efficient. Everything v/o do in the orchard is done with one objective in mind, — the production of a profitable crop, Yflien v;e prune a tree wo have in mind more effec- tive spraying, branch spacing and the retention of those parts of the tree v;hich are most capable of bearing high grade fruit. Harvest time is the season when v/e can size up our pruning efforts a:id lay pltms for next March v;hen ws again get out the pruning saw, V/e might mark for removal a fev/ branches v;hich are now producing low grade apples, instead of trying to invigorate those branches by removing younger, and therefore much more valuable parts of the tree, A fruit spur may bear a good apple now aiad then for a period of about 8 or 10 yo:.rs, Vfl-ien it has outlived its usefulness, the ohai-.ces are the brtuich to which the spur is attached is partially overtopped by younger brunches with younger spurs. In pruning, v;c therefore remove many of the older branches entirely instead of bothering v;ith individual spur removal. Much c;an be done to improve the grade of fruit in most bearing trees by confining the cuts very largely to older branches an inch or less in diametef, IvOT3S CN HOUSE CONTROL The practice of piling heavy mulch up to and against the base of fruit treps for the purpose of sraothering the grass is one that appears to be growing in popu- larity among some commercial orchardists. Usually the intention of the grower is to remove the mulch from the tree base after harvest is completed. However, there have been instances where this operation was overlooked, and serious damage by mice resulted. Since orchard mice have been knovm to damage tree trunks and roots during every month of the year, trnd particularly during the early Fall months, placing of the mulch directly against the trunk of the tree is hazardous. Extra mulch should not be placed within three feet of the tree trunk, if mouse injury is to be proTen- ted . ' ~ Damage of trees by mice is easily dotectod at this time of year. Trees vrith small, sparse, light-colorjd leaves and poor teaminal grov;th should be examined for mouse injury. After the i'javes fall, trees v/ith sjiy of those sjTnptoms may be ■ difficult to find or entirely forgotten. If marked noT/v, extra care may bo given these trees during the approaching Fall and Winter months and a bct-cer job of mouse eradication can be done. Quite often trees damaged bolo-,; the ground level by mice arc located in sections of the orchard that are particularly favorable to mice. These areas should receive special attention suid one or t\70 extra poison bait applications, Orchardists who have sections in their <;rchard v/hcrc mice have been a problem and where control methods have boon unsuccessful should contact their Cou/nty Agricultural Agent for advice, — Carl B, ]Ienry, Rodent Control Agent ******************* NOTES ON TH5 FAUIOUTH STRATOERRY CROP (County Agricultural Agent Bertram Tomlinson subi.iits the following interesting coimnents on the strawberry situation in Barnstable County, V/hat he says about yields in relation to cultural practices is especially significant.) Cape strawberry grovvers enjoyed a fairly £;ood harvest through the past season with prices ranging from 60/ a quart vAolesale for early shipnents to a loxv point of 12/ a quart during the height of the berry season. The weighted average price to groovers ranged from 28/ to 31/, depending on the amount of early bsrries shipped in at the higher prices. Ordinarily, the harvest season gets underway about the second v;eek in June and is completed by July 1st, but this year, for the second , season in succession, the harvest carried through the first full week of July, This was because botii 1947 and 1948 were characterized by unusually cold spring v/eather that retarded growth. One of the most interesting features about the Capo crop is the tremendous jdeld received by the bettor growers rxnd the rather high average yield for all grovrers. This year v;as no exception, for Jack Saiabade of Teatickot actually shipped 26,000 quarts from his tv/o-acre strav.-berry bed,ujid when he stopped shipping July 9, there seemed to be at least 1,000 quarts still on the vines. Furth.ernorc, most of this crop was shipped in trays v/ith baskets filled to make a high crown, Kad those been packed for shippiiig in orates v.'hero the crowr. is much less, he v;ould have had a much higher count., possibly oO,000 quarts instead of 26,000. Vrtiilo Mr, Sarabadc considers this a good yield, he also speaks of it as a normal yield if one has healthy, strong, well-developed plants, and u good growing season, laany growers in other areas may find it hard to believe this statement, but I knov/ from my close observation of the Gape industry that yields of ten and twel^/e, and e-'/on fifteen, thousand quarts are not crrnsidertd unusual. In fact, one gro';;er this year was so worried about his crop that he put in an urgent plea for a visit to determine the trouble tuid remedy, if any. His field v;as examined carefully, :.Jid although he did have an o.bnormal condition brought on by heavy application of fertilizer in Liarch and some d^mgor fri:x:i the t^/zo- spotted red spider nov/ called red mite, he shipped 9,000 quar.ts from the plot slightly under one acre in size, I believe no other area in the country can match the Falmouth area in this consistent high production, end the secret, in my opinion, is the care given during the first season when the beds are being made up. The prevailing custom is for ro-z/s to be planted 5^- feet apart, and the plants are spaced one foot apart. All daughter plants are hand spaced in straight rows, tiiree on each side of the mother plant. In the fall, the beds consist of seven plants across -che rov.' allo'.ving approximately 9" of space betv/een plants, Grov/ers are now giving more attention than ever before to cover cropping, and some of tlie better grov.-ers devote two full seasons to cover cropping before setting out the land to strav;berry plejits, Vfliile the system of fertilization varies somewhat, the general practice is to apply a band of super-phosphate ai'v-iund each plant a week after setting in the spring, at the rate of 500 or 600 pounds per acre. Tvvo or three v/eeks later, a similai' application is made of 5-10-10 fertilizer or 4-12-4, This is cultivated in and clean culture is practiced to keep all weeds out of the patch. This usually means one hoeing in addition to several cultivations. About mid- July, another application of fertilizer is made, this tiiae between the rov.'s, applying 5 to 8 bags per acre, ;Jid this is cultivated in. Rakes are. then used to pull the soil in towards the mother plant to form a bod throe ^r four inches nighcr than the area bet'-voen rows. Runner plaits are handspaced through July aaid AUt,ust if necessary, and all runners not noodod are pulled off. Another application of fer- tilizer, 5 to 7 bags per acre, is applied as u topdressing in o'urly September, and the following spring around the middle to latter part of iiarch, the beds receive cjiother application of fertilizer varying from 5 to 7 hiandred pounds per -6- acre. Occasionally, grovrers exceed tiiis quantity, but they have learned that heavy spring applications promote 7/eed grovrth and berries are too soft to stand shipment. Practically every variety knovm has been tried out by the FalnOuth growers and tested under their soil conditions, but the Hoi-^ard 17 has proven itself superior to any other variety during the past 25 years. In general, grovers }iave been rather free frora serious insect and disease problems during the past eight or ten years, but indications are that strav;berry weevil is again on the increase,' and growers must be alert throughout the year, in order to maintain plants capable of high production, ERADIC./yilON OF JiPPLE SCAB WITH LIERCURI-AGET.4TE SP.^AYS AFTEH liTFECTION 111 1945 the NexY York-New England Fruit Spray Specialists began to experiment v/ith mercury sprays after Dr, Fran!-: lioivard, plant pathologist of the Rhode Island State College, gave us the results of his pioneer v;ork v/ith Puratizod N5E, In 1945, at Waltham, Puratized H5E performed censationallj'- in clearing up foliage scab. In ly46 caid 1947, apparently the s,'ime mercury fungicide, bearing the name Puratized Agricultural Spray, usod experimentally end commercially to eradic-ate scab gave variable, intriguing, tcid. often disappointing results. In 1948 the results in general v/crc hotter, VJlion used as a prot^jctant or preventive spray, the control of scab in these years of epidemics has been excellent and most satisfying. This year at 'lYaltham the scab oradicant action of other, mercury sprays was studied, Mcintosh trees xioro sprayed for the first time on June 2 (five days after calyx) when foliage scab was first evident. On June 14 the trees v;ere sprayed a second time. These dates are 22 and 34 days after the first primary scab infections. Almost all of tlae foliage; scab seemed to be eradicated after the first application of mercuri-acetato and mercuri-f orm;'jriidc, and eradication v;as definitely complete after the second application. ivlercuri-acetate gave the most satisfactory eradication and prevention of scab. Even the primary infections occurririu^ in the rains of ivlay 10- June 1, that , J . ^ „ ■, o f'-lmosc/,cormas^aly „. -,^ , • a. a. had no-c yet appeared on June 2, ■'..-ore/ desrro;/&d,'' These results can have important implications. If all of the pri:.iar"y incubating scab am bo killed v/ith early but poorly timed applioatioiis of morcuri-acotatc as the results suggest tmd in addi- tion provide good. protectant or preventive action, the contr'"'l of apple scab should be- greatly simplified, Mercuri-acetate is much superior to mercuri-lactate (Puratized Agricultural Spray) as an oradicant for scab. Its action is Y-zry positive. Cooperating growers this year obtained consistent and siiailur satisfying results i.'ith mercuri- acetato. Interesting experiments are b«ing plrmnod for 1949, :a\d we sincerely hope that the manufacturers can supply uri v.-ith stable products ef the stone composition next year, — E. ?, Guba -7- PREVENTING PHYGON CHLOROSIS WITH EPSOM SALTS Using beans for test plants in the greenhouse last winter, we observed that the addition of certain chemicals to the Phygon spray, notably sulfate salts, prevented Phygon chlorosis. Correction was obtained on beans with magnesium sulfate (epsom salts), manganese sulfate, and magnesium phosphate. Undoubtedly, had we continued our search we would have found others. Correction of chlorosis was obtained by the addition of as much chemical as Phygon, This information was applied to our experimental orchard, T/Ye note that varieties differ v;ith respect to Phygon foliage chlorosis, and they respond differ- ently to correction of chlorosis v;ith epsom salts under our test conditions at T/altham, Mcintosh and Baldwin are very sensitive; Delicious not so sensitive. Correction of chlorosis by the addition of the same amount of epsom salts as Phygon was satisfactory on Baldivin and only partially satisfactory on Mcintosh, Sulfur and insecticide (DDT and lead arsenate) on Baldv/in this year caused severe russetting, stunting and cracking of the apples. Untreated trees shov/ed no injury, Phygon and insecticide and epsom salts did not injure the finish, at least significantly. Further experimentation in 1949 is planned to determine the amount of epsom salts needed to give satisfactory rectification of phygon chlorosis on Mcintosh, Epson salts added did not affect the potent fungicidal action of phygon, ~ E, F. Cuba APPLY IJOh for red APPLE CLUB MEI'IBERSKIP Commercial apple groivers in Massachusetts are again offered the opportunity of applying for membership in our honoraiTr fraternity, the Rod ^ple Club, Last year we expressed a hope that at least 10 growers v;ould qualify. To our surprise, the number mounted to 21, This year, viith serious russetting in some orchards, low yield or pest injury in others, vie again set 10 as a very creditable goal in number of Club members. The rules of the Red Apple Club are few and simple; (1) The crop must score at least 90^ free from insect and disease blemishes, (2) Grade at least 65% U. S. Fancy, and (3) Yield at least 200 bushels per acre if trees are less than 15 years of ago, 300 bushels per acre if trees are 15 to 20 years of age, and 400 bushels per acre if trees are more than 20 years of age. A simple spray and dust record vrill also be required. The only important changes over last j'^ear are: (1) An increase from one to three acres in the minimum acreage to be sampled, and in the larger orchards (15 acres or more) 20^ of the total acreage. This will tend to eliminate the smaller blocks and it ivill mean the soi-npling of a larger proportion of the total crop, (2) The percentage of U, S. Fancy is increased from 60/o to 65%, Any reader of Fruit Notes who feels that his apple crop stands a chance of qualifying should contact his County Agricultural Agent by mail or telephone indi- • eating when harvest will begin. The county office will have full information by , September 30 concerning sampling and inspcctivn. ^imiiNcftu >*^ ^ rould be to maintain a relative humidity of 100/b, However, it is difficult to do so at 32° F, Even if it were possible, it is undesirable since a saturated atmos- phere is ideal for mold and fungus grovrth on boxes, walls, and fruit, A musty odor may develop and be absorbed by the fruit and readily tasted by the consumer* A relative huiaidity of 85 to 90/J is considered most desirable. Chief Factors VHiich Tend to Loiver the 3Iumidity. (l) Dry Poxes , It has been shovm that a b'o'nW-dry field crate nay absorb up to one pound of v/ator in a cold storage, TJhen there are 10,000 dry boxes in a room they may absorb enough v/ater to be equivalent in weight to 250 bushels of apples. Unless water is added to the room the moisture absorbed by the boxes will come largely from the apples, IVe have had a dry harvesting season. Many boxes were very dry v.-^hen they went into storage. Don't hesitate to soak then dovm ivith a hose even after they are in storage, (2) Cold Coils . The lower the tomperature of the refrigerant in the coils the greater the amount of water vapor v;hich v;ill condense on then as frost. V.lien the fruit has been cooled to the desired point and outdoor temperatures are cooler, raise the refrigerant temperature if possible, Maintenanco of Suitable Relative Kuniditios. Vmen the relative humidity is belov/ 65>i there are several v/ays in which it can bo raised. Some operators atomize water into the air by the use of commorcial humidifiers or home made outfits. Vnien one considers tlic quantities of vrater ivhich can be absorbed by dry boxes it is obvious that those units must deliver large qiiantitics of v/ater vapor to be effective. The boxes and floors may be v;ct dorm periodically v;ith a hose. If one adds no vrater to the room until it is fillod to capacity this method is probably not nearly as effective as it v;ould be if it is done each day as the fruit is moving into the room because one just can't get the v/ater quickly to all parts of the room once it is full. How t_o j-ioasurc Relative Hujnidity. The instruments availably for measuring relative humidity are numerous. Frequently those tj'pos vmich can be read directly, such as hair hygrometers, arc popular because thoy can be road as easily as a thermometer. However, they are not consistently as accurate as a s ling psychrometor \^hich r/e recommend for this purpose. If any substitute is used it should be checked fre- quently v/ith a sling psychrometor. A sling psychrometor consists of two thermom- eters fastened to a v/ooden or metal backing so that they may be twirled on a handle. The bulb of one thermometer is enclosed in a cloth wick v.'hich is moistened (v:et bulb) v/hilc the other remains uncovered and dry (dry bulb). As the thermometers are twirled (air movonent ovor the wet bulb is necessary) v;ater evaporates from t!ic v;st bulb tuid since evaporation is a cooling process the temperature of the vxet bulb is reduced as compared to the dry bulb except when the relative humidity is ioo;a. -2- ^]v Icr.Yor the relative humidity tho gror.t'-r the rate of evaporation and tcmpcraturo lov;oring of the v;ct bulb. Hence, by n^tin£; the tcnpcraturc difference bctv;ccn the r/et and dry bulb themonotors the rolative humidity can bo doterrdn'-jd from suitable tables. Tho tables may be obtained froiii the U, 3, '. ,oathor Bureau or in liraited Mimeographed form from the Department of Pomology, University of i.;assachusGtts, Amherst, Massachusetts. Infonnation concerning places -..•here sling psychrometers may be purcliascd }:iay be obtained from 'cho Department of Pomology, also. — F. Southrick ***** * * liCinTOSII STRAIII3 Are there superior strains of i'lclntosh? The ansvrer to tiiis question is one in v/hich every fruit rrovror is vitally interested. In 1940 the Pomology Dcpartm.ent initiated a project to detenninc v;hether or not there are 'superior strains of Hclr.tosh, hi orchard composed of seven selec- tions of Mcintosh strains v/as plaiitcu in ly'12. Tlie strains used in the experiment were Sogers and Greening L'dntosh, t-'.;e red or blush t^ncs v;hich are offered by the nursery trade. The other strains v;erc obtained from grovrers or exporii-ient stations and v/cre designated by niunbcr. Strains 1, 8, 12 and 45 v:oro reported to be of the blush tj'pe. Strain 39 v.'as a striped t^.-pe vliich r/as included for comparison, ■Te hope the experiment r:ill find the ozisvrcrs to some of those questions. Are there differences in yield, aiaount of red color, type of red color "blush or striped," preliarvest crop, storage life, and quality ai.iong the different strains? Other points to look for r/ill include tree vigor, differences in size and sliape of fruit, and v.'l-ether or not the color tj'pe is maintained, Tliis v;as the first season that the orchard has produced enough fruit to mal-ce observations of the different strains. Hov/ever, the crop \,as so small (4 to 8 bushels for each strain) tJiat araount caid t;,.'pe of red color v;ere the only points of compai'ison made. The follov/ing table summarizes tJie findings of this year's observations. Strain Percent of appl( 3S vdth Percoj it of ai^p les Percent of apples or 3 more red color blush tjTe striped type Sogers 92 100 0 1 85 95 5 0 84 97 3 Crooning 82 99 1 12 77 36 64 45 74 93 7 39 C7 0 100 From tlie table it can readily be seen that there are differences in amount and, type of red color. The Rogers strain stands out as being the most highly colored and it does not produce any striped apples. There are probably no signi- ficant differences among stri'.ins 1, G, cjid Greening in amount aiid kind of color. Strain 12, r/'iioh originated ill British Coliuabia, v;as reported to be a blush type, yet nearly tv;o-tliirds of this year's crop was striped, VHiether this condition continues xrlth future crops remains to be seen. It may be possible that some strains are not stable and revert back to tlie striped^ condition. Strain 39 per- formed as expected. It had the poorest color and all of the apples xvere striped. Some notes were made as to the quality of red color and finish of the fruit. For the most part the red of Rogers and Greening v/as bright and attractive. The finish of the fruit was smooth. The red of strains 45, 8, and 12 had a tendency to be dull and unattractive. The finish on many apples was very rough. Due to the size of the crop this report must be considered as preliminary. It will be interesting to see if the strains hold their sane relative position in regard to amount and type of color in future years. It now appears doubtful if significant differences in other factors among the strains will be foimd, but it is too early to tell as yet, A few good crop years should give us the ansv/ers, — IT, D, I'Veeks D:;:GENERArivE disease of strawberries The so-called running-out or degenerative diseases of plants are caused by specific viruses. There are five kno\-m virus diseases of strawberries of vj-hich tv;o are particularly destructive, namely. Yellows and Crinkle. All auch diseases of straviberries appear to be more pronounced in the far '.'Jest then in other parts of the country, Yellov^s, or Xanthosis (the Greek word for Yellovrs) is the one vri.th v/hich vre are concerned in the East. Its symptoms in iJarshall and certain other I/Iarshall-like varieties are very pronounced and unmistalrablc, but vury faint and difficult to detect in most of the so-called eastern varieties. As indicated in' the July 10, 1947 issue of FRUIT KOTES, J, B, Demarce at the Beltsvillc, Maryland, Station has learned that the lovf vigor, unproductive condi- tion of some of our eastern varieties is due to the presence of the Yellov/s virus which is either partially or alraost completely masked. In Marshall, Yellov;s causes a decided yellov/ing of the loaves around the margin and betv;een the larger veins, as well as a crinkling, curling, and upward cupping of the leaflets, and a marked divarfing of the leaf petioles and blades. In addition, there is a premature reddening or fall color of the older, outer leaves, and a pronounced suppression of runner fomriation. During the past six years, Demaree has grafted runners of suspected plants representing many varieties from mid-western and eastern states onto runners of healthy Karshall plants. If the suspected plants carried the Yellov:s virus, typical pronounced symptoms would develop in the i.Iarshall plants. Using this method of indexing plants, Demaree has been able to detect Yellows in many of the varieties commonly grovm in Hevir England, In fact, samples of Hovmrd 17 and Robinson plants sent to Demaree in the spring of 1948 from one of our nurseries proved positive for Ycllovis this fall when grafted onto Marshall. A second lot of Howard 17 from another nursery proved to be virus-free, Stravroerry Yellows is likely to spread rapidly wherever the conmon strawberry aphid, Capitophorus fragaefoli a.bounds. The most outstanding symptom of Yellows in varieties commonly grovm here is a slight to moderate dwarfing of plants v;ith varying degrees of suppression of runner formation. In his most recent report 'on Strav/berry Yellows, in The Plant Dis, Rptr. (U,S,D,A. ) 32:10:428-432, 1948, Demaree implies that much of the unproductiveness of strawberries in the East might be due to the presence of the Yelloa'/s virus, that is, v;hcre grovvring conditions are othon-/iso favorable. He offers two methods for remedying the virus problem: "Tavo methods are available for remedying, or perhaps eliminating, the strav/- berry- virus-disease problem in eastern United States, First, a temporary or stop- gap method for immediate adoption by extension workers consists simply in the rcccanmGndntion to growers to use for sotting now fields only vig/orous plrnts malcing runnors freely, having larf^e, green, smooth leaves ^.vith upright petioles, and taken only frora fields !:novm to have been productive. Second, a slower but a more positive method for providing grovrers v/ith better stock is that of indexing the laore desirable varieties vdth Llarshall or f.oino other good indicator varioty. Plants tlius proved to be free of virus must be propagated under surveillance in a vector- free area for replacement of planting stock nor; being uc-3q. The iudexing of varieties and naintenaiice of clean stock can probably best be done by State Experiment Station V/orkers, Since each State -grows coir.paro.tivcly fov; varieties, it -..■ill be a small task to index those fevr sorts best adapted for growing in that particular State. Vriien a sufficient quantity of clean stock has been propagated from the indexed varieties, a portion nay bo distributed to plant grc'ers for mass production under State regulations assuring maintentjice of clecji stock," Such a system of maintaining virus-free stock would be similar to the method of producing ^/irus-free foundation stock of seed potatoes in isolated sections vrtiere the insect vector for tlic virus does not abound, — 0, C, Boyd :^ :;; >!i )(-- :^; :(: :f; ;i; :?: ^i :*: :j; :: .^ sf: i^; :^«: H^ ^ :i: si: FIRE PR3Vi:i?TI0N Fire not only claLns thousraids of lives e\rery year, -but fire-caused destruction threatens a loss of three-quarters of a billion dollars in 1948 alone. Of all the catastrophes rrhlch afflict majikind, fire is perhaps least deserving of the tei-m "accident," .'."e caiinot prevent earthqua!:es, torrential rains, or hurricanes. But most fires are preve;itable. Man, not -"Tature, is careless in disposing of a natch or a cigarette. Meai, not l.'ature, thoughtlessly piles up inf lai,imable materials i:i basements or attics and permits the development of other fire hazards, Sin6e the best defense against fire is alertness, everyone is urged to malcc a special effort to remove fire hazards and to build up habits of fire prevention. In fulfilling our responsibility to assist in every feasible vfaj/ in making the public aviare of the groat neod for fire-prevention activities," I \i.rge every agency of the Department to support the program of fire proifention", says Charles F, Prai'inan, Secretary of Agriculture, "Let us cooperate completely i.'ith farm organi- zations, local fire departments, raid other agencies to curb fire losses. Let those T;ho have contact v;ith fanii people stress the importance of eliminating fire hazards from fani'. buildings and r arununitics , Let uS' all, as good citizens, find ajid eliminate si'ch fire hazards as may e::ist in :uid about our I'An.i homes, "Host fires are m.an-nade. Therefore, most fires are preventable. Let us prevent them -- by being alert — active — cooTorativo," DO YOU KHOVf That the vmste from pear canning plants is suitable for grov/ing high protein, high vitaiain yeast for use in pvoultry food? One half of the hundred thousand tons of pear v.'aste available tmnually could bo made to produce 1,500 tons of concen- trated feed vrorth (:250,000. That apples in Yakima oxid. \'ena,tcheo, Y.'ashington arc much smaller this year than normally? In contrust to the large sizes of past sno.sons, many Delicious arc in the medium size class. V/ith the Delicious cro-^ about Io^j aiid Jonathan 20% belovr estimates, the 'Vashington total is certain to shrinlc bolov/ the five year average. -7- That locr.l or nearby o.pplc receipts in Boston for September arc 38/> larger tlicji the five year avora^jc? F-^v; apples r.-crc shippcu in, yet the total (nearby r'jid shipped in) v/ac 10^ rreater than the five year average, indicating a very favorable situation in the Coston apple market. That the term "v/eed" applies not to a particular plant, but to a plant in relation to its envi roi^-aent ? Under one set of conditions a plant may be highly beneficial and under other conditions, thoroughly obnoxious. Definitions include (l) a plant out of olace, (2) any injurious, troublesome or unsightly plant, (3) a plant i.'hich interferes v;ith the gro\.-th of the crop to v;hich the field is temporarily devoted, etc. i\ny of the fruit plants might under certain conditions be classified as vreeds. That the iimerican oil industry had its beginning in 1359 v:hen the first oil v;ell r;as drilled at Titusville, Pa.? Tlie 1948 U, S, production rail araount to more tlia.n tr;o billion barrels or 60O gallons for every person. Oil in various forins is an essential 'material on the fi-u.it farm aside from its use as a:i insecticide- Imagine a farm vdthout lubricants:, fuel oil or gasolinej That about 60/= of the pruning siid thinning in poach orchards in liesa County, Colorado, is done by vxorl'ors walking on stilts? The practice began about 1904. (From King i^ple and 'iueen Peach, Illinois, September, 1948), That a bone dry apple bo;-: may absorb as much as one pound of water from the contents or from the surrouiuiing air in storage? V?aen an apple loses about 5/j of its v/oight as v/ater vapor, visible vshri veiling begins. That go;, of all farm fires are preventable? Farm fires cost vlOO,OCQOOO last year, killed 3,500 farm people, aiid injured thousaaids, Elimi3iate all your Fire I raps . Jli ;;» ;{c :i: ;*; ji< ^ ;(;:(: :i; ^ >f; ;^ ;;<:1: Jj; >i: :|: ^ TSSTIi'G STRAiVBBRP.Y VAEI3TIZS Plans are under way for the establishment of a strawberry variety testing project T/hich \7ill help to determine the behavior of promising varieties in different parts of the State, It is a well knovm fact that strawberries are quite sensitive to soil and climatic conditions, A variety which produces \tc11 in Amiierst may be poorly adapted to growing conditions on Cape Cod, 3y using a variety such as liov/ard 17 or Catskill as a yardstick and growing other varieties along side, a direct comparison may be made. The above mentioned project is designed to compare at least five promising varieties in at least five different counties in Massachusetts. Fifty plraits of each variety will be distributed among carefully selected cooperators. These growers vail give the plants the same care as is given their ovm plantings, and yield records vdll be kept. In this v:ay additional information concerning strav.'berry varieties in relation to soil type and climatic conditions i.'ill be obtadned, * * * * * * :;; si; * ^.- * >;; :;4 * .-t; :{.■ :f; * ^ B?2. APPI^B CLUB KZIBERS TO BE AinrOUNCED SOOII. Llombership in the Red Apple Club vdll exceed that of 1947, Thus far about 25 "gror.'crs have qv\alificd for admission to this honorary fraternity. It is interesting to note tliat in at least three orchards a 5-bushel sfuiiplo of apples was thoroughly inspected v/ithout finding a single scab spot, in spite of a very rainy I'ay ojid June. * .-:■: ***;;; :'. * * * ^'t :;: .-j. * * ;(! :;c ;f: * ^iwJUNcfta. NOVE^fHEP 3 0,1948 o^ BLUEBERRIES^ ,0^"^%.% Prepared by the Departments of Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Complied by W. H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist Cont ent s Why Is Cross Pollination Necessary? Soil Acidity; Its Causes, Effects anri Cure; Looking Kackward What, No Apples? Mulc];ing tbe Strawberry Bed Chemical Thinning of Apples Troduction of !\1cIntosh on ?i!alling Stocks Fire Prevention on a Fruit Farm Attractiveness of Frnit /lossoms to Honeybees 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. - 1 - •.".IIY _I3 CROSS F0LLI::ATI0F NECES3j\HY? Tliis question is often asked by inquisitive fruit grwrers as v/ell as students. It can be "briefly arisr;ered by stating that the constitution of sotac fruit plants is such as to malce self-fertilization impossible. Sorae varieties of apple such as Gravenstein produce only a very small ainount of viable pollenB This is because such varieties have an uneven number of chroinosomes in th.eir cells. As a result, when cell di\'ision takes place during the fonuatinn of pollen,, raaiiy pollen grains fail to receive their full quota of chro:AOsomes r Consequently, tl:ose pollen grains do not mature properly and the result is many abortive pollen grains, v:Idch fail to geminate siriilarly as do the shrivelled seeds one sometimes finds in an apple, Naturally, one v/ould not choose such a variety as a pollenizer for itself or exiy other variety, IIoa';ever, another condition laiovm as self- incompatibility exists in most of our apple, pear, pliun and sv/eet ch&rrj'- varieties. In this case the varieties have an even nujaber of chromosomes. Each pollen grain receives its noiTial quota of half of them' and develops into a good plump grain which v;ill gen-ainate a:ad gi'ow. However, it villi germinate and grov; only in the blossom of e^iother variety, — not in a blossom of its mai variety — because it carries a genetic factor v;hich inhibits the grovrth of the pollen tube dovm tjirough a pistil of like genetic mal:e-up. In this caso, like ropels like, so \'^ry little, if any, fn;it is produced unless a good pollenizer is nearby. In the case of sv;eet cherries there are many varieties v:hich not only are self-incompatible ; but also cross incompatible v/ith several other variotios. Fortunately, this is not a coriimon situation in apples. On the ether hand, most peach and seme cherry varieties vdll set fruit by themselves because nature did not endavr them r/ith thi-^ peculiar type of her3dity» Self-incompatibility is not peculiar to fruit plants. As a matter of fact it is found also in jcv'?ral vc-gotatles, flor-ers, and othev crops.. It may be of interest to note that the first case of it vras discovered in the wild mullcn nearly tare hundred yoars ago by a botanist v;ho vw.s not; at all intez-estcd in helping fruit grwrers to get a better set in seasons such as the past spring, — A, P, French :+: +: :t= * 'f: =t^ + 'I- ^ ^'^ * s}^ 5|- -I' -!= =i- ^ ^t^ 5(^ ^i' 4= SOIL ^riJITY; ITS CAUSES, EFFECTS J^ID CURBS Soils naturally, contain eitiier insoluble clay or hunic acids, In'most productive soils these soil acids are combined with bases such as lime, magnesia and potash. Soils became progressively more acid and less productive as these bases are lost from the soil by leaching or by having been ■absorbed. by the crops. Many agricultural practices speed up the losses of tiioso bases. In orchard soils, dusting sulfur and nitrogen fertilizers are particularly effective in increasing the losses of these bases because the sulfur produces sulfuric acid and nitrogen fertilizers produce nitric acid in the soils. Both of these strong acids increase the solubility of the bases in the soil v;ater and cause their more rapid loss as a result of Icaciiing or cropping. There are several direct effects on the productivity of soils v;hich I'esult from the loss of bases. Calcium, magn-osiura and potassium bccomo limiting factors in plant growth because of their r--^!lative scarcity rather thcji from the inability of plants to secure cither of those elements from the acid soil. Calcium, magnes- ium and potassium are kna-m to be quite available for absorption by plants vrhcn thej' ore pr sent in acid soils. Plants have a tendency to absorb a constant total amount of these bases and therefore these bases must be present in the soil in proportions that v:ill result in the plant absorbing the most desirable amount of each. In acid soils vrhere all of these bases are lov/ the addition of any one of the bases separately as a fertilizer may actually cause a decrease in the absorp- tion of the others by the plmat and the net effect vdll be a decrease . in. ^rield rather than the expected increase, j\nother direct effect of soil acidity is that some plants are actually sensitive to the acidity itself. Obviously this effect can be corrected only by red\icing the acidity. Several other effects result from soils becoming extremely acid. Some of these effects are chemical and others are biological. The chemical effects are usually those associated with increased solubility of elements vdiich are toxic to the plant xrhen present in too high concentration in the soil solution. Iron, aluminum, and manganese become more soluble r;hen the acidity is increased and cause a depression of plant grov;th because of tlieir excessive availability. In addition, iron and aluiainum react vriLth phospliates in more acid soils to form insoluble coinpounds caid thus indirectly affect the phosplic.te nutrition of the plant by malcing this essential substance less availa.blc. The undesirable biological effects that result from extre.ae acidic condition • of the soil are associated v;ith botli the acidity and the chemical behavior of the elements needed for the nutrition of tiie soil nicroorganisras . The m.ore desirable bacteria are replaced by fungi v;hic]i produce substfuices v/hich are toxic to plants. The beneficial legiuac bacteria v;ill not grow rnd fix nitrogen and the series of bacteria which cooperate to convert organic matter to available nitrates are slowed dovm in their activity, ilaiiy other soil microorganisms that gro-v." vrall and produce desirable substances in neutral soils are limited in their acti-'ri.ty in extremely acid soils. Before the orchardist uses fertilizer to increase productivity, it is necessary that he correct the acidity of extremely acid soils with dolomitic limestone or i^ther neutralizing materials, Tlio fertilizer can then perform its functions without being limited by the factors resulting from extreme acid conditions in the soil. In summary, neutralizing excessive soil acidity brings about the follov/ing: 1, Increased supply of available calciiun - calcium and magnesium, if dolomitic limestone is used, 2, Increased availabilitj'- of phosphates, 3, Decrease of essential elements v;hich arc toxic if present in too high concentration such as iron and manganese, 4, Decrease of toxic non-TCSsentials such as aluminum and certain organic toxins, 5, Substitution of beneficial bacteria for the less desirable fungi, — Dale JI, Sieling :(; Jj; ^!< * :;; * + :(.• * >»: :)< ^ii * !|c ^: * >|: * * :(: * LOO;:iNG BACiaTARD Don't looJ: baclcmrd. The past is past. Forget it, Lool: to tlie future. Good advice under sorie circuiastances , But should v/e forget old friends who liave served us faithfully and long? Among the peach varieties of 25 years ago were several v:hich could be called true and trusty old friends, a^iat has happened to them? The comnercial list was sliort: Greensboro^ Carmen, Champion, Belle of Georgia, Elbert a, jJ, II. Hale « Greensboro is a v;hite fleshed peach ripening in early August. It is one of the hardiest in bud. Sarliness, bud hardiness, productiveness and soil adaptability are its chief assets. Its quality is poor aiad it has a tendency to cling. Because of its earliness it nade money for those v;ho grev/ it. It has been almost entirely replaced by v-ellovr varieties of higher quality such as liarigold, Cannen is another productive, vrhite fleshed variety ripening 10 days to triTO weeks after Greensboro, It is not qquite so hardy as Greensboro but hardier than the yellov; varieties then grovm. It v/as very popular 25 years ago, in fact, i.ras considered one of the best varieties of its day. It has been replaced almost entirely by such yellcnv, high quality varieties as Golden Jubilee and Triogem, Chai;vpion is one of the finest flavored peaches ever grorm. Its rich, soft, juicy flesh is a delight to the palate. -Iov;ever, its soft, v:hite flesh gives an unattractive canned product. It is quite hardy in bud but too soft fleshed for • good handling and is very subject to brovm rot. It has almost entirely disappeared and is being replaced by Summercrest, Belle of Georgia, another high quality, vrhite fleshed variety, is productive and quite bud hardy. Its ripening Season is just ahead of Elberta with \7hich it often had to compete and, therefore, was at a disadvantage because of its v;'nite flesh. Very fevr are grown today. It has been replaced by yellov; varieties of the Elberta tj'pe. In general, there is little demand for white-fleshed peaches so that in most cases they are being replaced by yollovT-f Icshed sorts, Elberta raid J_, II. Ilgle are still being groim rjid will be discussed later, — J, G, Bailey ^ :|: + ^^ sf: sj; sj: >!>; 4: ,*i; :ic ^ :{: )^ ::f- ^ >K :}:;;; ^c ;}: CM YOU TOP THIS FIB? At the recent Kentucky State Fair, as vai added attraction in tlie Fruit Department, a fivo-foot apple pic (made v.dth frozen apples) brought people to the apple end of the exhibit hall, A Louisville concern balccd the pie in their large oven. Pic and tin vyeighed 390 nounds. Governor Sarle Clements of Kentucky cut tlie pie in a special ceremony and about 125 servings wore given out. The remainder vras served to the public free - first come, first served, using 1,000 six-inch paper pla.tes. So, if you have 1,000 guests to serve, a five-foot apple pic, six inches thick will do the trick. The five-foot pie pan is the property of the Kentucky State Horticultural Society, N, D, Annstrong, Secretary-Treasurer of the Am, Pom, Soc, sp^ys "Until we hear to the ' contrary, v.-e are calling this the 'VORLD'S L/UiGEST APPLE PIE. If you can beat it, let us know tind v;e will h.aul dov/n our fla.g.*' -■ 5 - VaiAT, WO APPLES?? The best ways to sell apples is to display Fancy apples. That has been said so many times it sounds \/orn and threadbare, but it's just as true as the first time it v/as said, I have observed the reactions of various groups to displays of good apples. At many fairs aiid Horticultural shows 'there have been displays of numerous varieties of apples, both old and nev;, banlcs of apples, and desij^ns of apples. People stand and look, recalling the apples of their youth and hcv/ fine they tasted, liovv often they remark, "If I could only buy apples like those at the store." Apples are often passed around to groups v:hich come to the campus of the University for variovis meetings,, llaturally, v/e give them the best. And how many times I !;ave heard people say, "Ohi If I could only get apples like those at the store." Cvood apples whet the appetite for apples. In fact, they'vAet the appetite to the point where apples often disappear from displays. Yet, in spite of such evidence there Vv-ere no apples on display at the recent Ilorticultural 2ho\7 at Horticultural ilall in Boston, Here a real opportunity to advertise apples was missed. Isn't, tiiere some organization of grov;ers i.dth sufficient interest in the apple industry to arrange such an exhibit? "..liat, no apples? -- J, 3, Bailey :|« ;t^ j'fS Sti :{< ;f; ^ ^- !|i :(; 5|<: :^; ;i< ){: % :(c ^e :*;:!: Jf: :ts irjLCHiNG- THE stra:;bepjiy bed As soon as cool November weather has checked grov/th and hardened off strawberry plants, a mulch for winter protection about three inches thick should be applied. It prevents hca-ylng of plants caused by freezing and thawing, prevents cro-./n injury, delays spring groiTch until more favorable weather, aiid avoids winter drying of plants. During the fruiting season, the mulch conserves soil r.ioisturo, discourages ;.'cods, Irccps fruit cloan, rnd pickers prefer it to bare soil. Experience suggests a mulch vrhich does not mat dwrn'so closely that plants arc smothered, remains where placed; whicli is also cheap, free froin troublesome v;eed seeds, - and easily applied, VHiere obtainable, marsh hay or svralc grass is as good as strav; and cheaper, Seav/eed has proved practical for local use, C>n Cape Cod pine needles liave been used, but the supply is limited, the mulch rather too compact. Baled strav: may cost more but is a good mulch and frequently used, provided any smothering chaff is discarded, C-ro\7ing rye, oats or millet especially for mulching is practical, if these crops are cut before their seeds mature, — 0, G, Anderson - 6 - CIEilCAL TlilimiNG OF APPLES Results obtained in 1943. The vifork in 1948 consisted of testing trro dinitro materials (Elgetol and a dinitm povfder, DN ^^l) and the sodiiim salt of naphthalene acetic acid (App-I—Set), As you all appreciate, the pollination vreather this spring vms not conducive to a heav^' set. Consequently, thinning vms not generally nuch of a problem this year in some sections of the state except where biennial bearing varieties of good vigor blossomed heavily and v;ere inter^planted v,dth many good cross-pollinating varieties. Some of our results and observations may be tabulated as follows: 1, Of the blossom thinning materials, the dinitro pov.'der DIJ -..j-l is an effective material and mucli less injurious to apple foliage than Elgetol, A v.-et, cool spring is conducive to severe foliage "burn" from Elgetol, Elgetol appears to be on the v;ay out as a thinning material for apples, 2, The hormone material, App-L-Set, seem.s much more likely to cause permanent leaf injury cjid dwarfing when applied near bloom or early cal^'.TC thcsi it does at late cal^o: or 2 to 4 weeks after caly:':. This seons to be true even though heavier concentrations are put on later, 3, It appears that apples can be thiinned up to 4 \Tecks from cal^.":! T.^ith hormone. The concentration, hoivevcr,- must be increased markedly as one gets further av/ay from calyx. Also, soi.ie of the benefits in size and annual blooming of some varieties may oo lost the later one delays putting on the material but the chances of over thinning may be considerably reduced. It is considerably easier to forecast the set 2 weeks after caljc-c than it is at calp:, 4, A tree v.'hich is not excessively thinned by chemicals at blossom time or calyx may outyield and produce fruit of larger sizo than a tree thinned to the same degree by hand a month later, 5, From measurements of bud size it a.ppears that the hoiTiione type materials thin off a larger proportion of flov:ers and ^''oung fruits fran the less vigorous flov.'ering spurs than they do frcm the vigorous ones. This means thp,t the greatest thinning is apt to trJre place on the inside and lower shaded limbs than it v;ill on the outer, better exposed places on the tree T;hich generally produce the more vigorous spurs, 6, From data' obtained by counting all flo\-;ers and young fruits falling from the trees, up to and including the June drop, that have been sprayed vdth a horraono t^.-pe matoz'ial at oal^-cc and up to 4 v/eeks later, it appears that the drop is delayed for a few days shortly after the material is applied. After this short period of delay the rr.to of urop is mar]:cdly accentuated so that total drops exceed that occurring on unspraycd trees. Apparently the liomone "sticks" them on for a short while before the opposite effect talccs place. - 7 - The following data were talcen from some Early Mcintosh trees, nearly- identical in size, where a comraercial job of chemical thinning vms done. Av, Sizes, in bushels per tree Air, Total Yield per Treatment Under 2-^" 2i - 2^' 2 5/4" up tree Check Hand thinned , 3,0 5,6 0,0 8,G DN ji^l - 1 lb, /loo gals. Applied at full bloom 0,5 5,7 4,5 10,7 App-I-Set - 8 oz./lOO gals, implied at early caljrK 0.0 1,8 4.8 6,6 — F, Y.', Southwick Pud. Vj", D, V.'eeks Four Times Ud Four Times Dovm Four Times since 1775 — after the Revolutionary V/ar, the V.'ar of 1S12, the CiAdl ^..'ar, aaid 'Torld u'ar I — this country Jias had four major inflations. Prices doubled or trebled in eacli instance. And four times these prices carae tumbling domi again — vdth farmers at the bottom of the crash, '.'.'ill there be a fifth crash after our present inflation??? Soirie say "yes," others say "no." Our suggestion is, "play it safe." Buy U, S, Goverm.ient Savings Bonds, Eead the enclosed circular as to v;hich bonds to buy, where to buy, and v;hy. Just remember what happened before. Don't let it happen again, — R, H, Bunn *!* -^ jfC «fC rjC 'f^ ?fC ^ •P '1' 'K •!• * * PRODUCTION OF I.ICIIITOSII OT! LiALLIllG STOCKS The search for a root stock v.diich vdll produce a smaller Hclntosh tree lias been going on several years, \'Ie hope to find a stock which v.dll produce a tree that starts production early vdiich will never ^et too large and at the same time give us the sarae yield per acre as a larger tree, A tree v/hich could always be picked with an eighteen foot ladder v/ould be much easier to spray ruid pick. Yield records from our experimental plantings of Ilclntosh on lialling root- stocks indicate that our search for a rootstock v;hich produces a smaller tree may be realized. Per acre yields from trees on Lialling I and II compare favorably vn.th those on the more vigorous and larger trees produced by stock XVI, Trees on this stock v.-ill be nearly as large as trees on seedling roots. ''There structures house unattended motors or diesel engines, some provision should be riiade to urevent fires starting in the en;;ine or cnnipressor rooms froia spreo-ding to other parts of t'lT? structure, '.'.'alls of nasonry, preferably plastered with a Portland cement plaster, tor^et'ier v/ith a metal or otlier tj'T)e of roof v.'hich keeps the fire confined until the fire apparatus arrives, is most helpful. Protective devices can usually be installed easily and cheaply. If the value of the machinery or otlier equipment \Yarrants, one or ;iore unden^riters-approved extinguishers should be iriimediately available. Carbon dioxide and carbon tetra- chloride are commonly used to extinguish firos in such places. Lightning protective systems are recopjiiended for isolated far.i structures particularly those located on hir:h or elevated ground, Tliese protective systems eventually pay for th.enselvcs in reduced rates and in reduced lossos. One or more hose comiGctions and sufficient h'">se to reach all portions of the structure is an invaluable asset, should the fire be discovered before reaching larj'^e proportions. Sprin::ler systems uay be used in rooms, \.-hethor above or belovf freezing temperatures, A fog or spray may be t;sod advantageously to cool fires, particularly v/hen confined to small rooms such as are found in a dwelling, — v.", C , Harrington ijc :flf :^ ->- >fc 4-" % 'K ^ ^^ 'i' "I- ^ 4^ + ^- * * ^ FACTORS H'rUJEITC lUG ArTMCTIV7i::Z5S 0£ FRUIT BLOSSqrS TO HCIIEYSEES It is a fairly common erjporionce for a fruit grov;er to note that certain trees or varieties of trees are seemingly neglected by honeybees during bloom, ^ta.ong the fa.ctors that detenainc the attractiveness of blossom.s to bees arn the following: (1) wiiount and sugar concent rati or. of nectar, (S) aanount of pollen available, (o) ai'iount of bloom, the greater the amount, the more attractive it seems; (4) condition of bloom. The fact that bees can detect difforenccs in sugar concentration has been recently provon, V.liile insufficient tests have been conducted, it is evident that a variation of 20-30$^^ sugar may occur bet^vcen t\;o varieties. Even greater varia- tion in sugar concentration is present between different species of plants, as for exa!"!iple apples and pears. Further studies of the sugar concentrations of nectars are advisable. It is possible tliat such studies might influence the planting of certain varieties in order to improve pollination. It is evident t)iat from the standpoint of pollen, bees A-dll collect this where it is most abundant. Therefore, vigorous trocs with comparatively largo ai'aounts of bloom would be more attractive to bees provided that tlio development ''.f th.c blossoms ivas at the same stage. As far as the condition of bloom is concerned, it is generally considered that a tree in full bloom is more attractive thaji one either at an earlier or later stage of development. There arc some exceptions to this, apparently, lir, George Rea, forr.aer extension Apiculturist at Cornell, is authority for the statement that at times, nectar secretion in Mcintosh is at its height about the timo of petal fall,.. "Hiile this discussion has presented some of the explaiiations for tlie apparent profcronce of boos for certain varieties or species of fruit trees, it should not bo forgotten that som.e plants in bloom at about the sa'no time as fruit rmy be more attractive to the boos. If this is the case, it would seem that some action yrdght be tcdren to reduce the abundance of plants if the bees prefer them to fru-it bloor.i, — F, R, Shaw Tiie average yield per acre of Ilolntosh on Hailing I over the last five-j^ear period from' an orchard set in 1920 v/as 550 bushels, and for l.lclntosh on Hailing XVI, 355 bushels. The per acre :delds were calculated on the basis of 35 trees per acre for the smaller trees on Iiallinc I, and 24 trees per acre for trees on Mailing XVI, In a nuch younger block of trees v/hich fruited for the first time,_ season yield records indicate that trees on Hailing II \fill produce as v/ell as those on Hailing I or XVI. Yields fron trees on the more dv;arfing stocks such as lil, 17 and V v-ere considerably lighter. Some of those stocks have been discarded for reasons other than light cropping. Yields from trees on Hailing XII and XV v;ere disappointingly lovv. These stocks uill produce a tree nearly as large as seedling root s , Due to the long life span of apple trees, \iork rdth rootstocks is of necessity a long, slow process, but progress is being made. 'i:e can nov; definitely eliminate many of the Hailing rootstoc]:s as being undesirable for one reason or oaaother. For the grower v;ho desires a medium sized tree \-hich can be more easily sprayed tuid picked, Hailing stocks I and II appoar to be the best bet at the present time, — H. D, V'^eeks An essential has been definod as sonothing vre can ' t do without, but^iTo]* an unessential aS something we can do v;i i: j-iout , but don 't. fipuj: pr::v3::tioh ou a fruit farli Anong the many evils of inflation is one generally given little attention but v.rhich may, oiid often does, assume large proportions. This is the lo\7 aiiount of insuraiice generally carried on farm structures constructed at a tim.e when the purchasing value of the building dollar was comparatively high, V.'ith building costs at least t'.Tice v;hat th.ey were ten years ago, it behooves a farmer to study his insurcjice policies carefully with a \'iew to increasing the insured values so that t]iey are commensurate with present day or replacement costs. At the saj'jie time h.e should give some thought to th.e fire hazards on his premises and ta,ko iira.iediate steps either to reduce the hazards, eliminate them entirely, -^r install protective devj.ces. Some farmers have developed a false sense of security by insuring their buildings for all aaid perhaps more than they v/ere worth, only to leam later that tiiey v;cre completely out of business with attendai^t or consequential losses nearly as large as the buildings lost by fire, Fevj- Tamers have "ilo o:aoking" signs conspicuously posted in their buildings and many sm.okc in buildings where shavings, hay, straw, Mid oth.er foi-ms of litter are strevm over the floors, and even in rooms where fuel and lubricating oils are stored. These forms of carelessness are not tolerated by careful farru ovniers. Some kinds of electric v/iring liave a habit of depreciating rapidly vdiere moisture is present. The only roLiedy ror a wiring s^ystem that has deteriorated is replacement. Open v.-iring (knob tmd tube) protected fram m.echanical injury is one of th^e safest aiad most durable tj-pes of v.dring. DECnmES 30. 1948 Prepared by the Departments o£ Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Compiled by W. H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist CONTENTS Are Insect Pests Increasias? New Project in Apple Tree Nutrition Looking Aroand Doraant Season Jobs A Visit To Beltsville Index 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. j^ li-SBCT PESTS INCREASING OR JUST HARD,ER TO CONTROL? The answer to both questions is "Yes", i'kid we wis'i it vrere possible to stop right there. But soiaeone always asks, "'vThy?", So here v/e go. Yes, insect pests., are increasing in two ways. First, there are nov; more kinds of insects in the country vdiich do damage to crops. And secondly, there are, at least in some years, more individuals of one kind or another to cause trouble. The first .tjtie of increase has resulted mainly from the accidental introdu.c- tion of foreign species, I.iany of those introduced forms have not become pests, but too often they have. And when they do become pests it is usually with a vengeance since their natural checks, or enemies, have been left behind. In many cases, also, these displaced insects find a far more abundant food supply in . their adopted home. Then, too, there are native insects that have become pests as a result of conditions being made more favorable for them. For example, the Codling Moth and the Colorado Potato Beetle v;ere not pests previous to the planting of large acreages of their favored food plants. This situation has allovred for the develop- m.ent of pests of economic importance from some of our native species. Sometimes rather simple changes in agricultural practices may bring about conditions which ma!-:e a sorious problem out of an insect already there, but of no concern. For exar.iple, in many of our orchards nowadays, v;e don't let the liogs eat the drops as fast as they fall — nor do we have any substitute practice. Although very hard to prove, there is soino ovidcnce that certain spray or dust materials may act in a way t!iat allows an otherwise unimportant insect or related fonn, suddenly to become a dostru.ctiv3 pest. The interrelationship of the use of DDT axid the appearance of the Two-spotted Llite in orchards may be one such case. It is stated that in the State of V.'ashington the use of DDT has resulted in the v/ooly aphid becoming a pest of major concern. And now for that second type of increasp — the greater numbers of individuals of a certain species. Usually there is a fluctuation in the abundance of a species from season to season, from orchard to orchard or from one scries of years as compared to another. Although you maj'' not thinlc it tn.ie next July and August, the Japanese Beetle cannot possibly be as numerous throughout tho infested area ne:rt summer because of -the drought this past season. Eggs could not hatch nor young grubs become established in nonnal numbers. On the other hand, tho dry, hot weather favored Apple Maggot, second brood Codling Moth, Bud Moth, Aphids, and a host of others. They were more numerous or will be next year if nothing interferes v;ith their development between now and then, • Some insects beoomo more numerous according to a more or loss definite cycle. Fall T/Tebtrorm and Tent Caterpillar ojid probably Red-banded Lcafroller are outstanding examples of this. Extremely fa.vorable or adverse conditions, v/holly apart from the normal factors governing the cycle, may on occasion cause tho variation frona the usual pattern. Large acreages or block plantings of favored varieties or t;,TjOS of host plants nearly always result in increased populations of certain species of insect posts when other conditions are not unfavorable. Yes, insect pests are harder to control. This is not 'altogether the result of changes within the insects nor to changes in control practices. It is due in part, at least, to the more critical consumer, the keen competition for markets and the pride a fruit graver takes in a crop that is 95/3 free of insect and disease blemishes. The fruit grower of today v/ho continually lets insects or diseases take over 10f;l of his crop does not remain a successful frait gro\7er. Thus, in an indirect v/ay, it is harder to control insects because of the extent to which we must control them. Some Insects are actually harder to kill, thaii in previous years, with stan- dard spray materials. Lead arsenate placed in the calyx cup at the petal-fall stage year after year has led to the development of Codling Moth worms that do not bothor to look for the calyx end of the apple. They just go in anywhere as "side worais". It has been shovm in scientific tests that CodDing Moth strains, resistant to lead arsenate, are to be found in v/ell sprayed orcliards. And noiv, we have developed in the laboratory and have found in nature, strains of flies more resis- tant to DDT« The arrival of new pests, the development of nev; habits and strains v/hich make chemicals less effective, the unJcnown effects v:hich mt\y follow the use of nevi chemical controls, ajid the seasonal fluctuations of insects mal-:e pest control an increasingly difficult problem. Is ii surpi-ising that we must spray our orchards more often and with more materials then was necessary in grandfather's day? — Frank R, Shaw and Ellsworth H, V/heeler ITEIT PROJECT KI -^PLE TREE irjTRITIOLI A nev: project on apple trco nutrition has been initiated by the departments of pomology, cJ.onistry and agronomy, Y.'ork on tho project is already underway. This spring the differential fertilizer and mulch treatments v/ill be applied to the field plots for tlio first time, * Some of the objectives of tho project are to find out v/hat effect different levels of nitrogen in the tree have on its gro\,-th, yield, color and keeping quality of fruit. An attempt will be made to maintain three levels of nitrogen in the tree' by soil applications of a nitrogen fortilizor, hay mulch, and a complete fertilizer, sucli as 7-7-7, In addition to soil t'jsts under the various treatments, leaf samples vrill be collected and analyzed for nitrogen, calcium, potassium, phosol-iorus, and magnesium. Chemical analysis of the foliage should onablo us to tell v/hat effect different levels of nitrogen have on the intaice of mineral elements into the tree in relation to their availability in the soil, V/e also hope to find out if soil applications of elements other than nitrogen are ncccssai-y to iaaintain maximiuu gro'.rth aaid yield. The ultimate goal of the project is to find out hov; to maintain the proper level of nitrogen and other cloments in tho tree wi\ich v/ill produce a maAmum crop of highly colored apples, — Yf, D, Y/'eeks Apple Barrel Reverie "-'ind nO\¥ tho jolly farmer packs his apples up for to-.-.'ii. This is the top ro\,- in the bar'l ^ — 0 0 0 0 0 0, and those — — o o o o o o, are furtlior do\;n," -3- LOOKING AROUin) Last month v.'c took a look into the past and reminisced about some old peach varieties. This month ivc r;ill take a look around at the varieties v;e aro now grcr-miij to soc how well they fit out present situation* The earliest poach on the recommended list is Marigold, a cross of Lola x Arp and one of the" earlier introductions from Nei-j- Jersey, ' The frait, v;hich ripens the first week in August, is ycllov! fleshed, r:ell colored, aLaost freestone, medium in size, aiid although not one of the best in flavor, it is very 0°°^ for an early peacl;. The tree is vigorous ajid productive and has fruit buds v/hieh are quite cold resistant, ItSvchiof advantages are carlincss, bud hardir.ess, produc- tiveness, and good flavor. The next on the list.. Oriole, is a cress of Slappy x Admiral Dewey, another of the earlier introductions from Nc\/ Jersey, It ripens 3 or 4 days after Mari- gold, The fruit is yello\r fleshed, freestone, attractive, very good in flavor, and medium in size. The tree is largo, vigorous, productive and one of the hardiest in both v/ood and bud. The treo sots such large crops that vory heavy thinning is necessary to get size. Even v.dth hcav^/ thinning the fruit is only medium or a little better in rizo. Many poach grov.'ors object to tho variety for this reason. However, it does fill in a gap ho-'cv:c:jn Marigold end Golden Jubilee and its outstanding hardiness, productivenesr^ aaid quality recommend it. Marigold and Oriole h.ave not boon planted in large quantities and probably 1'd.ll not bo. They are useful to extend tho earliness of the season for local trade, Goldon Jubilee is an open pollinated seedling from a tree which resulted from a croEF. of Elberta x Greensboro, It is another of the early New Jersey introduc- tions. It is very popular ainong Llassachusetts growers and has been planted in considerable numbers. The fruit, which starts to ripen at the end of the Oriole season or about 4 weeks ahead of Elberta, is above medium to largo in size, yellow fleshed and freestone. It develops good color and excellent flavor and is very attractive. The flesh softens too rapidly for long distance shipment but since most peaches are sold locally or at nearby markets, this is not a serious hajidicap.. The tree is vigorous and although a bit slow in coming into bearing, it is very productive v/hen it does start. It is more hardy in bud than Elberta but not outstandingly so. Golden Jubilee v;ill probably continue to be a popular commercial variety. For a nimbor of years we searehed for a good variety to fill in betvreen Golden Jubilee and lialehaven and finally found it in Triogem, This is one of the more recent introductions from ITev; Jersey, a cross of ilale x Marigold, The fjruit is yellow fleshed, freestone, firm, vory high in quality and color, very attractive and medium to largo in size. The fruit colors vrell several days before ripe, ripens slowly and hangs to the tree well so that picking need not be rushed. The tree is medium to large in size, vigorous and very productive. It needs a good soil and good culture to obtain best performance. It sets heavily and requires plenty of thinning to get fruit of good size. In some sections it is rated as a better commercial variety than Golden Jubilee, Halehavcn is so well knov/n that it hardly needs comment. It is rapidly becoming one of the chief coimnercial varieties in L'assachusctts, Some consumers are beginning to recognizC' its value and call for it by name. It originated at the Michigan Experiment Station as a cross bet'/reen J, H, Hale and South Haven. Tho frj.it Is jrellow fleshed, freestone, large, vrell colored, attracti^-e, fii:m -4— fleshed, and hangs to the tree well. It starts to ripen about 18 days ahead of Elberta, The tree is large, vigorous, and productive with fruit buds which are fairly cold resistant. All -things considered, Halehaven will be hard to beat for its season, Suramercrest, a cross -of J, H, Hale x Cumberland and one of the more fecent introdu'ctions l^rom New Jersey, has con&iderable merit as a variety to fill in between Halehaven and Elberta, The fruit starts to ripen a v;eelc tO'.lO days ahead of Elbe'rta* It is yellow fleshed, freestone, fine flavored, large and v;ell colored and attractive when grovm under proper conditions. Unfortunately, the fruit does not hroig to tli? tree well and must be picked aa soon as it becomes firm ripe. It also softens a little too rapidly for best commercial handling* The tree is large, vigorous and productive. In fact, it^ is so vigorous that if planted on rather fertile soils or overstiniulated by cultural treatment, it easilj^ becomes over vegetative and produces fruit v;ith little red color* It vdll probably never be in a class v;ith Golden Jubilee, Halehaven and Elberta but has a place in the variety list until a better one is found, Elberta has been the outstanding commercial' peach of the eastern United States for many years. Its v;ide adaptability, productiveness, desirable commercial characteristics and wise consumer acceptance have made it popular in many sections and it vi,'ill remain popular until a better variety of the same season is found. It is losing same of its popularity in ilasoachusetts because it ripens in Mcintosh season. Most of the peaches produced in Massachusetts are grown by apple orchardists who raise peaches for diversification. Consequently, any peach variety which competes for labor with iiclntosh harvest has less appeal than a variety ripening ahead of Mcintosh, J. H« Hale is another old variety vrhich vms very popular for many -jrears but has been losing some Of its popularity recently. The fruit is yellow fleshed, freestone, very large, attractive, fine flavored, and firm, an excellent commercial peach in its fruit characteristics. However, the tree is distinctly d\7arfish, lacking in vigor, and shy on production. The fruit buds are quite susceptible to winter injury. Also, this is one of the few peaoh varieties which is self sterile and requires cross pollination. It is the tree and not the fruit charactcj-* which have lost J, H, Hale much of. its former popularity. It ripens v/ith or a little after Elberta and so it also needs attention in Mcintosh sea»on« It is undoubtedly on the way out, .. J, S, Bailey ******************** Apples and Pears Ripen Faster Off than C^^ the Tree» In 1947 a USDA worker compared the rate of ripening of Delicious apples and Anjou pears by keep- ing half of the fruit unharve'sted and an equal nimber in cheesecloth bags suspended from the same limbs. Differences in maturity of the two lots were determined periodically by ]jioans of a pressure tester and the amount of soluble pectin present. It was found that the Delicious apples ripened three time« faster in the bags than on the tree and the pears 'in bags, four times faster. This study shows v;hat every grower should laiow, that the beat place to keep fruit is on the trees unless it can bo placed inmiodia- tely in cold storage,' (From T.'isconsin Horticulture) ******************** 1949 Apple, Peach and Pear Spray Charts. Earring an unexpected delay, the nev/ spray cliarts should be ready for distribution around the middle of February. Instead of submitting the copy to the State Printer, printing will be accomplished by means of the Veri- type aiad liultilith machines in the Mailing Room, An Echo of 1912 . In an old file we discover how Massachusetts farmers v/ere advised to spray in'1912, "Facts for Farraers", Vol. 11. No, 8, covers "Spraying, — Vihy/'hen, Hov;, Vjith '.iTiat", by F, 0, Sears, And believe it or not, only four applications are mentioned as follows: (l) autuiiin, after leaves are off the trees, — oil for scale; (2) early spring, — lime sulfur for Scale and fundus diseases, (o) within a week after petals fall, — line sulfur and lead arsenate, for scab, codling moth and curculio, and (4) three or four weeks later, same materials ais third spray, for codling moth, sooty fungus, etc. The advice offered along v/ith the spray recommendations is as good today as it v/as then — (l) get ready in aiiple time, (2) have a repair kit along, (3) know ivhat you &re sprajdng for, (4) spray in tine, (5) !:pray thoroughly and {&) have every convenience for the preparation and ni::ing of the 'spray materials. If pests were more easily controlled 26 years ago, v/e have reason to envy the grow'3rs of that era. Are Some of Your" Fields "Flat T j res" ? Qvioting from a prominent goils specialist. Just as i.i.any motorists noglect checking tire pressure, so have v/e neglected checking the feii;ility status of the soil. An autanobile tire built to run v/ith 32 pounds pres- sure should be inflated to that level, Compr.ring that idea to the soil, we should chock our soils to determine the fertility pressure level. If the level is too low for optimum yields, sufficient nutrif^nts should be added to bring the soil up to the proper level, V.'e should test our soils frequently, like checking our automobile tires and add nutrients to the soil as we do air to tires. Flat soils like flat tiros do not carry us very far," Along the same lino, another soils man in spealcing of unproductive orchards sa.ys, "First tost for acidity, and add lime, if needed, to improve tho sod, Yniatovor fertilizers arc needed for tlie saiic purpose should also be added. This may mean a higher grade of fci-tilizcr or more of it. The impor- tant thing is to gro\-j- a heavy grass covor so that large amounts of organic matter may bo added to b}ic soil," Our Cover Illustration, The winter scene on our FRUIT FOTES cover is the viorlc of a fonraor Amherst boy, Roger "Tolcott, nT.v living in Agawam, Mr, V.'olcott is spending part of his time in preparing illur.trations for the Extension Service, -6- SaiE D0RI-.IA1-IT SEASON JOBS OLi A FRUIT FAIg.1 Starting now a fruit pjrov/er may still have time to periona as many of the folloi-zing vrinter jobs as his conditions require?* (1) Order sprayer and duster repair parts cjnC. do a couplete job of over- hauling, (2) Likewise the tractor and its inipleinents, and the trJck, (3) Arrange for systematic check-up and servicing of electric motors, (4) Improve the output of v/orio^ien by supplying shar}^)ened pi-nning tools, (5) Remove old, unprofitable trees aiid filler trees v/hich crov/d the permanents , (6) Set up a siniple record of yields and market returns by varieties. The orchard business today oaimot support nonprofit or lov; profit trees or blocks of trees. Such trees, unless required for cross pollination, should be removed, (7) Study your fertilizer j.!rogram to see if a revised soil management setup v;ill improve yield, sice ;jid color of fruit, Thon mdce rure of a fertilizer supply by placing your order soon, (8) ¥.ev! spray materials suggest a car'^ful a:id conservative reviev: of your spray program. Seek the best information ai'ailablo if you are con- sidering a change, (9) Field and storage crates needing repair, also boxes in shook, provide v/orlcr^ien v;ith jobs on stonuy daj''s, (10) If your harvesting, grading, or other equipment hius caused delays and only temporary repairs b.ave been made, vihy not act now and order repair parts? Ordered parts may talce longer than you think. To protect the sprayer against rust and corrosion, Indiana growers have for many years used a mixture of three parts of crcaik case oil and one part of kerosene, 'In preparing the sprayer for v;inter, the suction hose is first removed from the supply tank and placed in a container filled v/ith the oil-kerosene mixture. The motor is then started and the mixture alla'/ed to flow through the pump and out the overflovY pipe back into the container. After the motor is shut off, the pump drain plugs are removed and the surplus mixture allo-',;ed to drain out. Even though the outfit needs a complete overhaul later, it should first be given the above trcatracnt. It involves little time and expense, and v/ill give good returns in sprayer perfor..ianco the follovvdng season, — 0, G, Jkiderson Hoy/ Dry is Your Storage ? Th.c easiest v/ay to find out is to use a sling psychrotiotor, sometimes Innotm as a vrot ojid dry bulb thermometer. Seventeen of thcso inexpensive gadgets \roro recently bought by apple storage o\'niers in Ilampden County, The relative humidity should bo 85 to 80^3, In othr;r words, the storage air should be at leo.st 85/i saturated. If it is less than that, the fruit tends to shrivel. It is v/oll to remonber that in many cases, boxus went into storage bone dry and that they have actually pulled vrater out of tho apples. Visible shrivelling has already occurred in a fev/ storagos* IIoi,7 about yours? -7- A VISIT T_0 BELTSVILLE During the past summer the writer spent a very interesting day and a half at the U,S,D,A, Experimental Farm at Beltsville, Maryland, ,. Much of the time v/as spent with Dr. Ci, H. Darroiv looking over the strawberry and blueberry test plots although Home time was also spent with four other workers along fruit lines. The more important observations are noted belov/. They suggest not only a wide range of experimental \;ork but real progress in v;orking out certain fundamental problems, ^31iishex'ries , One of the handicaps in most varieties is an imperfect scar. This refers to the point of attachment of the berry, where damage frequently occurs in picking. Varieties v.'ith perfect scars are being sou;;ht. In scoring varieties ao regayds scar, Burlington is best with a rating of lOj Rubel, 8; Stanley, 4 to 6; Katherine, 1, In ilev; Jersey a planting of about five acres lias been established for the testing of varieties vifith reference to this important feature. The present acreage of cultivated blueberries in tlie U, S, is about 10,000, Varieties in sight may increase the acreage to 50,000, But \7hen varieties v/ith perfect soar are developed, the acreage may increase to 100,000, lisjiy hybrid varieties are being tested including crosses between high and lavr bush species and the rabbit eye blueberry of the South, In North Carolina about .10 acres are under test raid in Georgia about 20 acres. Of interest in Iilassachu setts are certain Ixardy highbush varieties, hardy half high and hardy lowbush, pa.rti» cularly thos.e 7dth large berries and a stiff stciu. Certain bluebcrr;,' aihnents, including "stunt", are found to be transmissible by budding, (Observations on stra\/bcrries, peaches, and apples v:ill bo included in the next issue of FRUIT IIOTES.) "The Farrier ' s 1948 Inccme Ta^", This is the name of a new publication (Special Circular ilo, 123) which came off the press in October, 1948, It was prepared jointly by the Extension Services of the six H, E, states, Delav;are, How Jersey, and several federal agencies, A copy may be obtained from your county extension office or from the Uni vers ity. :t::^!(c!)e^******:|c*j(: + ****!(c A Suggestion on Pruning, In pruning a bearing apple tree, it is helpful to visualize the tree v;ith a full load of fruit and a branch arrangement which allov/s each spur a partial exposure to sunlight. This means that each major branch has a definite space v/hich it occupies v/ithout much competition. The dormward' grovdng parts of each branch are more poorly located from the standpoint of sunlight than the outv;ard and upward gro\-;ing parts. But frequently a towering upright branch is mmecded either because it is encroaching on a vjcll located branch or is, itself, out of reach, V/lien the pruning job is completed, the branches will be reasonably well spaced, and the troo v;ill be thin enough to allow svjilight to filter through. Spraying, thinning and harvesting will be easier bc«o.use a dense tangle has been transformed into an orderly arrangement of efficiently located fruiting wood. **:(;*!)c:4:*-:i:*:(;***;i<*:(c**>t:j(c - s - INDEX (I'lunber in parentheses indicates month; second number, p age ) Apple Scab (2) 2: (?) 4. (8) 6 Apple Insects (7) 6; (o) 2, 3 Anple Varieties (4) 4, (?) 1, (3) 1; (10) 2| (11) 7 Bees (2) 3; (4) 3; (6) 6; (ll) 9 Blueberries (2) 1; (4) 10; (lO) 4; (12) 7 CheLTical Thin.ning (4) 6; (s) 1; (7) 1, 4, 7j (11) 6 Chlorosis (s) 7 Crop Prosneets (6) 1; (lo) 6 Do You Know (6; 3; (10 ) 6 Fertilizers (12) 2, 5 Fire Preventi-on (4; 8; (lo) 6; (ll) 8 Food Values (4) G, 9 Forestr;;/ (2) 7; (4) 10 Fruit Diseases (4) 3j' (4) 5 - Fruit Insects (7) 5; (12) 1 Fungicides (2) 2; (4) 2j (?) 4} (G) 6 Grading (2) 3 Harvesting (8) 2 Insecticides (2) 5; (s) 6} (?) 5 Lead Arsenate (2) 5 Liming (4) 1; (11) 1 Magnesium Deficiency (4)1 Mulching (4) 2j (ll) 5 Nev; Engl^md Seven (8) 1 Nurserj^ Inspection (6) 1 Peaches (2) 1; (4) 5| (?) 5j (ll) 3j (12) 3 Pears (7) 5} (lO) 5 Pollination (2) 3; (4) 3j (6) 2j (7) 7» (11) 1, 9 Pruning (4) 10; (8) Raspberries (2) 1 Red Apple Club (2) 8j (6) 5} (8) 7} (10) 7 Rodent Control (6) 7} (?) 8j (8) 4 Soil .'Acidity (4) Ij (ll) 1 Spraying (4) 2, 5j (6) 3; (12) 5, 6 Spray Oils (2) 6| (4) 7 Storage (2) 8; (4) 5} (?) 2j (lO) 1 Strawberries (2) 1, 7, 2; (8) 6j (lo) 3, 7; (11) 5 Variety Tests (7) Ij (lO) 5, 7j (ll) 7 3, (12) 7 3} (6) 5} (8) App_le_ Production by Varletios. The loading apple variety in the U, 3, at tlie present tirao is Delicious, During the period 1942»4G nearly twice as juany bushels v/cre produced as of ojiy other variety. The next throe varieties in order of importfjioe are V."incsap, Lclntosh, and Jon.athan» ***** ************ lialcc linos limo lino soils crop also cheap label Sure You Got HIGH I^AGKES Toll Line. The' content of magnesium oxide in- tone varies from about ,5;o to 21/J, A Iiighm^agncsium or dolomitic is available if you insist on it. It talccs about three pounds of to offset the acidifying effect of one pound of sulfur. Orchard must therefore be heavily limed svnry foi.' years if a good cov';r is to bo grovm. High magnesium lime corrects soil acidity ojid adds CXI extremely important clement, magnesium. There is no er form of magnesium for use in the orchard. It pays to read the on the bag, Lisist on high mage s i\im limo. ************ ***** FRENCH HALL February 10, I9> Prepared by the Departments of Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Compiled by W. H. Tliies, Extension Horticulturist CONTENTS Effect of Recent Warm Weather on Fruit Plants Red Ra^berry Varieties Fog Out Farm Fires With the Orchard Sprayer .^plying Nitrogen from the Spray Tank "Superiol" £^ray Oils Dormant DN> s New FM Rural Radio Network Fruit Diseases Strawberry Leaf Spot A Visit to Beltsville Painting "Temporary Trees Issued by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, ,Wil lard A._ Munson,, Director, University of Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services Cooperating. - 6 - f PC OUT T^APJ.i FIRES \ I IT TI.S CI^c.'ARD 3PRAYj5R Orchard sprayers vrlth a pump capacity of 20 gallons or ;iicre per r.iaute have rendered service above expectations in extinguishing fires in fann buildin~s. Using 500 to 500 lbs, pressure, the veater is applied v;-ith an orchard gun creating a fog in the room or enclosure \/here the fire brealcs out. This fog moistens all enclosed surfaces as vcell as the air, and suffocates the fire by exo»luding the oxygen. Control is obtained by the fog method \nth less v/ater, offers some protection to the operator of the gun, and there is less water damage. Light, mobile, motorized fire equipment operating on the fog principle, is being purcha^-e. by rural communities. During mild weather the orchard sprayer can be kept in readiness or prepared for fire service quickly. In freezing vreather the most desirable storage space for the sprayer vrould be a frostproof room. Here water may be left in the sprayer engine, p\.mp, and tanJc, so that the fog may be applied at the earliest moment after the fire starts. Lacking a frostproof storage, the engine may be filled with anti-freeze. The sprayer tanlc may be filled nearly full of vrater, leaving space at the top for the expansion i/hicn occurs with freezing. The pump should be drained and cone experienced worlonan assigned to replace drain plugs in case of fire. kal:e 3ure that water cannot seep in from the tanl: to the pump v/hile the machine is stored. Check the battery occasionally to make certain it v/ill start the motor. Fire is a farm hazard of serious proportions, Vjliere co;iimunity fire equipm.?j.i. is not available, insurance rates are high. The repair or r-'place-nent of a col,. storage at harvest time due to fire is a problem no grox'/er v/ants to think abcnt. A high pressure spray machine is the best type of fire fighting equipjiient .avail- able for farm use, and needs only to be kept in readiness. — 0, Ct. Aiiderson J^mi^nTROGEN FROj. THE SPRilY TAIIK A rather revolutionary method of applying nitrogen to apple trees is current 1 receiving a lot of publicity. It consists of "putting urea, a nitrogen compound v.hich contains 43/-0 nitrogen, in the spray tank and applying the nitrogen as a spray. Five pounds of the uroa compound to 100 gallons is the recoriimended dosage. The material may be put in with the regular in:;ecticidal and fungicickl sprays ^^r 5).pplied as a separate spray. There is no evidence that it is not compatible ViJth regular spray materials and it has not causod any injury to foliage. Two "'jhcduioE for applying arc suggested. The first consists of four sprays comnim- ''-ng with tv;o pre-blossom or pink sprays, one cal^oc and one at first cover. Tjh ■.^.'■■utir] r.ohfsdule of three sprays starts \Tith the calyx followed by first and ^•■■i'ioj-.ri covor sprays. Trees which are low in nitrogen and have a tendency to .-cr & -ij?;ht crop shouJd obviou"^^ly receive the first schedule. Trees v/hich have a good ros'irve of nitrogen and sot hea-/;/- crops may get along all right with the seoo/,r] r.nli'jrlulo. •••ome of the advantages v/hich are claimed for applying nitrogen as a spra^/ a.-'. cn:.i.t L'lOrrj coiitrc)] is obto.inod of tlie nitrogen supply of thj tree, better centre - of frjit r.et, hi n-hor rod color of fniit, and better tree gra\-rth. In the case cf a vory dry r^prJijp-. v:h.;j, soj ] ir-pp] jcat J ont; of nitrOf;en miglit not become availnbli' oO th-'3 T,r-i'>r. Ill hh;\.; i.ii i ri f liiAiii-.* luA: ox' vrfir-n the soi.l is ro \mtei' logger, tha'. .Lit) roott ca.r.no\ fiuic^ion, niTror;en spra^AS .iiay nave an advantage, ^-ovever, recent results of experimental v/orlc carried on by the Cornell Experiment Sttitic; bailed to show aixy significant differences betv;een soil applications or spray applications on ;!/ield, red color, size of fruit, shoot grov.'th and set. There ..■ no report on the effect of this method of applying nitrogen en the groiTbh of- -^rass or c^ver crop in the orchn^'c'. It v;nuld appear tliat until more experimental evidence is obtained to indicate the possible benefits of nitrogen sprajdng, the grower must make his decision as to the method used, on the basis of cost. If he figures that hp ca. fertilize his orchard cheaper by spraying, it may pay him to try it, — W. D. y.'eeks ^^PPu.Y OILS Oils are used on apples to control European Red Idte and San Jost 6cale. "Superior" type oils are: (a) More effective insect killers; (b) Safer tor ■crees; (c) Available under several brand names. "Superior" is no_t a brand v-.-vn.-. Tanlc-mixing (emulsifying) a "Superior" type oil v/ith Blood .Ubumin enable.^ =i. grov/er to use: (a) A more effective and safer oil; (b) At a LO'.j'ER COST than ;•■ prepared miscible or enulsible oil or oil emulsion containing a less desirable oil. Hsing a Tanlc-m.ixed "Superior" t^/pc oil is SURE, SAFE, SUPLE, and SAVIKG. Eollov; these simple steps to savings v;itli "Superior" oils used the Tank -mix way v/ith Blood AlbuiTiin Snulsifier, (a)^Buy a "Superior" type straight or 100 percent oil. Two gallons of oil for each 100 gallons of snray. (Three gallons xor Pear Psylla control in the Dormant.) (b) Buy a commercial Blood Albumin -i-mulsifier containing 25fi (4 oz. in each pound )of blood albumin. Cne-half pound for each 100 gallons of spray, (c) Have the spray-rig ready to go — v.-ith "it le&.st one hose equipped rrith a gun or broom that can be opened down into the t'jnk, kTrien ready to malce tho application proceed as follows: ^^andard Type Sprayer: (l) Start the motor, pump and agitator — do not stop them until tank is sprayed out. (2) Run in 5 - lb gallons of water - HO LiORE - •^T just enoupjh to r.iakc tlie pump work. (3) Add the commercial Blood Albumin ^laulnifier; I/2 pound for each 100 gallons the tank holds. (4) Pour in the _'^uperior" type, lOO percent or straight oil — 2 gallons to each 100 gallons. ' SJ lam on the pressure - open gun or broom into tank and hold for 1-1-g minute-. -n other v;ords, spray the conoenbrated water-blood albiuain-oii iiuxture back into jtuelf for a full minute. I'lore time does no damage, but is unnecessary. (5) fi '".'ink. with water. (?) Open nozzles into tank to remove concentrated mixtni-c i'roj 1 pjjnp, hor: ' rv 1 to 2 lainutes (Some nurse ri(_jC liave a lead of hose from the punp that could directed into the tanl<:,). (G) Fill tajiic v/ith vmter. (?) Spray it out. t — E, H, "'heeler .:OiL.:\i:T DIJ's — Uuraveledi Goine people are confused by the number of DIJ or dinitro spray materialo nov; •■■vailable for dormant sprays. One should remember that the older tj-pe ON uaterials contain dinitro-o-cresol. They are sold in the form of liquid slurric; or suspensions of that salt or in the form of pmvders. Liquid fonns contain 20/^ of the active ingredient and are represented by such brands as Elgetol, Krenite^init rosol; the powders contain 40^ of th^e active ingredient and are represented by such brands as DH Dry Mix Ko. 2 and DN Dry Powder, These materials are compoiunded so that a quart of liquid is the equivalent of a pound of the powder. Used at correct dosages tliese materials will contro-L Rosy Aphis and other Aphis, Bud I'oth, and Oyster Shell Scale. They are recommended for use in the dormant period and are best used alone and not in combination ■■.,-ith oils because of the danger of injury to buds under some conditions. (For Pear Psylla as ovicides, they are used in the t>;reen tip stage when the eggs are on the spurs.) This year there are some new DH materials on the market. These contain tht triethanolainine salt of dinitro-o-sec-butyl phenol. They are prepared in tlie forra of a true solution of this dinitro compound. Used at only two quarts, thcv will control the insects mentioned above with the exception of Oyster Shell Scale which would require three quarts per 100. There is the additional advantage that these new DK materials vdll control European Red Mite by killing the eggs in the dormant period. In other v/ords, if an apple grovrer chooses to use one of these new Dll materials, he caii control Rosy Aphis, Bud Moth, and also Red Mite with the one domant application. For some growers this represents a real advantage, Y-Ihere Bud Moth and/or Aphis are not problems, then the "Superior" tj-pe oiit are still the cheapest and most satisfactory control for European Red I.dte. The nevi DN insecticides described above may be used safely on pears in t.i>. ::reen tip stage as recommended for pear psylla control ivith the older t^'pe Di: :aatoriais, Psylla eggs are Icillod by a concentration of 2 quarts in each 100 gallons. Peach trees should not be treated v;ith the nev/ tj-pe of DN compound. The new Dll's arc on the market as DN-239 and as Elgetol 518. This new kir;.' ^f Eigctol is what mekes the picture somev/hat confusing. The nev/ DN's are somewhat more potent thon the older typos and should be used on apples in t'.\e strictly dorrr;rait on ] y. It is impcrtfejit for i'l-nt growcrr, to decide whicli dinitro material they .'loed for their orcK%ixds and tlien to ni.-.ka cori.i.in they obtain the one decided upon, — E. r'i, ..iiceler -■■ISIOH SERVICr; PUIJS PROGRAi,.S FOR M317 FI.I RURAL RADIO ITETVfORK ^mnouncement has been made that the Extension Service, University oi ■u.So^chu setts, vrill participate v:ithin the next few months on programs of xne Rural Radio Netxvork, a new FM service beaaned exclusively to faiTn families. This announcement comes from V/illard A. Munson, director of the Extension Service. "Extension work v/ith the iletv/orlc must naturally be light at first," he states, until FH radio enters more rural homes." Extension specialists and county agents, in addition to resident and Experiment Station staff members and specialists from other ::oveniinent agencies, met recently on the campus v/ith officials of the Rural Network. The delegates expressed interest in the nevir FL! Network and agreed to cooperate. Flans are nn\; undenvay for participation. Director llunson reports the Netv/ork v;ill carry detailed analyses of immediate market reports, weather reports for farmers, agricultural news, talks o.r. farm practices and home management, as vrell as broadcasts from other agricultural l schools ajid colleges — in addition to federal, state, and private agencies. The Rural Radio Network may be heard on Y-'ACE-FU, channel 100.3, from 6 in the morning until 9 at night. The ITACE-FM channel reaches Central and Western liassachunetts, as vrell as many parts of Connecticut, New Hajnpshire, and Venaont, providing a static free radio signal. The Network has been in operation for the past seven mnnbhs in New York ■itate, r.ervlng the entire milk shed region plus New York City proper v/ith top flight farra information and entertainment, George Vanliorn gECENT_ REPORTS ON FRUIT DISEASES AND THEIR CONTROL Effect of Nitrog_en Fertili_zer_ on the Control of Scab in LIcIntosh apples. In a number of cropV, tliVnuVritiou xevel of"pl8jits has been shorm to have a direct bearing on susceptibility to certain diseases. Especially is this true when the level of nitrogen and/or potash is involved. It is coinmon observation that scab is difficult to control in apple trees grov/ing in a poultry yard. Rapid, tender, succulent grovrth encouraged by excessive nitrogen seems to be at least one factor favoring copious scab development, D, II, Palmiter reported (l.',F.G,A. meetings in Worcester, January 4, 1949) on a scab spray tost in an orchard in the Hudson Valley where a number of Mcintosh trees received the same sulfur spray program in each of 6 successive seasons. Some of the trees v;ore not fertilized, some received nitrogen as usual in a spring application to the soil, v/hile a third set received thoir nitrogen in the form of urea added to the spray tank in 2 or 3 early season spray applications to the trees. In the unfertilized trees the yield (average for 6 years) was only moderate, scab countti on harvested fruits low, percent of drops low and fruit color very good. For the trees that received Uramon in the soil, yield v/as much higher, but so was scab and the per cent of pre-harvest drops, and tlie fruit color was poor. For the trees that received nitrogen as Uramon or NuGreen in the spray, the a\^rage total yield per tree was nearly as high as for the ground applications, but scaV was no higher than in the unfertilized trees, pre-harvest drop v;as intermediate between. the checks and ground applications of nitrogen, and fruit color was 110 good, otrajigcjly enou;_h, in the sarr.e orchard, the uijiiect yield of idlj t'at loT/est scab counts on fruits, cjid tlie lovrest per cent of drops vicre obtained from trees that received no nitro,^en either on the soil or in the spray, and that were sprayed r/i-ch Ferrnate throughout the 6-year period. Fenr.ate contains about lO^/i nitrogen. Continued Use of Fermate Boosts Yield of Mcintosh Apples, L. H. raliiiiter of the W, Y^ T^'enevaJ Station reported at the recent science meetings in Pittsburgh (Phjiropath. 39_: 1: lo, 1949) that "The continuous use of Fennate ^70 cent ferric dimethyldithiocarbaaiate) on Mcintosh apple trees v:):ich received u nitrogen fertilizer over a period of six years increased the jdeld of fniit 57 per cent over that of corresponding trees that v/ere sprayed v/ith v/ettablc sulfur. .Annual soil applications of tiTO or more pounds of N per tree increased the yleln of sulphur sprayed trees over that of the unfertilized Fennate plots during the first tvm years of the tost but in the last three years the Fernate plots have outyielded even the best nitrogen fertilized plots. In 1947 and 1948 the best sulfur sprayed and nitrogen fertilized plots averaged 9 boxes of fruit per tree per year compared v/ith 17 boxes of fruit per tree per year from the Fermate plot; , Several factors appear responsible for this increased yield rdiere Fennate is usot. ' as the fungicide in place of sulfur, Fennate contains some niti-ogen aiid in a spray season a tree may receive as much as -v- pound of IJ. However, other factors such as reduced scab and spray injury to the foliage may be just as important. In 1948 most of the trees in the experiment had close to 100 per cent bloosu, but blossoms and fruit coimts indicated more than 50 per cent increase in fruit set on the Fernate sprayed trees." ■2igSg. A" storage Rooms. U.S.D.A, Circular ITo. 765, Jan. 1948, contains a detailed account of tests in vj-hich Ozone vms used in apple storages. Or one has been used in humid meat, egg and apple storages for deodorizing the aimospjiere aiid for preventing the grovrth of surface molds on meat, packages and walls. It greatly reduces the population of air-borne fungi including those that cause blue-mold and gray-mold rots of apples; and at standard concentrations (1.95 v.r.i'. 'ind times of exposure, it even slows up the rate of development of blue-mold -iecay in apples, Hovrever, it does not kill the fungus in decay tissue nor does it materially check the groivth of mold patches that are already established on boxes, vmlls, posts, etc. Ozone, in fact, is a mild disinfectant, exerting it;; bfest influence on the spores by preventing or reducing tlieir geraunatiO]! and the formation of surface grovrth. fJsu of over concent rat ions, i.e., 3,25 p. p.m. of Ozone in apple storages fnr '■^uai exposure periods caused injury to apples, also off-flavor. No such 'lo]eterjous effects resulted from concentrations of 1.95 p. p.m. ^zone ip a 3tinulant_ f_or Certain Fungi. As indicated abov^. Ozone is to;.ic .0 bhe sporea "of'Vome" fungi, " AccordTug to a report by M. C, Richards, Hew Ha-np- "l.ire 3+;s,,t:on (Phyhopath. Abstr. 39: 1: 2^0, 1949) Ozone actually is a stimulant for ofcr^.b.in fni-jg-j, , Under ordinary conditions t)io fungi in qiAestion produce spores ^"^ry r.p!;,rJrjg].y but r/Len f-ixposed to Ozone, they sporulate abundsuitly, Iii this o'c-.t'^rory an-j hlie fungi that cause early blight of tomatoes, the black Ical'-spoc of cabijf.ire, Wid i,he b'Jfi.ck-rot storage disease of winter squash, — 0. C. Boyd NO JATOARY FRUIT IIGTES - This is the first issue of FRUIT NOTES since December 30. Other matters, seemingly more urgent, have occupied our attention during ■Jt.muj.ry. ^ 6 ~ 1^ in''Efu;]i,'T STRAiirs c tu^ jti^a cerry leaf 3Por fufc-us It is well kr.ovm that some varieties of strav/berries are more susceptible f the common leaf-spot disease than others. However, it \-as only recently that several strains of the leaf-spot . fungus Qvlycophaerella fragariae) were found, ^i.... being decidedly more pathogenic to certain varietiee than other strains. The follo\';ing is a digest of an article by A. G. Plalzidas (of the Louisiana Station) in Phytopathology 38:12:938-992,1948. Seven isolates of thefimgus from different parts of the country ( Louisianr. , Oregon, Llichigan, Maryland, Nev; York) sho;ved widely different pathogenic proper- ties when inoculated into ten varieties of strawberries. In fact, no two varieties reacted exactly alike to all of the strains. Wo tnvo strains beliaxvd similarly on all of the varieties. One variety, Caledonia, v/as moderately or highly susceptible to all seven straios. Clermont shov/ed no infection from four strains, a trace from one strain, and heavy infection from two. Iloiraro 17 s]iou'<'' a trace of infection from each of tv;o strains, v/hile U.S.D.A. Seedling No. 1021 yielded a trace of infection from only one of tliem. U.S.D.A. Seedling No, 1^"42 showed no infection from two strains, light infection from three ol-]iei-s, mui neavy infection from the remaining tivo. One isolate (S1600) from New York, produced moderate to heavy infection on all varieties except Ha'/nrd 17 and •J.S.D.A, Seedling No, 1021 ~ only a trace on them. Strain S1610 (from louini .„■,.. produced moderate' to heavy infections On all but tla'oe of the 10 varieties; no infection on them, Clermont, liov/ard 17, and' U.S.D.A. Seedling No. 1021. In contrast there was one strain of the fungus, the Oregon strain (S8?), that vm.- wealcly parasitic on most of the varieties; producing heavy infection on one (Caledonia), light infection on two, a trace on three, aiid none on four. Somt varieties that remained free of infection under natural conditions took the :"'iscase ^fhen inoculated artificially. Iloivard 17 and U.S.D.A. Seedling No. 1021 v.'ere almost immune to all strains even when heavily inoculated. Certain v.?.rieties appear to merely escape the disease in the field by virtue of thoir grwing habits, whereas 'Howard 17 and U.S.D.A. Seedling No. 1021 appear to possess iiiarked inherent, "ch.emical" resistance to all fonus of the fungus, -_ 0. C, Boyd ****** **:^*;****** + *** This So-Called_ V^inter - The mean tcmporaturc in Amlicrst during Uo'cember wa"s"' slightly above the freezing point, »nd much of the month of January has seemed oven more springlike. The writer set a fev; strav/berry plants on January 8 (fall planting?) and on January 14, Howard C-llmore of 'w'estboro brought .to a meeting two apparently undejaaged Baldwin apples which lie picked in his orcliard the previous daj/. No apple blossoms have been reported to date. _-io\/_ Pnaning Ix^aflet - "Pruning Apple Trees" is the- title of a no'>. leaflet wliioh wl'J 1 \,o rc;!,'\y for distribution in the very near future. It covers hli<> prnniuj;; of bobh young and bearing trees ano. is v;r;ll illustrated. A copy may bo obtained fnar. your County S;:teuGion Offj.ce or from hho Ilai.ling Room at the University. _-. . lSIT to BELTSVILi.£ (Continued fro:n December Issue) Follov;ing are a few observp,tinns nade at tlie L'.S.L.A. Experii".ientai b arm i." BeltSTille, Maryland: -Jtrawberries - In breedin;-; bett3r varieties ^ a planting of 6100 seedlings is bting studied. The numbers of seedlings ejid the characteristics are as f ollov/r : red stele resistance, 1283; late ripening, 1512; firmness, 1174; flavor, 684; size, 171. A striking example of the longevity of pollen stored at a temperaturv of about 40'^F. and relative humidity of 50% was observed. Year-old pollen store I -mder these conditions .genuinated well and gave a good set of seed. Among the virus diseases are crinkle, curl, v/itches broom, yellows (yellov. edge in England), etc. One of the virus diseases, common in the East, results i-i shorter petioles on the Marshall variety and a tendency for the leaves to lie on the ground. Practically all plants of certain varieties are n^n: infected, ■w. attempt is being made to establish viras-free sources of our more important varieties using the grafting method of determining the presence of virus in doubtful plants. At present, plants of vs'even virus-free varieties have been isolated: Dorsett, Klondike, Tiarshall, Culver, Robinson, and two I'arietie.-^ of Tennessee origin. Peaches - In 'a study of mineral deficiencies, magnesium deficiency v/as found L" show up first where both calcium aiid potassium are high. Calcium seems to be r. partial substitute for both magnesium and potassium. It has a striking effect or. root development. Tfliere calcium is lov;, roots are much restricted, Higii c&lciuin means many fibrous roots. (A high nitrogen level v;as maintained in the above study.) In breeding peach varieties for hardiness, stations for testing are being established in various northern states. Up to ,20 or 25 trees are •ivailable for this purpose. The University of Iiassachusotts is invited to cooperate, iipples - In a study of apple trees under lov;, medium, and high nitrogen levels, uo difference in magnesium deficiency s^/mptoms v/as noted in the mediunfand high .'litrogen levels but, in general, the smptoms were more severe on high, than on -o\7, nitrogen trees. There seems to be a relation between night temperatures anu -he coloring of apples. If apples mature at a time v^hen the nights are v/arm, color is likoly to be inferior. One of the Beltsville workers told of a survey in the I'lorthvv'est vrhich shows a relation betiveen the supply of nitrogen and yi^ld. Tr.e optimum nitrogen level should be maintained, if possible, in every orchai-d. -'•rJlo\7ing is a summary covering the yield in 25 orchards over a five-year perioc. •i~rogcn fertilizers included ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, etc, N'umbor of Actual Pitrogen Packed Boxes per tree Orchards Applied (Piange from 1940-44) 7 1 pound 5.3 - l?.l 11 li-2ir pounds 7.5 - 15,1 5 3-4 pounds 4.9 - 19 ***t. ****** **+-***^'f** ■ '.•v. you ordered your ilif'.h lia^gnc^siujii, or Dolomitic Idmo ? Orchard soil? aro v'.'ioii.irig incroaslngly aci"!," I.Iagnosiu:,i deficiency symptoms are present on a iurv r: 'iingly large munber of farms. Uony orchards will be givntly mprorou ■^y " £ ior.s j^er acre r..pplicati.on of High Ilagncsium Limo. ****iiic ****** **>)t 4c* ^. -j.* - i:. - irALhlihG "TS^iPORARY" TREES w'e occasionally see fruit trees in which pruning v/ounds have been painted t. .-right red or green. The writer recalls one orchard in \vhich wounds as small as ..alf an inch in diameter had been carefully painted. Obviously, this represents u vmste of time and paint. But there is a way in v/hich paint of any color may be used to good' advantage in a closely planted orchard, VJherever crov/ding has begun or threatens to be a problem in a few years, a paint mark on the trunk of each of the trees destined for ultimate removal simplifies the pruning job, Having decided which rows are temporary, only a little time is required to make this identifying mark on the same side of each tree in those rov>rs. Then, at pruning time, there need be no question about v;hich tree is temporary and v/hich is permanent. The former may be slashed back enough to provide needed space, temporarily, while the permanent treos are allowed to spread out naturally. Ilaij an hour spent in wielding a paint brush v.dll help to eliminate guessv/ork in orchard reorganization. No ladder is needed for this task, and one paint mark on the trunlc may result in more benefit than dozens of paint narks on pruning wounds here and there in the tree, A Ilursery Oddity - Imagine finding an apple on a one-;^ear whip,* That actually happened tnvice in a Pennsylvania nursery last summer. The Yellovf Delicious trees in question were well grovm VThips, budded in August, 1947, V/hether or not the bud had differentiated before or< after budding is unimportant. The fact is that the bud resulted in a blossom cluster the following spring, and that a vegetative shoot developed alongside to form a one-year whip about three feet tall. One of the blossaiis v.-as pollinated and a well-formed apple was found about four inches from the ground when the nursery was inspected in late July. The nurseryman might be justified in claiming that his trees are "ready to bear". At least he could prove his claim. Tvjenty- eight Compete for 3 Prizes - Compe- tition was keen at the Pennsylvania Farm Show fruit exhibit January 10-14. In the Red Rome Class, for example, there were 28 plates, and in the Rome Class about the same number. Total attendance at the Shov; ^vas reported to be half a million, The 1949 Apple Spray Chart - A supply of the nev;-ly revised apple spray chart ]ias been delivered to each of the County Extension Offices, Your copy may be in the mail by the time this issue of FRUIT NOTES is received. NdtitL MARCH 25, I9U9 Prepared by the Departments o£ Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Compiled by W. H, Thies, Extension Horticulturist CONTENTS Effect of Liae Sulfur on Yield of Apples Off-Flavor in Peaches Sprayed with BBC Fog Fire Equipment Fruit Diseases and Their Control Soil Management Methods for Raspberries Strawberry Yields Reduced by Yellows Looking Forward to New Peach Varieties issued by the Extension Service. Willard A. Munson, Director, in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Universitv of Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services Cooperating. JFl-.;Ci' OF LD-E SULi'UK OJM YIZID OF APIr-U^o (This articlej prepared by Professor E, J, Rastau £. s ei- , University oF ivew liampsliire, is of timely interest at this seaaon when spray materials are being ordered and plans are being made for the fi^ht against apple scab.) L-3-.I-F-D, L-S_M-F-D, Lime-sulfur aeans fever dollars; Lime-sulfur means fewer dollars. Yes, Lime-sulfur, when applied as a spray for scab control on apples definitely reduces j"ields, and consequently means a reduced income to the orche.rdist. In fact, the old Lime-sulfur schedule was responsible to a large extent in some orchards for the biennial bearing of such varieties as Northern 3py. Some experimental work several years ago in New York showed that the apple foli-age spraj^ed with Lime-sulfur was less efficient in the manufacture of carbohydratos for as much as 7 days after the application than unsprayed foliage. Since the carbohydrates are necessary in the gro\-/th of the tree, in blossom formation, and in producing a crop of apples, the Lime-sulfur sprayed trees should produce less fruit since they have less materials from which to develop the fruit. This was found to be tine experimentally in some spraying experiments in Michigan, A block of Northern Spy trees which had been sprayed for a number of years with Lime-sulfur and which had shown low yields, sometimes a crop only once in three years, was divided into three plots. One plot viras sprayed with Lime-sulfur, another v?ith wettable sulfur, and a third with a fixed copper fungicide. The following table shows the effect of the spray treatment on defoliation and yield. _, Effect of Spray Treatment on Defoliation and Yield of Northern Spy (1939-1943 inclusive) Treatment Aver. No. of Leaves Aver, Yield in Percent (100 spurs, August 20) bu. per tree Increase in 1940-44 yield over Lime-sulf'-ir Lime-sulfur, 2-100 474 39.0 ■Vet table sulfur, 8-100 . 603 51,2 2C.5 Fixed copper-lime, 2-4-10o' 643 61.2 53,5 It is seen that there is a definite relation in the amount of foliage and the yield. The Lime-sulfur sprayed trees had smaller mishapen leaves and showed more defoliation and definitely lower yields than did trees sprayed with the other materials. Yes, someone will remark after reading this information, "Vifhy this data on Lime-sulfur vdien the material is out of date?" Some folks are going to continue to use Lime-sulfur, especially if 1949 is another favorable year for scab development and they fail to get control of the disease, hoping at least that the failure x.o obtain control was due to the material, and not to poorly timed and inadequate applications. Another reason for giving this information on the effect of Lime-sulfur on yield is to emphasize the importance of studyirig the effect of all of the ne-m pest control materials on yield and injury to the trees, as viell as on pest control. Not enough emphasis is placed in spray research on the effect of the various materials on returns to the grower over a period of years. We are all looking for an easier way out, A year or tvio of experimental v;ork does not tell the whole story cm the merits of the various materials offered for sale by numerous insecticide and fungicide conpanies. Just because a material will control a pest doesn't guarantee it a place in a spray program. Use the old tried and tested materials until you are sure there is something better. Be not the last to try the yet imtried nor yet the first to cast the old aside, OFF-FLAVOR IM PEACHES SPRAYED V.'ITH BHC Benzene hexachloride has been so effective in the control of plum curculio that it looked very promising for the control of this pest on peaches. It was very disappointing to learn that BHC causes the development of off- flavors in some varieties, when canned. Trees of the early varieties, Greensboro, Mikado, Ilarigold and Oriole, were sprayed three times, liay 29, June 3 and June 10, With a combination spray containing 2 pounds per iCO gals, of 50?^ vrettable BHC, containing 6>b gajrana isomer. Check trees were sprayed v/ith a similar combination, without BHC, At harvest time samples from both BHC sprayed' and check trees v/ere taken to the Department of Food Technology for canning, freezing and later testing. Fruit of 32 other varieties, all of which had been sprayed with the BHC combinations, were likewise canned and frozen. No off-flavor was detected in the fresh, canned, or frozen fruit of the check lots. Likevfise, no off -flavor was detected in the fresh fruit of bhe BHC sprayed lots. However, among the canned lots of BHC sprayed fruits, a few varieties had a very strong off-flavor which made them practically inedible, Some varieties had a strong off-flavor which was bad enough to be unacceptable to some people. Other varieties had a slight off-flavor v/hich would probably not be detected by many people, A few had no off-flavor. After BHC sprayed frozen peaches were thawed and warmed to room tempera- ture for tasting, no off-flavor of the BHC type could be detected. However, when peaches of nine of these varieties were reprocessed by canning, a slight off-flavor developed in five of them. It appears that heating brings out the off-flavor caused by BHC in certain varieties. There v/ere both white and yellow fleshed varieties among thoso which developed an off-flavor. Time of ripening made no difference, Greensboro (65 days from last spray to picking) and Eclipse (85 days) had a very strong off-flavor. Among those v;ith a strong off-flavor v^cre Mikado (65 days from last spray to picking) and Belle of Georgia (103 days). D -3- I'lvj peach ^pray schedule v/hich i.ill be available soon states that 51iC , ^er.zene hexachloride, in any form should not be used on peaches. Instead, pounds of 50>o wettable DDT per 100 gallons is recommended for the control uf plum curculio, — Johjn 3, Dailey, & I'Tilliam B, Esselen, Jr. FOG FIRE EQUIPIiSNT A fruit grower exporting apples .aay sustain a heavy loss if the cargo i:? lost at sea or his crop is damaged in transit. But his loss is much greater If hiP apple storage burns davm before he can dispose of the stored apples. Realizing that the pressures developed by orchard sprayers produce a superior fog type of spray, especially effective in fighting fires, state aiia county officials in some states have adopted their use. In Kent County, ■lichigan, two fog type spray outfits were obtained several years ago and housed in the garages of the highway department in rural areas. Today that county has seven outfits. All the firemen are volunteers. Some agricultural engineers believe that orchard sprayers represent one of the most effective types of fire engines ever developed. The average spra;. tank full of water applied in a fog may be fully as effective in fighting a fire as two to three thousand gallons applied in a solid stream. The fog expelled from a gun at customary orchard pressures is so fine that v;nen it contacts the fire it turns to steam. 'Vhile this happens it absorbs heat and it helps to push the oxygen away from the fire. This accounts for the amazing speed with which these fog guns subdue a fire, and with much less water than a conventional fire engine uses, Water damage to property is reduced, and the limited supply of water in most rural areas is utilized to the utmost. In the February lOth issue of "Fruit Notes", ah article offered suggestions on keeping a spray rig in readiness for fighting fires in v/inter. Not only grov/ers, but rural communities, are adopting this safety measure in some states, Pennsylvania State College has received most favorable reports from thirty towns using fire trucks equipped for high pressure applications of water with fog guns. Neighboring fire companies show a fine spirit of cooperation. The many tliousands of spray rigs on U, S, farms could be of tremendous value in reducing the 0100,000,000 annual loss from rural fires, — 0. G. Anderson Jjc ¥ ;». Y ^r ^ * :.^ ^ 5^ * :*- ¥ * =f =^ -"N + V * * RECEKT RliiPORTS OX F'RUIT UISBASES MP TliBIh COIMTKOL (conxinued) Fermate Superior to Bordeaux on Grapes. Our present recommendations for using iron carbamate instead of copper fungicides on grapes are based primarily upon experiments conducted prior to 1948 by the N. Y, (Geneva) Station. A. J, Braun of that Station reports further on the tests (Phytopath, Abstract 39:1; 0,1949): "Concord vines sprayed tv/o seasons with Bordeaux Mixture, 4-4-100 and 8-8-100, and with Fermate (ferric dimethyl dithiocarbamate), 1-100 and 2-100, shovred accumulative effects of the treatments. The data were obtained from control-pruned vines on which the number of buds was determined by the weight of the previous season's shoot growth. Three applications of Bordeaux liixture decreased vine growth as measured by length of shoot and petiole. Similar applications of Fermate increased the vine growth. Berry size was decreased by Bordeaux Mixture and increased by Fermate. Bordeaux Mixture delayed ripening of the fruit. The vines sprayed with Fermate yielded more than the unsprayed vines (yields adjusted for disease control) whereas those sprayed with Bordeaux mixture yielded less. By taking advantage of the increased vine growth resulting from the Fermate applications, greater increases in yields may be expected. Early applications of Fermate decreased the retarding effects of later applications of Bordeaux liixture." A Mist Sprayer and a Spray-Duster that Really VIork on Fruit Trees, Plant pathologists at Cornell University (Ithaca, N. Y, j report the following (Phytopath. Abstract 39_: 1: 19,1949) : "A sprayer for fruit trees, developed at Cornell University, applies either wetted dusts or mist spray formulations. The spray, or spray-dust, is carried by an air stream delivered from a 3-inch slot, 8 feet long, set at an angle of 35° from the horizontal. The air delivery of the machine now under test is approximately 20,000 cu. ft, per min. at 105 m.p.h. Means are provided to adjust the angle of the air streams to compensate for wind interference. There is a saving of water of approxi- mately 7/8 of the amount used in conventional spraying. Control of apple scab, cherry leaf-spot, and peach leaf curl has been equal or superior to that obtained by conventional methods. Sulfur, lime sulfur, low soluble copper compounds, ferric dimethyl dithiocarbamate, 2-heptadecyl glioxalidine, dinitro ortho cresol, and insecticides have been applied. Experiments on the control of fruit insects have been made in cooperation with entomologists. Both the spray-dust and mist spray methods are effective, but the latter is more economical of materials and is mechanically simpler. Disease control and ■ chemical deposit data indicate that adequate coverage is obtained with this machine, which offers advantages over conventional sprayers in ease, speed, aiid economy of operation," Cooling Peaches After Harvest Reduces Crovm Rot. The following report by experimental station v/orkers in Indiana (Phytopath, Abstract 59; 1: 22, 1949) appears to have more promise for post-harvest control of peach brown rot than various pre-harvest spray and post-harvest dips employed by various experiment station workers in 1948: "During the past three seasons broxvn rot has caused serious losses to the Indiana commercial peach crop in storage. Common fungi- cides applied in the orchard have not adequately prevented these storage losses. Comparable samples of peaches were harvested in duplicate from several orchards in 1948, One sample was placed imnediately in connrion storaf^e at room temperature, and the other sample was exposed to a 24-hour cold storage treatment at 40°?. before being placed at room temperature. The incidence of brovvn rot development was recorded daily over a 6-day period following harvest. In samples obtained from commercially sprayed orchards, cold storage treatment greatly reduced the sub?equent development of brov.m rot in common storage, BroiTO rot losses were reduced from 41.8/^ four days after harvest to 0,0/^ in one commercial sample. Similar effects of cold storage were obtained with fruit sprayed \vith Phygon (£,5-dichloro-l,4-naphthoquinone). This evidence is opposed to the view commonly held by growers and fruit handlers that brown rot development is accelerated v;hen fruit is removed from cold storage to room temperatures," Midsummer Gil Spray Causes Storage ocald of Apples. Although summer oils are not generally used in apple orchards in Massachusetts, the following report (Phytopath, Abstract 39.: 1: 24, 1949) implies that fruit scald may result from such applications: "The application of spray oils at ovicidal concen- trations during July and August has resulted in an unusual type of storage scald of apples in West Virginia, This relationship was suspected in 1944-45 and was confirmed by experiments in 1945 and 1946, The "oil scald" appears in storage as small, sharply delimited, circular spots. They are centered around lenticles and are small, usually tvTO or three, or rarely as large as five, millimeters in diameter. Larger lesions are the result of coalescence of smaller single layers of hypoderm v,rhich are plasmolyzed and discolored. The light brown color of the dead cells is modified by the color of the fruit: the color Of the lesions varies widely dependent on v/hether the spots are on red, green, or yellow portions of the apple. The severity of the "oil scald" increases during the late storage period; but it is abundant long before normal breakdown of the fruit occurs," Nematode Root Disease of Peach Trees in Hew England. The meadow nematode gi^oup, Pratylenchus species, injures the roots of a number of crops in the ■ southern states. In recent years, this pest is definitely assigned as the cause of the brown root-rot disease of tobacco in states farther south, and it is strongly suspected as the primary cause or starter of brov-m root-rot in Connecticut Valley tobacco. Its choice host plants are cereals, i.e., grasses, small grains, corn, etc. Nov/ comes a report from Extension Fruit Specialist Frank D, Johanson of Connecticut that the meadov: nematode is suspected to be at least one prominent reason for the decline in the life span of peach trees in that state. It is well known that the roots of peach trees throughout the southern states are highly susceptible to the root-knot nematode, but there has been little evidence that the meadow nematodes are potential invaders of peach roots. Professor Johanson 's release is based upon a report from the U3DA Hematology Division on a diagnosis of diseased peach roots submitted bj i'-r. Johanson. Incidentally, the meadow nematodes enjoy a much A'uder and farther-north range of distribution than the root-knot nematode, — 0. C, Boyd 30 IL HMAGEIIEITT ifflTHODo F'OR RiiSP BERRIES Recent reports from Hova Scotia give some interesting results with red raspberries when grovm under four different systems of soil management. Yields for the past tv;o years were as follows: "1947 1943 Sod 280 pints 75 pints Clean Cultivation 3018 pints 1193 pints Hay Mulch 3396 pints 1046 pints Sawdust Mulch 4883 pints 1731 pints The lov/er yields in 1948 were the result of severe killing of canes the previous winter. All plots were fertilized with a 9-5-7 fertilizer, 1000 pounds per acre. The sawdust used wqs "run-of-the-mill" which was mostly spruce. The superior yields from the sav/dust plots are accredited to a heavier stand of healthy canes in the fall, less \Yinter injury arid less anthracnose than under hay mulch. The amount of winter injury and anthracnose in the sawdust mulch plots were somev;hat greater than in the cultivated plots, but the greater number of canes in the sawdust plots apparently still left .more good canes for fruiting, — A. P. French STRAfBERRY YIELDS REDUCED BY YSLLa.'S 'Yellov'fs, a virus disease of strav/berries, long a serious problem in the West, is novj also causing heavy losses in' the East, reports the U. S, Department of Agriculture. J. B, Demaree, plant pathologist of the Department finds the greatest concentration of the disease in the Middle Atlantic States but has observed the infection as far South as Teacheys, N, C, The disease is spread by aphids, Mr, Demaree finds that not only are most of the older varieties such as Aroma, Catskill, Dorsett, Dunlap, and Hov;ard 17 (Premier) infected, but that some of the more recently introduced varieties such as Fairpeake, Midland, and Maytime carry the virus. The disease is not so easily recognized in eastern varieties as it is in Marshall and Marshall-like varieties grovm xvest of the Rockies where conspic- uous yellov-jing of the leaf edges is a tell-tale symptom. This is masked or transitory in many of the eastern varieties. Here the symptoms are dv/arfing of plants and lack of vigor. In the fall they sho\7 up in poor runner produc- tion. These symptoms become accentuated in the second year. Eastern grovrers. not recognizing the trouble, have believed that weak, hard-to-grow plants were the result of varieties "running out." The effect in all varieties is reduced yield, ivir. Demaree suggests attacking the problem in two ways in order to eliminate yellows from strawberry stocks. One is for the growers themselves to use only vigorous plants taken from fields knorm to be productive. He recommends plants that are making runners freely and with large green smooth leaves on upright stems. The other is for research workers to index the more desirable varieties to find stocks of each that are virus free. This is done by grafting a plant of the variety under test to a virus-free indicator plant of the Liarshall or Marshall- like varieties. Plants proved free of virus must be carefully propagated in an aphid-free area and used to replace present infected stock, 1/Ir, Demaree believes this indexing can best be done by State experiment station workers. Since each State groivs comparatively few varieties, he says it will be a relatively small task to index those best adapted for that particular State, V.lien enough have been propagated, a portion can be distri- buted to plant growers for mass production under State regulations that assure maintenance of clean stock. More about Lime Sulfur, The increase in yield from using elemental sulfur instead of lime sulfur over a 10-year fruiting period in a Maine orchard was 32/o^or over 5 bushels per tree. The additional annual cost of the elemental sulfur v/as only about 5 cents per tree, Vilien some of the trees, after the lO-j'-ear period were shifted from elemental sulfur to lime sulfur or vice versa, there was a delay of one year before the change affected bloom or yield. Note on Apple Scald Control. Vhen a single variety was stored in a roomj'consi'stently good scald control was obtained in Mew York State through air purificating with activated cocoanut-shell carbon. Control of scald was obtained with mi::ed variety storage in som.e instances but in 9 out of 16 tests commercial control of scald vms not obtained on Rhode Island Greening apples. Air purificationvri-tii activated cocoanut-shell carbon added, on the average, about 3 weeks to the storage life of apples, "k'.'ith iioLitoJh and Cortland about a month v/t.s added from the standpoint of fruit firmness. Using an Oil Spray This Spring? Then you should be sure to get a "superior'' type oil. "(See Note 3 on your 1949 ^ple Spray Chart) -6- LOOKING FOR-- ARD TO JS^ PEACH VARIETIES Some or the old varieties of peacnes v/nicli are no longer grown to any extent as well as the present comniercial list were discussed in recent issues of "FRUIT NOTES." ¥Jhile it is interesting to know what has Happened to the standard varieties of yesterday and important to knoi7 about the commercial varieties of today, it is even more important to know what the promising new varieties are like. From among these new peaches will be picked the comanercial varieties of tomorrow. One of the newest varieties is Erly-Red-Fre. It is an early, white- fleshed peach of very good quality. In 1948 it ripened five days aliead of Marigold or about three weeks ahead of Golden Jubilee, It is attractive and is said to produce quite uniform, medium sized fruits. In spite of its tendency to cling it looks promising as an early variety when few local peaches are available. Further trial v^ill be necessary to establish its real worth, Raritan Rose, formerly W. J. 7)=^?, a cross between J. H, Hale and Cumberland, is another early, white-fleshed peach. It ripens about three days before Golden Jubilee in Oriole season. It is firm fleshed, attractive, freestone and medium to large in size. The flavor is very good. The tree is moderately vigorous and very productive. The fruit buds are medium or a little better in hardiness. It is the best avhite-f leshed variety of its season. Early Halehaven originated in Michigan as a limb sport of Halehaven. It appears to be like that variety in most respects ejccept that it ripens earlier, about with Oriole. It is a yellow-fleshed freestone of fair to good quality and is well colored and attractive. It has not been fruited enough in Massachusetts to get a real estimate of its value. Red Haven, a cross between Halehaven and Kalhaven from Michigan, is an early yellow fleshed peach of considerable promise. It ripens toward the end of the Oriole season and into the first of the Golden Jubilee season. The fruit is very firm, medium sized, freestone, has a thick, tough skin and fair to good flavor. It is an outstandingly attractive peach which develops a very high red color even in the center of the tree. The tree is vigorous and very productive. Considerable thinning of the fruit is required to maintain size. Fruit buds are quite a bit more hardy than Elbert a, Sunhigh originated at the New Jersey Experiment Station from a cross of J. H, Hale and a seedling of a Carmen x Slappy cross. The fruit is yellovir- fleshe.d, medium to large in size, very attractive and very fine flavored. It is usually freestone but has a tendency to cling in vret seasons. The tree is moderately vigorous but bears heavy crops. The fruit buds are moderately hardy. It ripens about v/ith Halehaven, Kalhaven is a Michigan peach which resulted from a cross betv/een J. H, Ilale and Kalamazoo. The fruit is attractive, medium to large in size, has firm, yellow flesh and is usually freestone but has a tendency to cling in some years. The quality is fair to good. The flesh is a bit stringy and coarse in some seasons. The skin is thick and tovigh which with the firm flesh should make it -9- a good shipper. The tree is fairly vii^orous ari'j very productive. In fact, it will probably require thimiing to ^et good size. It is reported to be abOA^e average in hardiness. It ripens betv^r^en Summercrest and Elberta, Sungold is a seedling of unknovm parentage which orginiated in Iowa. The fruit is yellovv-f leshed, freestone and medium to large in size. It has good or better quality in most years. The skin is medium thick and tough. Pubescence is noticeable but not objectionable. It ripens about tvifo days ahead of Elberta, The tree is dwarfish like J. H, Hale but bears heavy crops, so heavy in fact that considerable thinning is necessary to maintain size. This variety is apparently outstandingly winter hardy in both buds and v;ood. It deserves further trial, for this reason, if for no other, — John S. Bailey Note on Organic Gardening. The advocates of organic gardening have at least one idea on which most gardeners v/ill agree, namely, that compost is an excellent material in the garden. There is much less agreement with their contention that plants fertilized according to a carefully specified method, without any inorganic fertilizers whatever, v;ill be less troubled by insects and diseases and vrill contain larger amounts of certain valuable food elements. An example of unscientific thinking is found in a recent article v/hich tells about a chemist who has been employed to make analyses of organically produced foods. Quoting from this article, "Vfe are certain it will shovr not only larger quantities of proteins but proteins of a different quality* It will assuredly show larger amounts of vitamins," Unlike the research projects in which a sincere attempt is made to obtain an ansv;er to a question, v/e have here a case of drawing conclusions before the experiment is performed, A Sargain in Magneoium, There is no longer any question about the necessity of replenishing the supply of Magnesium in our soils. A little arithmetic v/ill shoxT that High Magnesium, or Dolomitic Lime offers a very inezpensiAre solution to the problem. If the Magnesium Oxide (MgO) content is 20/^, the cost per pound today of this essential compound is only about 1-|- cents. The MgO in Epsom Salts will cost at least 15 times as much, 3^C ^^ ^ ^ ^ 5|C 5|C »i. ^ 3p ^ 5f^ ijC Jp 5fi ^ J|C 3jC i^C A very promising repelDent for both deer and rabbits was discussed at a recent meeting in Washington, This material, not yet avail- able for distribution, will be tested in Massachusetts. Ti^e preliminary reports are almost too good to be true, ******************* -10- Fertilizing According to Tree Needs, Aj^'ple trees growing in sod are generally somev;hat deficient in Nitrogen; hence, the common practice of giving the tree a few pounds of a nitrogenous fertilizer each spring. But if we guage the application by age of tree or trunk diameter, we are likely to give certain trees too much Nitrogen, and others too little. Better indicators of Nitrogen needs are (l) average terminal growth, (S) color of fruit last season and (3) the amount of pruning the tree has received. A tree pruned rather heavily needs less Nitrogen than an unpruned tree. And a tree at the hottom of a slope where it has access to a deep, fer- tile soil may be making adequate growth without additional Nitrogen. 3o instead of malcing a blanket application, our program should be flexible enough to take into account the needs of each individual tree. Obviously, if we add the nitrogenous fertilizer (urea) to the materials in the spray tank, and thus apply an amount of Nitrogen in proportion to the number of gallons the tree receives there is no assurance that the Nitrogen needs of the tree will be met, A large over- vigorous Mcintosh tree which may need no Nitrogen at all will actually get an over supply because more gallons of spray material are required for complete coverage, >)<**** ***>|! ********** Next Month — A nev*- feature, covering observations in a particular County, will begin in the April issue of "FRUIT NOTES". (Horcester County will initiate this new, dovm-to-earth review of local items.) ^iwlkNcfUL APRIL 30,I9U€ Prepared by the Departments of Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Compiled by W. K. Thies, Extension Horticulturist CONTENTS Artificial Pollination of Apples Sprays for Fruit Thinning County Agent' s Corner Red Apple Club — 1949 Orchard Reorganizatio a fiome Pacts About Frost Orchard Reorganization — Before and After Issued by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of M&y 8 aiv^ June 30, 1914, Willard A. Munson, Director, University of Massachusetts, United Statea Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services Cooperating. ARTIFICIAL rOLLIK.JION OF JiPPlZS Artificial pollination has been a to-oic of jon^id-jrable interest to growers in the Northeast for a ;rood many years. In seasons when the blossoming period is cool and wet and fruit set is apt to be light, the interest m artificial pollination is at its height. Also^ there are still occasional orchards v/here self-unfruitful varieties have been planted in solid blocks and in such places the problem of cross-pollination is on annual one unless some other varieties are planted or top-worked in the block. The types of artificial pollination which have been tried and tested experimentally to a certain extent are: (l) hand pollination; (2) pollen spraying; (3) pollen dusting; (4) airplane pollination; (5) pollenbombs; and (6) bee-hive inserts. Of these 6 methods hand pollination has been by far the most reliable to datej Hand pollination. This method is time consuming and expensive but may pay for itself v;hen natural means of pollination are inadequate. A grower may purchase pollen or "collect his avm from suitable early blooming varieties such as Astrachan, Duchess, and Wealthy, One should be certain that the variety of pollen obtained is suitable for the variety to be pollinated, Baldwin, R» I, Greening and Gravenstein are varieties which have pollen v/hich is undesirable for cross- pollination purposes. The pollen may be applied vj-ith an artist's ^/^'^ brush which has the bristles clipped off straight and held closely with a small rubber band or with the eraser end of a pencil. Flowers are most receptive immediately after they are open. Pollinating one flower in every 5 or 6 clusters on a heavily blooming tree is adequate. Two or three ounces of pollen by volimie is enough for one acrer For those of you who may viish more detailed information on this method, it may be obtained from the Department of Pomology, University of Massachusetts^ Amherst, Massachusetts. Pollen sprayin;^. Adding pollen to water in a sprayer and applying it as one would a fuiigicide or an insecticide has been unsuccessful. The pollen does not seem to stick to the stigmatic surfaceo Also, the stigmatlc surface is so exceedingly small that the chances of pollen grains landing there are very slight. Tests in V.'ashington indicate that after the pollen has been in water IG to 30 minutes its germinability was greatly reduced. In Vermont it was found that pollen T/as practically non-viable after passing through the sprayer. Pollen dusting, A bellows type of hand duster has been reported upon by experimenters in V/ashington. They find it exceedingly v^asteful of pollen and apt to result in a very uneven set of fruit unless extreme care is used. Those sections of the tree \vhich were directly in line vj-ith the dust stream may be set so heavily that considerable hand thinning must be done. Apparently this method is better adapted to such fruits as cherries. Airplane pollination. In tests conducted in trie 'k/enatchee Valley of tiashington this method has failed to show any increase in set over limbs which i.er^ protected by bags during the airplane dusting period. Some growers in the Northwest have tried this method and felt that a set of fruit resulted because of it. However, the absence of any untreated portions of the treated area often makes it impossible to judge the results. It seems doubtful that this method nas any value, '^•'hen one considers hov; extremely small the stigmatic surfaces are compared to the total surface area of the petals and foliage on a tree it is not difficult to appreciate vihy ttiis method does not seem to work. The pollen hac to contact areas the size of pin-points in order to be effective and for the pollen to land on such small "targets" is highly improbable » Pollen bombs. This method has been tested experimentally, also, and reports shOTr that no increase in fruit set has resulted. Germination tests on pollen exploded from such bombs showed an almost complete lack of viability. Be e -Hive In s e r t s . This method consists of a pollen-bearing insert placed in the hive~opening. ft is so constructed that bees entering the insert as they leave the hive will contact the pollen. The results v^rith this method show that its value is very questionable. Apparently an insert will reduce the normal activity of the bees in the hive considerably. Also, some bees may collect pollen from the insert and after flying a short distance immediately re-enter the hive, A fimdamental difficulty xvith this method is that'during cool, cloudy blooming seasons, when pollen dissemination is a problem- the temperature and other conditions may be such that bee flight is limited. Bee flight is greatly reduced at temperatures below 60°F, — F, W. Southwick SPRAYS FOR FRUIT TKINHIHG A rather detailed discussion of chemical thinning has been prepared covering the use of both dinitro and hormone materials for apples and peaches. As far as possible suggested dosages and timing have been given for individual varieties. For those who are interested in thinning, copies may be obtained by contacting your local county extension office or the Department of Pomology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass, Tfliere the crop was light in 1948 many apple varieties can be expected to produce a heavy bloom. In such cases there is always the possibility of an excessive set, hand thinning costs, small apples at harvest, and biennial bearin';; in following years c Chemical thinning may be of considerable help where an excessive set is likely, — F, 17. Southwick and VJ, D, Yfeeks Boron Every 3_ Years . If you have experienced any Internal Cork in years past and haven't applied Borax since 1946, you should malce '49 a "Doron Year," Fifty pounds of Borax per acre every three years is apparently enough to provide the small amount of Boron, an essential minor element, needed for the development of normal fruit. -3- COUKTY AGENT'S CCItflSR (Some observations in w'orcester County by Homer kills) The Family Touch in Scab Control. Cnce a year when the spray season arrives, fruit grovrers are concerned with scab control in their orchards. Scab infection is closely related to the prevailing vreather conditions. The man on the fruit farm must not only be a good orchardist but he also must be a weather man in his ovm right, A Leominster fruit grov/er, better known as "Fitzie" among fruit men, watches vreather developments in his orchard very carefully. As a matter of fact, he has his entire family, Mrs, Fitzgerald and his two boys, weather conscious. They all v^atch the weather, jot dovm when rainy periods start, check the thermometer, keep accurate records; and upon these observations and records Fitzie runs his scab control program. Something New Along the Equipment Line. A considerable amount of war surplus equipment has found its^way onto Newlngland farms. Among the more popular is the huinble jeep. Perhaps few of us ever thought that the heavy and cumbersome army half-track would find a place on the farm, Yot Paul Vifashbum who operates one of our larger fruit farms here in Vforcester County obtained an army half- track and has mounted his speed sprayer on the back of it. This half-track was far cheaper than euiy tractor he could have bought. Furthermore it is especially ade.pt for getting in and out of wet places in the early spring. Perhaps this piece of equipment has a future on our fruit farms, 3.C.3. On the Fruit Farm. The Soil Conservation Districts have been doing a considerable amount of work on V'/orcester County fruit farms. Just recently they completed a drainage ditch out at the farm of Commissioner John Chandler in Sterling, This drainage ditch will help to take off excess water from an orchard block about 25 acres in size. Removing this excess water will give the trees a hotter chance to develop and will also enable the Chandlers to get in that orchard early in the spring without danger of bogging down. Many fruit grovrers here in ITorcester County are clearing land in preparation for setting nevT fruit blocks, Jim Hyland over in Fiskdale has just had a 15-acre plot cleared by a district contractor, and Fred Heidtmann is using them down in Millbury to clear up an 8-acre woodlot where he plans to set out a few trees this year. This work had previously been provided for in their complete Conservation plan. Fruit growers realize the importance of setting out new fruit blocks so that they will have young trees coming along to take the place of old ones. This is certainly a healthy sign indicative of a progressive frviit industry. This cooperative activity between orchardists and Conservation Dis- tricts, leading to the drainage of wet land, waterhole construction, stone v;all removal and land clearing, is a concrete contribution to the productivity and efficiency of orchard promotion, Your Ovm Fire Department. Mr, Howard Gilmore's orchard is quite a distance from the local fire department, Vfe know that in a short length of time a fire can do quite a bit of damage, especially if there is a high wind blov/ing, Mr, Gilmore realizes that in his orchard sprayer he has an excellent piece of firt fighting equipment and he really uses it as such, He keeps it filled with ^vater at all times. He has a spray gun especially designed for fighting fires. The sprayer is always ready for quick action; and if and vifhen a fire does break out at his farm, he can have his sprayer on the job with little waste of time. RED APFLB CLUB - 1949 The requirements for Red Apple Club membership in 1949 are as folloivs: Acreage . In orchards of 5 to 15 acres, the oviner may select for inspection one block of at least 3 acres and he may designate one variety to be inspected. The block must be one of well defined boundaries and not a section of a larger block. In orchards of more than 15 acres, at least 20% _of the total acreage will be included. The minimum sized orchard is _5 acres. Score , Grade, aiid Yield. The crop must (l) score at least 90/^ free from insect and disease blemishes, (2) grade at least 65/^ U.S, Fancy and (3j the yield of all varieties must amount to at least 200 bushels per acre on trees less than 15_ years old, 300 bushels per acre on trees 15 to 20 years old and 400 bushels per acre on trees 2_0 years old or "older, The"~t'otaT yield ivill be estimated at time of sampling and this record~will be supplemented later by the ovmer's actual count. Records. The cwner should keep a record of his spray and dust applications including dates, materials, time involved and such other information as will be needed in determining the per bushel costs of pest controlo (The method of sampling the block in question and the details of sealing and inspecting the sample will be described in a release shortly before harvest t ime , ) _C_an You Use This Equipment ? One of our larger grovrers has two pieces of surplus equipment: (l) a large capacity sprayer in excellent condition with 400-gallon tnXik and (2) a 500-gallon wooden tank to be used as a supply 'onit for hauling vjater to the sprayer r Details on request. Mice, Grass and Trees . Mice are found in orchards in spite of the trees ^ not because of them. They live mainly on grass and if a heavy grass cover happens to coincide v/ith a tree trunk, the stage is set for a girdled tree. But if the grass is scont;/, the mice will be elsev;here and the tree will be in no danger of girdling. REORGMI^^ING M ORCHARD FOR BETTER FOLLnvATION. Following is a representation of a 7-acre block (about 54 trees to the acre), tnainl;/ ilclntosh and Baldwin virith a few Cortland and Delicious and the usual assortment of "skips" or blank spaces. Pcllinction of L'clntoshj except in the vicinity of the Cortland and Delicious trees^is very poor (Baldwin being ineffective for that purpose). By removing the Bald'Afins in' every other diagonal row, transplanting 5 trees v.'hich would otherwise be removed, and top grafting every third row of Mcintosh, a crov,'ded block v/ith irregular bearing habit is transformed into a high producing block in T.'hich every Mcintosh tree is adjacent to a pollenizer. M/g" M :b'm x'm^ m B' rM^ M, B' - j^r 1.1 H B"M ^l D D D M D D D X II r I.I mXm b M X II B'M, M B^l;lX XI'.'iXm M Zli X - B^M M M 11 M „ M B^i^ M M LI M - jr M Xm m m h m b''m f m m m b hX LI - Ilclntosh B - Baldwin C - Cortlaiid D - Delicious US - Mcintosh (top grafted) - Blank space Block before removing Semi-peiTraiients , Transplanting and Top Grafting Mb 11 M MS il K Mg M H MS M !J Mg '£ H M Mg H M Mg M li MS li M MS M Lt M C C M MS M M Mg M M Mg M M LI Mg Li M Mg M ri Mg M M Mg M M M C LI M Mt H M MS M M MS M M Mg Mg M M Mg M II Mg M M Mg M M MS Mg II M MS M M MS M M MS M M Mg M M M MS M M Mg M M MS M M Mg M M M MS M M Mg M M Mg M M MG II M D Mg M M Mg M M MS IK M Mg M M M MS ;m I: MS n n r.g :i y. ■ mg M M LIS D M M Mg M M MS M M MS M M ME D D M D LI M MS M II Mg M M MS M M M D M M MS M M MS M M MS M Block after reorganization -fi- SOIiE FACTS ABOUT FRCST Critical temperatures for fruits at different stages of development are indicated by the following figures. They represent temperatures endured for 30 minutes or less, v.dthout injury. Kind of Fruit Apples Belicious Some Beauty Pears Beurre Bosc ./inter i'lellis Peaches Cherries Plums Grapes Buds Closed but Full Bloom showing cole ir 25OF. 280F. 23 27 27 29 26 28 25 27 28 28 25 28 30 51 Small Green Fruits 29°F. 29 29 29 30 30 30 31 Records from various stations in New England reveal wide variation in dates of the last killing frost. Average Date of last Date after which frost Station lulling Frost in Spring may occur 1 year in 5 Amherst Concord, ii'ass, Fitchburg l.'estboro ^'Villiamstovm Liiddleboro Ilew Bedford Blue Hill Observatory Concord, Nev/ Hampshire Burlington, Vermont Kingston, PJiode Island Hartford, Connecticut 28 ilay 12 May 8 April I.Iay 6 May 2 May 12 April 14 April May 7 April April April 28 29 28 23 Aiay 21 May 15 May 18 May 17 May 11 May 23 April May 7 May 16 May 8 May 6 Ma-^^ 4 23 A difference of as much as Q° has been recorded at different elevations in the University Orchards during a single night. If a frost follows a period of weather favorable for rapid grov/th more damage is caused than if the same tempera- ture follovjs a period of cool cloudy weather. Also, more damage results from a given temperature vfhen the humidity is lov; than vrhen it is relatively high. G-rovjers Urged to Keep Simple Spray Record . Any commercial apple grower in iiassachusetts may obtain a form for recording weather conditions and the details of the spray and dust program by contacting his county extension office. Just ask for a Spray Record "Card, These cards pro- vide space for noting rainfall, but stages, temperature and materials used. Data of this kind will be of special interest to prospective members of the Red Apple Club. Prepared by the Departments of Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Compiled by W. H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist CONTENTS County Agents' Corner Fruit Varieties for Bone and Locker Freezing Rodent Control Notes Farm Income, Farm Prices, Farmer«Worker Relationships Ponds for the Fruit Grower Organic Phosphates Issued by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 19J4, Willard A. Munson, Director, University of Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture and County Extension Services Cooperating. COUNTY AGENT'S CORI'IER Franklin County (Observations reported by D, T, Thayer) Nomaii EllauG of Dry Hill Orchard in luillers Falls mdertook something new and different at- pollination ti'ie. As far as vre Imov/, for the first time in the gast, a shotgim v/as used in pollinating. As one grov/er remarked, "The sliotgun is generally employed following pollination," ElLns fired Golden Delicious pollen into the tops of a virtually solid block of liacs in -an attempt to set a crop, Cortland grafts were introduced into the block last yearj but were not cross pollinating this season. The pollen, loaded in regular sporting cartridges (v/ith reduced propellant charge and special wads) were flovm from Wenatchee, "lYashington, in refrigerated containers to reach here in highly viable condition. Three rovinds v;ere fired into each tree at different angles and raxiges. Cloth "spotters" were rigged in the tree to act as aiming points, and as reference to check fruit setting in relation to pattern of pollen dispersion. The gun was a 12 gauge sporting arm of ancient vintage. One tree in the block ivas comnletely enclosed with tobacco cloth v/hile in the pink stage as a check. This tree was shot under the cloth at bloom and no bees were observed inside. Slims has reported apples set on the bagged check tree, but no coimt was m.ade» There seems to be little research available on shotgun pollination, '»/e have shot into many conifers and several deciduous species at the elusive partridge and never found it too effective. It v/ould be quite embarrassing if our Dinah dog began to point Mac trees. Preston Tovmsley and his father, Fred Townsley, orchardists up in Ashfield's Apple Valley, spend considerable time during the v;inter months getting out logs from their managed timber lots. As soon as spray time comes, they lay by their caw and reach for the spray gun. Preston says there are times v/hen they feel like sawing right through the spring. Folks travelling the Mohawk Trail claim to hearing cries of "Timber" from Roger Peck's Valley View orchard in Slielburne, Roger claims to be the "logginest" fruit grower in this county. He's pruned severely.. i,e, one foot from the ground, a good many tliousand feet of fillers, crovYded trees during recent years. Seems a lot more of our orchards could stand a selective cutting. Over recent months a columnist iii the Boston Sunday Herald has been bemoan- ing the gradual passing of some of the oldtime varieties. This is quite a popular sport with some of our more earthy v;riters and some other rank senti- i.ientalists who don't icnov; a Hubbardston from a door knob. V/oll, Aubrey Amidon, Jr., of South Halifax, Vermont j can just about cover any variety you want to bet. He says he has "50 or lOO" different varieties and services a soecial demand trade for the odd ones. Deer have alv;ays been one of his biggest pest problems. Until recently, lead applications in the cover sprays, fall and winter dormant, have been used. The lead has been put on'with a ,30-, 30, we understand, h'ow, through the cooperation of the State, Aubrey has erected a v/oven wire fence 3 feet high around the most browsed blocks. Part of the Amidon orchard is in Colrain, Massachusetts, the block v;e took the Red Apple Club sample from, Aubrey gets the latest dope from both Vermont and Iviassachusetts, Vlhen Doc Boyd warns of an infection period and Aubrey viants to go trout fishing, he checks the Vermont message, aiid vice versa. Last time we vrere up there. Doc YJheeler couldn't find any red-banded leafroller. Said he doubted if they could find their v/ay up to Amidon 's. If there is any fruit grower in the state viho has never heard the ancient wheeze about the apple expert who could tell apple varieties by taste while blindfolded, come on up to any twilight meeting in Franklin County, Someone is sure to tell it every time. Hampden County (Observations reported by J, N, Putnejn) HaiApden County orchardists met recently at the Wyben orchards in Yvestfield, This orchard is operated by LIr, E, 3, Plartley and his son, George, One interest- ing feature of this meeting was a visit to a young orchard established by the Hartleys beginning fifteen years back. The land was originally covered v/ith woods, and the Hartleys cut several years' supply of firewood from the lot, and then began setting trees after partial clearing/ of stumps. Continuous work has been done since that time in picking up stones and discouraging sprouts, Ed Hartley states that this is the hardest way to do the job of establishing a new orchard. Most growers in this area v/ho have tried this method now agree that it is better to postpone planting a year or tviro, and in the meantime do a fairly complete job of land clearing, A demonstration of the Buffalo turbine sprayer was put on at this meeting, Groi';ers viere very much impressed with- its performance. It looks very promising for future use. Frost damage in Hampden County apple orchards was apparently not serious. The crop was threatened several times and tv/o grov;ers burned oil in five gallon cans to heat their orchards. One man started his heating with crankcase oil, refilling with furnace oil. The other used furnace oil entirely. -3- Scab control up until Hay 19 had been excellent. European red mite are nore n\imerous than is usual for this time of year, SELECTION OF FRUIT VARIETIES FOR HOME AIID LOCKER FREEZING During the past fev; years considerable attention has been given to the suitability of fruit varieties for freezing in many of the State Experiment Stations, Such studies have been carried on at the University of Massachusetts by the Department of Food Technology in cooperation with the Department of Pomology, A number of varieties of apples, blueberries, cherries, currants, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, and stravrberries gro\"--n at the University have been frozen each year over a five-year period. The frozen products vrere evaluated for quality on a basis of consumer acceptability. From these tests the following fruit varieties among others v/ere foi.md to be particularly satisfactory for home or locker freezing: Ap£le_s: Baldv;in, Cortland, Greening, Northern Spy, The Mcintosh and '/iealthy were good if given a calcium treatment to prevent excessive softening. Blueberries; Host cultivated varieties^ as well as wild blueberries, C?ierries (sour): Montmorency, Cherries (sweet): Schmidt and V/indsor, Currcaits: All varieties tested. Peaches (yellov^): Elberta, Halehaven, Ideal, J. H, Hale, Peaches (white): '.'fliite Hale, Pears: Freezing not recommended as frozen quality is generally poor. Plums: Albion, Burbank, Elephant Heart, Formosa, Monarch, President, and Red lung. Prunes: German Prune, Imperial Epineuse, Italian Prune, Stanley, Raspberries • (black): Bristol. Raspberries (purple): Columbian, Sodus, Raspberries (red): Chief, Cuthbert, Latham, Lloyd George, aiid Viking, Strawberries: Catskill, CrimsonglaT, Culver, Dorset, Fairfax, Fairpeake, Midland, Redheart, Senator Dunlop, Sparkle. There are other varieties of the above fruits v>rhich would usually yield a reasonably satisfactory product for home freezing. However, in the case of fruits -4- it would appear that as a general rule it may bo assumed that any variety, if of good fresh eating quality, viill be satisfactory \7hen frozen. Pears are an exception because they are not v;ell adapted for freezing and the resulting product is usually disappointing. For the best quality frozen fruits it is also important that only top quality rav/ material harvested at the optimum fresh eating stage of maturity be frozen. It is likev;ise important that recommended freezing and packaging procedures be f ollcuved. These may be found in the liassachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No, 437 (revised) - "Home Freezing in liassachusetts," This bulletin will be available for distri- bution in the near future, Williara B, Esselen, Jr. MOMTPILY RODELIT CONTROL NOTES Young fruit trees, planted as replacements in old tree sites, are often retarded in groivth, due to being partially or completely girdled by m_LCG, This may be prevented if care is taken, at the time of planting, to carefully fill in the hole left by the removal of the original tree. Before a young tree is planted, the groimd around the area v/here the original tree stood should not only be filled in but trampled dovm firmly, either by running over it with tractor wheels, water soaking, or by other means. This will give afirm, level ground area in which to plant the nev; tree, V'hen this is not done, as so often is seen, mice are furnished an ideal site for reproduction. If the ground is left uneven, mice may construct runways that will furnish routes of travel for several future generations of mice. Placing mulch over the uneven area usually forms pockets Yifhere mice may vfork in perfect safety, "^en grubbing around newly set trees, and particularly those set directly in old tree sites, sod should not be left in such a manner as to furnish additional mouse nesting and feeding sites. Another reason for keeping a level ground area around newly set trees is that a better job of mowing may be done. Meadow mice are definitely easier to control in an orchard that maintains a smooth orchard floor. The month of June will find many orchardists cutting the first grovrth of grass. Some v;ill let the grass lie where it fell; others will place it around the trees in a ring; and others may haul in extra mulch. luulching is recognized as an excellent orchard practice and should not increase the mouse hazard if done properly. If an effective mouse control program is to be carried out, then the following DON'TS are in order: (1) Don't place mulch directly against the tree. Place it at least three feet from the tree base, (2) Don't place a light, fluffy mulch covering, but apply enough so that the mulch will settle compactly. -5- (o) Don't place mulch arouiad newly set trees that are in a rough area such as caused by the removal of a previous tree. Fill in and pack dovvn the area before applying mulch, (4) Don't leave the grass around young trees unmov;ed for the entire season, particularly in areas which cannot be reached with the mower. After mowing has been completed, mice tend to move toward the unmowed areas. If an unmov/ed area exists around a tree base, mouse damage may occur before the fall baiting program begins. Most orchard ai,vners dislike the expense and the tedious labor involved in carrying out a successful fall baiting program, Hov/ever, this v/ork can be greatly reduced by good orchard sanitation practices. Much of this v;ork caii be accomplished during the months of June and July — such as good mcving, clean tree bases, removal of brush piles, and leveling of uneven orchard floor areas. — Carl B, Henry Assistant District Agent Conn,, Mass., Rhode Island ilOTEC 01: F.^JvI IHCOLIE, FAEI-i PRICES, AIID F.'ffil.iER-V.'OPJvSR RSLATIQirSHIPS Massachusetts Farm Income - The cash receipts vmich Massachusetts farmers received for their products from January to March 1949 were slightly less than in the same months las'c year. Total receipts were $42,320,000 compared with sii44,571,000 last year, a decrease of a little over 5 percent. Falling Prices - Many Massachusetts farmers have never operated a farm on a falling price level, Managem.ent problems on a falling price level are different than on a rising level. Increasing efficiency is one of the best v;ays to hold risks dovm and to insure profits. Plan faiTn jobs carefully, think them through and try to do them in the easiest and cheapest way possible, Fanner-Work'^r Relationships - Ilassachuset fcs fanners employ most help during the summer and fall months. It takes considerable skill en the part of the farmer to get the best results from the available help. Proper guidance and handling are important. This requires kindness, tolerance and pabience, VJhcn giving instructions - 1, Tell, show, illustrate and explain^ 2, Tclze up one point a.t a time, 5, Stress key points, 4, Point out safe working habits, 5, Let the worker do the jlob, 6, Ask him questions, 7, Let him ask ycu questions, 8, Check his work to make sure he is working correctly, 9, If nece5sa.ry to reprimajid begin with a question -- lot him tell his story first, 10, Don't be afraid to praise a job well done. -6- The Massachusetts Farm Situation - Prices for farm products began to decline earlier and have dropped farther than prices for most other commodities. The peak in fana prices in Massachusetts was in June 1948, By February 1949, prices received by farmers have dropped about 12,5 percent. Prices paid by farmers - including interest and taxes, reached a peak in January 1948, They changed little during the first nine months of the year and have since dropped only about 2 percent. This does not mean that farmers are headed for a depression. It is more likely to mean that the~"'bloom is off the boom," YiThat to do about it 1, Plan conservatively with emphasis on increased efficiency, 2, Feed liberally to take advantage of favorable feeding rations, 3, Fertilize adequately — fertilizer and lime are still among the best buys, 4, Buy only machinery which will reduce costs or increase output, 5, Pay debts — a dollar is still worth a dollar when paying debts, — Roy E, Moser POMPS FOR THE FRUIT GROTrER Interest in pond construction in this state has steadily increased since the establishment of the first soil conservation districts. This was a little sur- prising since Massachusetts' like other New England States is comparatively well supplied with natural lakes, ponds, streams, and springs. Moreover, the annual rainfall is generous and generally well distributed, although periods of drought within the grov/ing season are not uncommon. Fruit grov/ers have a particular interest in farm ponds as a source of water for spraying and in some cases for irrigation. The requests which have come to districts for assistance are evidence that farmers need more ponds than nature provided. Two hundred and sixty-two farm ponds have been planned, and of these, 69 have been constructed. Pond construc- tion is becoming a major district activity. Technicians of the Soil Conserva- tion Service assist' the farmer in picking a suitable site, and Service engineers design the pond, all of which may require considerable tirae. The farmer pays the cost of construction. Enough data on the construction of ponds in this state have now been accumulated to permit the drawing of the follov;ing, in some cases tentative, conclusions: (l) Per unit of storage capacity, the dugout type of pond is cheaper than the breastwork or dam type, (2) Dugout ponds can be built more cheaply with a heavy bulldozer than with a dragline. Dragline costs approximate those with the lighter bulldozers, Tifhen a dragline is used for excavation it is still -7- necessary to use a bulldozer to spread the soil, (3) Dugout ponds having capacities betv;een 50,000 and 150,000 gallons can be built v/ith a heaAry bull- dozer under favorable conditions for ^f75 to si-lSO under present costs. The Soil Conservation Service is priraarily interested in pond construction as a means toward the conservation of soil ajid v:ater. The pond should play a part in a complete farra conservation plan. However, ponds may in many cases serve different useful purposes including a source of v/ater for irrigation, fire fi[;htin£, fish, and recreation, A inultiple-purpose pond returns most on the investment, — A, B, Beaumont ij!*:;;***!;;*:^!^*** ****** Small Fruits Day, Jime IG. Interested in strawberries and other small fruits? Then you may want to take in the annual session at the Cold Storage in Amlierst, June 16, beginning at 10:30 a»m, Anong the spealcers are Dr, A, S, Colby of Illinois who vrill discuss developments in strawberry grordng. There v;ill be other spealcers, exhibits, question period, ■ in fact something to interest every grower of small fruits, ******************* Red Apple Club. The spraying season is about at the half- way nark. If you have done a good job of controlling pests thus far and if your set of fruit shows promise of at least 400 bushels per acre, you have a good chance of qualifying for membership in the Red Apple Club, An opportunity to apply for inspection will be offered every ocsmraercial grower in August, In the meantime, everyone vdth "honorary fraternity" ambitions should keep a careful spray record, and otherwise strive to qualify in the "three high hurdles" which involve score, grade, and yield, ******************* Deer Repellent, The new repellent mentioned recently in FRUIT ilCTES is being tested in several liassachusetts Orchards this season. In at least 4 orchards highly susceptible to damage, treated trees will be tagged to observe whether or not further damage occurSo . This material is said to be so unpalatable that deer after nibbling treated leaves spit them out promptly. ********* ***** * * * * * Chemical Thinning, There is some evidence that the hormone, naphthalene acetic acid, is effective in apple thinning even when applied as late as early June, Grov;ers interested in trying this material in a small way should m.ake the application before the so-called "June drop," Four \veeks after petalfall may be about the limiting date. Full details are available from your county e::tension office or the Department of Pomology in Amherst, -8- QRGAIIIC PHOSPHATES TEPP and Parathion These two materials are proving useful against certain orchard pests in many parts of the country including Massachusetts, Since both of them are hii^hly poisonous to v;ann-blooded animals, let's learn to handle and use them safely. These organic phosphates differ from wottable DDT and Lead Arsenate in that they are absorbed through the skin. The manufacturers of tetraethyl pyrophos- phate and Parathion spray materials recognize this fact and give com.plete directions for handling the TEPP liquids and Parathion powders. These directions and precautions are for your safety. Residues of TEPP o.re completely non-toxic after several hours and need not concern anyone. Residues remaining from Parathion sprays lose their toxicity to insects after a few days and are neglible on food products after 30 days at the dosages ajid nuraber of applications which seem necessary for insect control. uoth materials are employed in the orchard in very dilute concentrations, Hov/ever, spray operators should not be allov/ed to vrear spray soalced clothing nor to be exposed to spray drift for several hours without washing the hands and face thoroughly. Arrange the clothing to prevent drip dovm the back of the neck. Provide a means for thorough washing of hands and face and limit the hours one operator is exposed to excessive drift of spray mists, TEPP has been a very effective material against mites and aphis this season, Parathion is a good miticide and in addition may prove very useful against summer 7md Moth and second generation Red-bojided Leafroller, It is being used by some grcn-/ers to control curculio on peaches, — Ellsworth H, Vflieeler V.liy Som.e Spray Programs Eail. More spray progrejns "miss the mark" because of poor coverage than because the wrong materials are used. Almost any brand of material v/ill give satisfactory results if properly applied. Failure to cover all parts of the trees is the most common m.istaice of the spraying season. Apply Lime V.^enever Convenient, Liming the soil is one operation v;hich may be done almost any month in the ySar. Unlike mtjxy other orchard jobs, spraying, fertilizing, thinning, mouse control, etc, v;hich are so dependent on careful timing, there is literally no "closed season" on liming. Maybe that's v;hy some folks put it off indefinitely. But in so doing they are losing out on one of the basic things in soil improvement, ****************** JULY 3, I9U9 Prepared by the Departments of Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Compiled by W. H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist CONTENTS Chokecherries - Eliminate Them Now Blaeberries for Home and Locker Freezing Liming Orchard Soils tount> Agents' Corner The Apple Scab Situation Evaluating the Newer Insecticides Orchard Insect Control Fall-Set Strawberry Plants Fresh Frozen Apple Juice Issued by the Extension Service in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30- 1914, WiUard A, Munson, Director, University of Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture and County Extension CHOKECIIERR IBS - ELD,IINATE THBJ HOl'7 The X-disease or yellow-red virosis, a virus disease of peaches, is apparently becoming a real threat to the peach industry in some sections of the state. The alternate host of this disease is the chokecherry which grows wild in abimdance over most of the state. Since this diseaSe travels rapidly from chokecherry to peach but very slov;ly from peach to peach, it is necessary to remove all choke- cherries to a distance of 400 to 500 feet from the peach orchard to be reasonably sure of freedom from this disease. Removal '-of chokecherries is the only Icnovm control at present. Some gro\f;ers who have peach orchards next to wooded areas heavily infested with chokecherries find it practically impossible to eliminate them from such areas, Tnis emphasizes the necessity for great care in selecting a peach site. Setting peaches next to an area infested with chokecherries is inviting trouble. If it is possible the chokecherries should be eliminated before the peaches are planted. If they can't be eliminated another site had better be selected. Vvhere it is at all possible, chokecherries should be eliminated promptly around orchards alread2/ set. The chokecherry is a persistent tree. If it is cut off, many sprouts will develop from the stump. If it is dug out, any root pieces left v;ill send up sprouts. The only sure way of killing chokecherries is by the use of an herbicide. The most. -effective and safest of these is Aramate, It is used at the rate of 1 lb, per gallon of water. Treatment is most effective if the spray is applied v/hen the plants are grov/ing rapidly but any time from late June to mid-August appears satisfactory. The f olj age of the chokecherries should be thoroughly wet with the spray and roovfing postponed until the following season, Ammate is less effective in shaded areas so that in such places one or two retreatments may be required. Since Anmate is not a selective spray, it must be used around desirable plants vrith care. Peach trees are quite sensitive to it so that it should not be used _iji the orchard; only around the orchard, ■ Ammate is quite corrosive on metals. It should not be left in spray equipment longer than necessary and the equipment needs to be v/ashed thoroughly iiTimediately after use. Adding some spray lime to the wash v;atcr helps. It is also desirable to wash the -'outside -of .^ ttie. spx-ay^er tQ..d*emoy#- ax»y., •W^tari^i.^^ich- hc^ slp^pe^j^cyer, — John S, Bailey ELUEBSFJIIES FOR liOLIE AND LOCKER FHEEZING Both cultivated and vjild loiv bush and high bush blueberries have been found to be quite satisfactory when frozen. Under some conditions trouble has been experienced y/ith a toughening of the skins during freezing and storage. The exact cause of this condition is not knovm. However, it has been found that in many cases blanching prevents the development of tough skins. For blanching the blue- berries should be handled in one or two pound amounts. They may' be blanched in either live steam or hot v^ater for from 30 seconds to one minute, depending upon the tenderness of the fruit. Firm blueberries should be blanched for one minute. In blanching the fruit may be placed in a sieve and dipped into boiling water or exposed to live steam. During blanching the fruit is softened and some color and juice will escape. Immediately after the blanching period the blueberries should be cooled by holding them in cold v/ater for several minutes. -2- Several different procedures for freezing blueberries have been found to be satisfactory, 1. If the blueberries are blanched they may be froeen without added sugar or dry sugar may be mixed with them at the rate of one pound of sugar ' to five or six pounds of fruit, 2. Fully ripe berries may be mixed with dry sugar at the rate of one pound of sugar to five or six pounds of fruit. The fruit should be stirred gently until sufficient juice coraes out of the berries to dissolve the sugar, 3, Fully ripe berries may be packed in containers and covered v.'ith a cold sugar sirup (a 40 per cent or medium sirup is satisfactory for most people ), 4, The berries may also be packed dry v;ithout any sugar. The selection of vrfiich method of freezing to use should be based on the ultimate use of the frozen blueberries and the tendencjr of the skins of the fruit to become tough (on basis of previous experience in freezing blueberries of particular varieties in a given area). During the past five years a number of different ' varieties of cultivated blueberries, grown at the University of f-'Iassachusetts, as well as wild blueberries have been frozen. The quality of the frozen berries has been evaluated on a basis of flavor, texture and color. In general, all of the blueberry varieties tested were considered as being of very good quality. Slight variations in acidity and flavc v/ere observed among the different varieties, but it was a matter of individ-^al taste as to v/hich variety v/as preferred. The varieties of blueberries tested include: Cabot, Concord, Jersey, Pemberton, Pioneer, Rancocas, Rubel, Scammell, Stanley, Y/areham and wild high bush berries, -- Y.'illiam B, Esselen, Jr. No issue of FRUIT NOTES was prepared during June. -jf -/<■ -;;- -;;- ->t -;(• •>!- -><■ ■{;- -a- -At ■>(• ■K- ->!• -ji- ■);- -!<• ■?<• 7^.en Raspberry Leaves Turn Brown - Vfe frequently see the leaves on an occasional raspberry cane turning brovm during June and TOonder v;hether an insect or disease is responsible. The difficulty generally dates back to the previous year when Spur Blight or Anthracnose infected the new canes. Spraying with Ferraate during May helps to insure healthy productive canes the following season. -;;- -ic- ■«■ -;s- a- * -^ -x- ■«• ^- -;;• -;«■ -;i- ■;;- ->(■ ■«• •»«• Hr LIMING ORCHARD SOILS ^C J. VtTiy should an orchardist be interested in liming his soils, anyway? .-iftc all, a fruit tree is just a tree and who ever seriously considered applying lir-ie to tracts of timber? Yes, a fruit tree is just a tree but we are asking it to produce a crop every year, not once in thirty or forty years. Consequently, we must give that tree the best soil environment that we can, to keep it at a high level of production. For that matter, we may someday lime and fertilize timber trees if the demand for forest products becomes sufficiently acute. About eightee; years ago, the writer visited some fertiliser trials with pine trees near Berlin, Germany and saw some very marked responses of timber trees to the use of fertilizers If we are interested in creating the best possible soil environment for the tree to grow in, what is the role of Lime? Lime plays many roles in the soil, both simple and complex. Following is a short discussion of some of them. First, we say that we want to correct the soil acidity. Soil acidity is a bad thing and we want to get rid of it. Therefore, we vi^ant to add lime. ilThile in a sense this statement may be correct, it does not explain all that is involved. Soils are acid because of an abundance of active hydrogen ions. V/e could also say that they are acid because of the absence of calcium, magnesiimi and some of the other basic elements. Actually, we are more concerned with the latter statement than the first. iVe are much more concerned about the absence of calcium and magnesium than we are about the presence of hydrogen. If the soil is well supplied udth the basic elements, calcium and raarnesium, the acidity as represented by active hydrogen will take care of itself. In fact, the hydrogen ion plays a very important and vital role in the nutrition of a plant. It has been sho;vn that the hydrogen ion is not necessarily a villain and that some "acidity" is actually a good thing. If liming is an essential operation in the treatment of acid orchard soils, hovr much lime should one apply? The conventional procedure is to take a repre- sentative sample of soil and have it tested for "pH". Recommendations are then based on the pH test. This procedure is satisfactory as far as it goes but there may be other points to consider besides pH when applying lime to orchard soils. The terrain of an orchard may be steep and it may be about as easy to apply two or even three tons to the acre as it is to apply one ton. Hence infrequent hea^.^ applications of lime would be more practical than frequent light applications. Another factor for orchardists to consider is the acidifying materials used in carrjang out the spray program. The most important acidifying element is sulfur. It takes about three pounds of limestone to neutralize one pound of sulfur. Some orchardists using sulfur ddst may use as much as five or six hundred pounds of this material per acre per year. To neutralize this quantity of sulfur 1500 to I8OG pounds of limestone would be required. Hence, an orchardist using large quantities of sulfur should make heavier 'applications of lime than one using much smaller quantities of such acidifying substances. In any discussion of the liberal use of limestone on Massachusetts soils, the role of boron should be mentioned. For most plants to grow normally, a fairly definite balance of calciijm and boron must exist in the soil. Since the natural supply of boron is fairly lov; in most Massachusetts soils, heavj' applications of -h- lime may so disturb the Ca/Bo ratio that boron deficiency symptoms may develop. Boron deficiency symptoms have already been observed with many crops in this state, including the fruit crop. It would appear wise, therefore, to supplement most hea\fy applications of lime with a suitable application of borax. The unprecedented drought this year has caused heavy financial losses to Massachusetts farmers but even the lining of this black cloud (or perhaps lack of clouds) has just a tinge of silver on it. Dairymen have never cured better hay and the land in orchards and elsewhere was never in better shape to receive a liberal application of lime. There shoiild be no extracting of mired lime trucks from wet spots in the field this year. — Yfilliam G. Colby -;;• -j;- -ii- -;(■ -x- -;;- it -;(■ -it -;;- ^i # it ■);- -;«■ -;:- it •};- COUNTY AGENTS ' CORNER (Observations reported by Lewis A. Norwood of Plymouth Coimty) It looks as if the mulching program in the State Farm orchard is paying off, especially during this dry spell. Vifallace Pratt has an excellent crop and the leaves are large and of very fine color, ''iially has had considerable trouble with Grape Cane Qallmaker in his vineyard this season. He has picked off 20 bushels of the galls and destroyed them. It is the worst infestation that he can remember. His method of pruning the Fredonia variety is working out very \vell. He has adopted a system v^hich involves weighing the prunings and leaving proportionately more buds on large vines. In other words, the number of buds varies in accordance with the weight of the prunings. He looks forward to a good crop of Fredonias this season. Dry weather has hit the strawberry crop in this section, George Rounds is cooperating with the Extension Service in a test planting involving 5 varieties. Midland, Fairland, Sparkle, Catskill and Howard. The County is fairly free from Apple Scab. Seme Scab, however, has been noticed in the tops of trees in one commercial orchard Vv-here a speed sprayer has been used. Minor refinements in spraying technique are apparently needed. Clover Mite has been observed in Plymouth County orchards in the past few weeks. There is also considerable Rosy Aphis damage especially on the Cortland variety. Ralph Baker plans to use a dormant D-N this fall to clean up Ihis troublesome pest. Essex County Fruit Grovjers Look Ahead (Observations reported by Calton 0. Cartwright) \irhile some of our younger fruit growers would think tivice before planting an orchard which they might think was for' the benefit of the next generation, "Dean" Harry Seagrave, manager of Long Hill Orchards, Inc., West Newbury, set out a new peach and plum orchard last year and is now planning for an apple orchard to be set on the contour in 1950. "Bill" Thies said on his last visit to this orchard, "If our younger fruit grovrers had the enthusiasm and confidence in the future that our "Dean" (of 80 odd summers) has, our fruit industry would surely prosper." -5- Dr. Joseph Goodale owner of a large orchard in Ipswich is another active member of our. "80 Club". Dr. Goodale spends a part of each day in his orchard and has a keen interest in pest development and control as well as other orchard problems. Perhaps our older growers may have a foresight into the future. At any rate they are certainly helping to lead us forward. Other orchards are taking definite steps to replace some of their older plantings. Archer Pierce, manager of Brooksby Orchards, Peabody, has just bull- dozed seven acres of forest land adjacent to a two year old apple orchard. Apple trees will be planted on this new site next year. Edward Kehoe and Yninthrop Stacey, joint o-wners and operators of Merrihead Orchards, Merrimack, have cleared a four acre site and laid out a diversion terrace. This orchard will be planted with Peach trees next spring. Harold Vi'alker, President of the Essex County Fruit Growers Association, made good use of his bulldozer last winter when he removed a number of diagonal rows to alleviate crowded trees in his large orchards in Lynnfield, •>!• -;;- o'i- ■«• ^!- ■«• * ^ -K- ■«■ -:?■ ■«• i'c it -;i- * -> ^;- -x- COia/lENTS ON THE APPLE SCAB SITUATION It seems strange why there should be so much apple scab following such a dry spring and summer. There vrere very few widespread or regional storms during the spring season that brought prolonged wetting periods. However, the records do indicate numerous sectional wet periods right on the border line in duration for primary scab infection as well as for secondary spread later on. Some of the wettings that favored infection in one part of the state were too short in duration to allow infection in other sections. Orchard examinations during May and Jxme indicate clearly that practically all sections of the state experienced one or two infection periods before bloom; some areas, at least one or tvro during the early cover spray period. The principal reasons for appearance of scab are the same as in any other year: failure either to time the protective sprays ahead of or during the wet periods, or to obtain thorough coverage. Early maturity of scab ascospores last spring and the moderate to heavj'- supply of primary inoculum contributed materially to the development of scab before, during, and shortly after bloom wherever protection was not adequate during the wet periods. Considerably more infection of fruit spur leaves and sepals occurred at pre-pink (April 13-lU and 18-19) and at pink (May 2-3 in high elevation orchards) than growers generally at the time suspected, or even realized until some time after the spots showed up. These scab spots were ideal sources for secondary spread during the infection periods on May 19-21, 22-23, 2U-25 and 30-31. In certain orchards the only scab now in evidence includes an occasional primary fruit spot together with some active or burned-out spur-leaf spots. Further primary infection as well as secondary spread was more or less -6- co'-.plc'-el/ prevented. In other orchards, additional infections of terminal leaves c;nd apples occurred during one or more of the four wet periods in May indicated above, A good many growers applied phenyl mercury sprays to eradicate leaf spots. In generalj the acetate materials (Puratized Apple Spray and Tag Fungicide 331) were more effective than the lactate form (Puratized Agricultural Spray). The apple scab situation in most orchards this year calls for a protective fungicide in all of the late season cover applications to protect foliage and fruit against secondary spread. Considering the amount of active scab in some orchards, additional dust or spray applications of sulfur may be needed during August,, if vist periods sufficiently long to allow fruit infections are encountered, It has been found that wet periods of UO-it? hours are necessary during the first half of August to favor infection of Mcintosh apples, and about h days for late August and early September. — Cran C. Boyd ■!!■ -K- -;:- ^;- -;;- -;?■ -x- ■«• •«■■;;-«* ■!<■ * ■«■ -;;- -st -is- -;:- ViTHERE DC t'»E GC FROM HERE? - Evaluating the Newer Insecticides Never in the last 25 years has the pest control program been in so great a confusion. New pesticides have been developed and have passed the preliminary^ screening tests with flying colors. Preliminary experiments have sho^vn remarkably good results. Mow they are being evaluated for local problems under local conditions. They must be standardized for practical application. Some of this confusion \-dll be cleared up this season but not all — science doesn't move that quickly. I know that there will be some questions next year vihich we cannot answer definitely. Let us look at some of the problems. Superior oil seejjis best for control of winter red mite eggs but it is not satisfactory against rosy aphis, Dinitro sprays are excellent to combat aphids but even the butyl forms, such as DN 289 and Elgetol 318, were disappointing against red mite in some cases. V/ith the increase of the two-spotted mite which spends the winter under bark and trash on the ground so that none of the dormant sprays are effective, a new treatment must be found. In experiments, Methoxychlor, Chlordane, and Parathion have given better control of the plum curculio than the currently used materials and no douot the recommendations v/ill be changed to m.alce use of these advantages. I.'.ethoxychlor is favored. A new insecticide called DDD or TDE has shovm great efficiency for combatting the red-banded leafroller. It is available as a wettable powder and an emulsion and v/e have yet to learn which is more practical under New England conditions. Will the emulsion cause excessive residue at harvest or interfere with proper coloring of Mcintosh? Does it give adequate control of codling moth and apple maggot when all three of these pasts are present in July? The most outstanding new insecticides are TEPP and Parathion. They kill practically all insects which come in contact v.-ith them. Both have given out- standing control of summer red mite. TEPP is an excellent aphicide and Parathion controls all apple insect pests irell. Unfortunately, however, these materials contain organic phosphates which are violent poisons in the concentrated form. vJhen diluted ready to use there is little danger when the precautions given by th. manufacturer are followed. 7/e v^ould like to avoid such materials but their efficiency is so great that they cannot be ignored. -7- Unfortunately these new pesticides have been introduced for orchard use more rapidly than they can be completely evaluated for local conditions. Some con- fusion is unavoidable, but such is progress. — ¥. D. iMlhitcomb Waltham Field Station -'J- -;r- -^ -;;- -;s- -;;- -.r -;;- -a- -» ■»• -js- -:«■ -ic- -;}■ -;;- •«■ ORCHARD INSECT CCNTRGL - Summer 19U9 At this writing, early in July, Massachusetts apple growers must continue spray and dust programs designated to control Apple Maggot, second brood Codling !,ioth, Red-banded Leaf roller and European Red Mite. Two-spotted Mite, Bud i.ioth, Leaf- hopper and Aphids also may require treatment in some orchards. These pests, even the more common ones, are not present to the same extent in all orchards and there- fore, it becomes very important for each grower to know v;hat insects or mites he must control. Judging by experiences in 19U8 and by observations made in V)h9 » Apple Maggot, Red-banded Leaf roller. Mites and Codling Moth head the list. The importance of Apple Maggot in your orchard must be based largely upon past history and the possibility of migrants from surrounding areas. If dropped, '.vormy apples can be foimd in your orchard during mid- and late July, then a second brood of C -Iling Moth is an August threat. Mites must be watched almost daily to detect tneir presence in serious numbers before yellowing or bronzing of the foliage occurs. Examine both sides of the leaves since damage by Tvro-spotted Mite shows first on lower surfaces. The Red-banded Leaf roller is a serious threat wherever any sign of first brood activity on fruit can be found. Every apple grower should examine each block novir to determine the extent of the first brood damage to fruit and leaves. Any first brood damage at all means even more serious damage from second brood (and even third brood this season). In general this pest is more prevalent in Massachusetts this year than in 19U8. Coverage and Sprays vs. Dusts - For Mites, Red-banded Leafroller and Bud Moth both surfaces of foliage must be treated regardless of the insecticide being used. For the latter two pests, especially the amount of insecticide applied to the under surface of the leaves makes the difference between success and failure. Don't griess — know how well you are covering as the sprays are applied. For Codling Moth the fruit must be covered on all sides. Maggot control depends upon the presence of the insecticide on upper surfaces of foliage, all sides of fruit and on hedgerov/s and adjoining woods as well. Dusts may be depended upon for controlling Maggot, light infestations of Codling Moth and probably mites if very thorough. Dusts have a distinct advantage from the standpoint of residues at harvest. Dusts usod to supplement a spray program are excellent for late Maggot and Codling Moth and. help keep residues at a Iojzv level. Sprays must be used to control Red-banded Leafroller successfully and are less expensive for materials where mites must be controlled in addition to other posts. Timing - Apple Maggot flies will remain a threat until mid-August or even later if raigr?.xits into the orchard are a problem. Peak abundance normally should occur betvjeen July 10 and August 1. Second-brood Codling Moth larval entries should occur in greatest abundance during the first two weeks in August. Mites may appear -8- at any time but favorable conditions this year are causing the Two-spotted Mite to appear in serious numbers earlier than usual. There is still time this season for several generations of both European Red Mite and the Two-spotted Mite. To control the former now requires two successive sprays not more than 10-days apart regardless of v;hat material is used. Since the Two-spotted Mite may complete a generation in even less time the interval should be reduced to 6 or 7 days (or h to 5 when temperatures are really high) where this pest is the major problem. Red- banded Leafroller moths of the first generation are now active and are laying eg^;.-3 for the second and most destructive brood. First hatching of second brood larvae may be expected about July 12 or 15 this year and will continue on into early August. Tvro spray applications will be needed to control this pest — the first, shortly after the first hatching occurs and a second when hatching is nearly com- plete or about 10 to 12 days after the first. Materials - Of the standard recommended materials, lead arsenate has a longer- lasting effect upon Maggot and Red-banded Leafroller (second brood) than does DDT. Against Codling Moth the DDT is much more effective than arsenate. 'Miere no special problem exists the 2-2-100 formula for the combination, or the 3-100 if ; lead arsenate is used alone, should provide adequate control of these pests if one assumes a thorough coverage of fruit and undersides of the foliage. Parathion caused spotting of fruit on Mcintosh and Cortland in both New York and Michigan in 19ii8 when used in July or early August treatments above l/2 po-und of 15^' wettable powder to 100 gallons. At this concentration Parathion should control Mites, Bud Moth, and nevily hatched Red-banded Leafroller. It will reduce Apple Maggot flies and Godling'lJoth but protection against them will not extend beyond a week. So far as ±o knovm Parathion may be used on other varieties at concentrations of 1 or 1^ pounds of the l^f> wettable powder with correspondingly greater effectiveness, Dichl^ro diphenyl dichloroe thane or DDD or TDE is particularly effective against Red-'oanded Leafroller and is recommended as a substitute for DDT wherever this pest is a problem. DDD is about like lead arsenate for Codling Moth and similar to DDT against Ma.c^got. DDD will control older Red-banded Leafroller larvae and thus may be used to clean up an infestation that seems to be getting out of hand. DDD is not effective against Mites. DDD should be used at 1 pound of actual toxicant as a powder and at 1/2 lb. in liquids and is available in both wettable powder and liquid formulations. There is some evidence that the liquid formulation penetrates the v/ebs better and there- fore is more effective. It has the disadvantage of giving greater residues at harvest. Also there is a greater possibility of encountering injury to foliage or fruit owing to incompatibilities between liquids in the formulations and materials such as sulfur. The $0% wettable powders used at 2 lbs, to 100 gallons will control the Leafroller and lessen the danger of excessive residues at harvest time. If mites or aphids or both are problems at the time the Red-banded Leafroller starts to hatch, then Parathion used as indicated above, may be the logical material to include in a mid-July spray. This could be either the first or second application of the two needed for mite control. Omit the DDT if Parathion is employed, but include the lead arsenate for longer-lasting effectiveness. Vihere neither the Red- banded Leafroller nor Bud Moth are problems, TEPP or the simmer DN's might well be used to control mites. DDD should prove far more effective than Parathion when used in a late July or early August spray against Red-banded Leafroller. — Ellsworth H. Vjheeler •K- -;;■ -),<■ -/<■ -A' -;;- -;;- -;;• -ji- ■>,«• -;;■ -;;- ■;;- -;i- -;s- -;;- ^i- -;;- ■«• -if- -9- BETTER YIELDS FROM FALL-SET STPJ^vVBERRY PLANTS Fall planting of strawberries has been compared for yields at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station with spring plantings of the same varieties. George L. Slate of the Geneva Station states "The fall-set beds have generally substantially outyielded the spring set beds, chiefly because of the better stand of earlier formed, and consequently larger runner plants." He finds that the silty clay loam at Geneva is in better physical condition in the fall. In the spring this same soil U.coraes tillable rather late, and in a wet spring planting is delayed too long for good growth. The range of dates for fall planting wae October l8 to November 15 and the dates for spring planting from April 21 to May 27. table ! The yields from fall and spring planting may be compared in the folloiving Table 1 Quarts per 2$ foot plot of fall and spring planted strawberries. 19U7 yields Date set Geneva Farm Howard (Premier) Catskill Dresden • Culver Mean of 13 selections 19h6 yields 10/18A5 8.6 qts 6.1 12.1 11.1 9.0 5/2/i;6 . 5.9 3.8 1.9 10.9 7.0 Geneva Farm Howard (Premier) Sparkle Temple Dorsett Culver Mean of 8 selections Table 2 10/17M 9 12 16 12 lit 12 5/2l/ii5 1; 7 8 h 16 8 Number of runners per plant July 17, 19h6 Variety Howard (Premier) Culver Dorsett Fairfax _Catskill Date set 10/18/14^ .V2/I16 11.0 runners 3.0 runners 11.3 i;.i4 9.8 .5 8.6 l.h 5.1 2.1 -10- Table 2 shows a striking increase in the number of runners per plant resulting from fall set plants. Several experiment stations have reported that the early formed runners are much more productive than those produced in late summer accoi-ding to Dr. Slate. The fall set plants have more early rooted large crowned plants. Fall Setting Pointers - One objection to fall planted strawberries is that they must be mulched two winters for one crop. Also, nurseries do not sell strawberry plants in the fall, so healthy vigorous home grown plants must be used. Soils should be selected vdiich are not heavy, or inclined to be wet during the winter or which retard spring growth. Such soils may cause some heaving of plants even when mulch is applied. i — C. G. Anderson -js- ■*(• -;;- ->!- -fr ■»■ -;;■ -,f- -Jv ■«• ii- * -;;- a -;:- ^(- is- -;;■ ■» FRESH FROZEN APPLE JUICE E. F. Fitzgerald of Leominster treated the vi-riter to some excellent apple juice a few weeks ago. He offers these suggestions: "In most communities there are quick freeze frozen food locker plants where fresh sweet apple juice can be frozen and preserved indefinitely. The juice is usually frozen in gallon jugs and placed in cartons for convenience in storing. Allow juice to settle and clear by leaving in kegs over night. Drav.' off in gallon jugs leaving one to one and a half inches at the top for expansion. Freeze as soon as possible. '"A'hen thav:ing juice, thaw completely and shake well. Keep cold and serve cold. "In order to have a good product, cleanliness is very important. Keep press clean, Pcald knives and grinder before pressing and keep cloths sv/eet and clean. A good flavor and texture is obtained by using half Baldwins and half Mcintosh. Use only sound, ripe fruit." ■Ji- r Red Apple Club - Applications for Red Apple Club membership should be made through the County Extension Office. Any grower who thinks he has a chance to qualify this season should drop a line to his County Agricultural Agent indicating the approximate date of har- vest. The County Agent will supervise the picking of an official 5-bushel sample to be inspected according to a carefully arranged plan. Applications must be in not later than September 1. Requirements for Red Apple Club membership were outlined in the April issue of FRUIT NOTES. « -;;- * -}t -;;- -;!- -;(• * -js- ■» -> -;;- -;;- -!s- ■«• -;;- ■;;- * ^c- Viiliat ' s On Your Iviind?- Vfe need suggestions concerning topics to be covered in FRUIT NOTES. A post card will do the trick. i'- -j;- I-;- ■» -;;- -ti- <- ■'/<■ -^ ^ -;}■ -j;- -;{■ -;;■ it -a- -;r -;(■ -;;■ AUGUST 30,I9U9 Prepared by the i3epart,;iicnt.s of Porriology Entomolopy anc' tetany and Other Staff Merrters Ccn.piler' Ly W hi. Thies Extension Hcrticul tur is t CONTENTS Control of Pre-Harvest Drop of Apples Apple Marketing 1. Grower Survey of Selling Methods 2. Starting Prices of Mcintosh Apples 3. Selling t>lans for 1949 Conservation Practices on a Fruit Farm Some Effects of the Dry Summer Issued by the Extension Service ^n tjrcht:anc= of A. is ot May 8 ar.d j'unt 30. 1-914. Willa:d A. Mun-^on. Director, University of Massa* ha^e t ts , United States Depaxtment of Apr i .,ul ture and County Extension Se: .ices Coopeiacing- ccjTrll g^' P;{1::-!?ah-/est drop cf apples As you all know, I^clntosh is a variety which is outstanding in its suscepti- bility to pre-harvest drop. This drop is usually more severe on trees which are hi^h in nitrogen due to heavy applications of commercial nitrogen fertilizers or mulch. Also trees v^hich have poor foliage due to the activities of mites and other insects or as a result of frost, are subject to much heavier fruit dropping than trees with healthy foliage. Materials for delaying pre-harvest drop in the Northeast consist of naphthalene- acetic acid type materials and have been in general use for 8 or 9 years. It is possible that we may have other materials shortly v;hich may be superior to any material now available, but they are still in the experimental stage. These naphthaleneacetic acid type materials should be applied as soon as the first sound fruits commence to drop. Apples which have insect damage, scab, or are lopsided from lack of seeds should be disregarded; they will drop anyway. It may be desirable for a grov/er to clean up drops under a fevi typical trees in advance so that he can follow the drop daily and determine accurately v/hen the first sound fruit has commenced to drop. Timing is extremely important. An application put on too early or too late is apt to give very disappointing results. Most materials are put up so that h ounces of the material per 100 gallons^ will result in a 10 parts per million concentration (single strength). An appli- cation of this concentration may be expected to delay drop about 7 days. In order to delay drop 10 to 12 days, a second single strength application^may be necessary £ days after the first one. The use of 2 or 3 times this dosage (double and triple Strength) may be effective up to 10 to 1^ days', with only one application. A 0.1^ dust is equivalent to a single strength spray. Applications put on in warm weather ^\dll become effective somewhat sooner than applications put on in cool weather. Under severe drought conditions, such as we are now experiencing, the hormone may be ineffective. A heavy rain will be necessary in many orchards before harvest _in order to supply rieeded water, or the material may be of very little value in ^: delaying drop this year. , . Thoroughness of application is, of course, important. It is necessary that the foliage be well soaked with spray since it is through the leaves that the material is absorbed, ^^etting of the stems of the fruit is not of primary importance, as once supposed, since it has been found experimentally that injections or applica- tions of this material to the foliage alone are effective in delaying the drop. . — F. W. Southwick '■ JC J J. j<. J J. Pre-Harvest Suggestions for the Apple Grower. (1) Observe Mcintosh drop daily on a few trees to determine time for hormone application. (2) Check supply and condition of picking equipment, - ladders, picking, containers, boxes, etc. (3) Smooth and otherwise level orchard roads to prevent bruising of fruit. (U) Recruit and train supervisors of picking crews. (5) Observe where your best and poorest fruit is produced . as a guide to your pruning, mulching, spraying and thinning program in 1550. -2- APPLE MARKETING (An interesting analysis of the apple marketing situation is heire presented by Fred E. Cole, Extension Marketing Specialist. His conclusions covering a 25-year period deserve careful study.) A GROVffiR SURVEY OF SELLING METHODS Fifty-two questionnaires were sent to the directors of the Massachusetts Fruit Grovrers Association and Red Apple Club members. Forty-six replies were received and tabulated. The following two tables show the different sales methods used and the extent of use of each method as reported by these growers for their 19ii8 crop. These crops varied in size from 3 20 bushels to 75,000 bushels and averaged to be 12,Li96 bushels. Method of Sale (Arranged in order of Amount) 3lt.O % delivered to commission merchajit for sale growers' account. ti,7 t' delivered country storage for sale by storage operator, 6.7 % sold to large chain stores — delivered their warehouse. 6.0 % sold to consumer over roadside stand. 5.5 % sold - other. ^.3 % sold to consumers from storage or packing shed. ^.3 % sold to peddlers from packing shed or storage, ^.1 % delivered to city storage for sale by commission merchant. U.2 % sold to manufacturer of apple juice, apple cider or vinegar, 2.7 % sold to baking concerns. 2.6 % sold to consumers, "gift" packages, parcel post or express, 2.5 % sold to retail stores at the store. 2"«l' % sold to country point buyers - delivered to buyer at orchard, 1,5 1^ sold outright to storage operators. 1.5 % sold to retail store, from packing house or storage. l.U % sold to roadside stands operated by others. 1.3 % sold to consumers at their homes in town or city. 1.0 ^ sold to consumers as apple juice or cider. .6 % sold to consumers who picked them up - drops, ,6 % sold to slice rs, canners, freezers or other processors, .5 f' sold to large chains — delivered their retail store. .5 /*' sold as juice or cider to retail stores or other wholesale. Method of Sale (Arranged in order of Number of Users) 29 $ sold to consumers from storage or packing shed. 27 r sold to manufacturer of apple juice, apple cider or vinegar. 2^ % sold to peddlers from packing shed or storage, 19 % delivered to commission merchant for sale growers' account, TH f, sold to consumer over roadside stand, 17 % sold to consumers, "gift" packages, parcel post or express, 10 % sold to retail stores at the store, Ip ^ sold to roadside stands operated by others. Ix % sold to large chain stores — delivered their warehouse, 11 % sold to consumers as apple juice or cider. •15 % sold to retail store, from packing house or storage. -3- llethod of Sale (Arranged in order of Number of Users) (continued) 9 i, delivered to city storage for sale by commission merchant. 7? % sold to consumers at their homes in tovm or city. ~F % delivered country storage for sale by storage operator, ""H % sold to country point buyers-delivered to buyer at orchard. "Z % sold to baking concerns, ~T % sold to large chains — delivered their retail store. "3" % sold outright to storage operators. "T % sold as juice or cider to retail stores or other wholesale. ~f % sold - other.- "TI % sold to slicers, canners, freezers or other processors, "TI % sold to consumers who picked them up — drops. T % sold to consumers at factories or other places of employment. PTARTIHG PRICES OF MCINTOSH APPLES The £5l£^i?S. P£ice for the season is established in large part by the size of the crop and th& buying power of consumers. Mr. Edvdn" C. Stillwell gave the following factors as important in establishing price for perishable commodities in a talk at the Cranberry Llarketing Conference on r.arch iT af Wareham: (1) Supply, (2) Quality, (3) Nature of the product, vfhether basic or luxury, (U) Extent of consumer acceptance, (5) Supply and price of comple- mentary products, (6) Supply and price of competing products, (7) Degree of sales orgmization within the industry, (8) 'Ahether or not the trade made money in the previous season, (9) Current, old crop prices, (10) General buying power. Mr. Stillwell explained the item of "supply" covered place and availability of supply as v;fell as quantity. He also stated that "quality" had particular reference to the quality available to consumers. He made no attempt to list his factors in order of importance. In fact, he stated that different factors would have different values in different years. The October 15 price is used as a "starting price" of the storage season in these studies of apple marketing. This is the price arrived at after 3 or U weeks of trading in the harvest period. The following table shows: (l) October 1? Mcintosh price for U.S. Fancy 2 l/2" and up in dollarsj (2) Total L^assachiisetts apple productian;..in. term's of. the 1938 crop. 1938 equals 100. ; -It- starting ?2.37). (3) 19U8 had the greatest gain in selling price between October 15 and March 15 (-!i>2.87 — *U.50). It may be safe to assume that every year is different. That it would be rare indeed if all of the factors entering into price would be the same in any tv;o years. A careful study of the factors in play in September, 19ii9, would seem to be in order. A very careful watch of what happens in the retail stores and over the roadside stands during the price-testing harvest period ought to be of help. -?- At least this year the growers have apples to sell and, in general, of excellent quality in so far as can be determined at the time this is written. Many growers will consider it good judgment to follow a safe and sane program of orderly marketing. The hardest part of an orderly marketing program comes when it is hard to move the quantity which should be moved in a given marketing period. The following table showing three things: (1) Average price of Mcintosh apples, U. S. Fancy 2 l/2" and up for twenty-five years by two week intervals from September 15 to April 15. (2) Price for similar periods in 19U8. (3) Price for similar periods in 19ii7. Percentages are included to facilitate comparison. The table tells its own story. 25 year '.■Average 19i;8 19U7 Price % of Get. 15 Price $ of Oct. 15 Price % of Oct. 15 Sept. 15 %2.2\x 96^ $2.75 9652 $1^.25 lU2f. Oct. 1 2.22 96$g 2.62 9\% 2.87 965 Get. 15 2.32 100^ 2.87 100?^ 3.00 100^ Nov. 1 2.36 103?^ 3.12 109f. 3.37 112:t 15 2.U5 106.'^ 3.00 lOU^ 3.25 108?; Dec. 1 2.51 108?^ 3.12 109fo 3.00 100?^ 15 2.53 109^ 3.12 109? 3.00 100^ Jan. 1 2.5U 109^ 3.25 113^ 3.00 100^ 15 2.53 109^ 3.50 122^ 3.00 100^ Feb. 1 2.60 112^ 3.62 126^ 3.00 1005: 15 2.6ii lll^ 3.62 1265? 2.75 92^ Mar. .1 2.70 116^ U.50 157^ 2.62 87^ 15 2.69 116^ 1^.50 157?'- 2.37 79^ April 1 2.^0 108^ 5.00 17l4^ 2.25 75^ 15 2.51 108^ 5.00 17U^ 1.75 58^ — Fred E. Cole -"- --<- -;.'■ CONSERVATION PRACTICES OM A FRUIT FARAl (The follovfing story prepared by Wilbur F. Buck, Hampshire County Assistant in Conservation, is a good example of soil-building and reorganization on an old Nevi England farm.) The last house on Old Bay Road in Amherst is the home of Ernest Markert, progressive fruit grower and five-time chairman of the Amherst AAA Committee. Ernie's modern cold storage plant and up-to-date farming methods contrast sharply with his dwelling — a historic landmark of stage coach days. -6- Dogged determination and plain hard work have been the formula for the success of this orchard. Ernie is a very modest individual and is reluctant to talk about the many handicaps he has had to overcome. The story of the farm in its present high state of productivity is largely the story of Ernie himself. Mr. Liarkert, a native of Holyoke, graduated from Stockbridge School of Agriculture, a part of the University of Massachusetts, in 1926. He still has • strong ties v/-ith both his fraternity and the University. His early employment found him first on the Conyers Farm in Greenvfich, Connecticut, and then as manager of the Curtis Orchards in Marlboro, a large commercial operation. In 19iil, Ernie purchased his present farm which comprised 100 acres, nearly all of which was in orchard, plus a cold storage plant. He lost no time in his efforts to rebuild the productivity of this orchard. His first season's soil-building practices reveal that he applied 160 hundred- weight of AAA superphosphate and used t^velve tons of nitrate of potash on orchard sod, mowed and left sixty-five acres of fertilized hay in the orchard, and brought in eight tons of mulching materials which he applied to four acres of young orchard. Late frosts did much to make the ensuing years unprofitable, but by adding a poultry enterprise and cutting all possible corners, Ernie vras able in 19i4i4 to purchase an additional 160 acres, twenty of v/hich were in orchard. The year 19U7 found the Markert orchard with its first big crop of fruit. Yvbrries seemed at an end when the crop was finally in the storage and ready for the routine processing to follow. Fate again intervened in the form of a disastrous fire the last vreek of October, resulting in a total loss of the storage plant and the crop itself. Many orchard men v/ould have been willing to quit after this last blow, but not Ernie. Patiently with the aid of his brothers and neighbors, he set about rebuilding the cold storage, this time on an even larger scale and with fireproof materials. His new cinder block storage with 355OOO bushels capacity, a model of modern construction, ytas ready in time for the 19U8 bumper crop. This plant has already served as an ideal location for fruit meetings conducted by the County Agent and personnel from the nearby State University, Soil-building Program - Ernie's soil-building practices for the past three seasons read something like this: 1916 — 30 tons of AAA spread limestone, 300 cvrt. of 7-7-7 and 60 cwt. of 5-8-7 applied to hayland and orchard sod, 10 acres of rye and oats cover crops and 30 tons of mulch. 19li7 — 30 tons of AAA spread limestone, ii20 cvrt. of <-8-7 and 100 cvrt. of 7-7-7 on hay and orchard sod, 16 acres of wheat cover crops and 32 tons of mulching materials applied. 1916 — 20 tons of AAA limestone and 10 cwt. of AAA superphosphate, UOO c'.rt. of 7-7-7 on orchard sod, another 16 acres of wheat cover crops and $0 tons of mulch, Mr. Markert's farm plans for the 19li9 season go well beyond any he has pre- viously attempted. From the AAA office, he has already obtained UO cwt. of 0-lIi-li; and twenty tons of limestone. He plans to top-dress his hayland and orchard sod with iiCO hundredvreight of 1-1-1 , plant sixteen acres of wheat cover crop, and bring in fifty tons of mulching materials. He will further qualify for four acres of the land clearing practice. With the aid of technicians from the Soil Conservation Service, he has built terraces and planted about four acres of young orchard on the contour. I _7- Conclusion - The Markert orchard is being slowly culled to produce mainly standard varieties of apples, such as l/iclntosh, Baldwin, Greening and V.ealthy. Ernie has in recent years undertaken the production of his ovm replacement stock. Kis accomplishments have come the hard way, but he can point with pride to the excellent physical condition of his land and buildings — tangible evidence that real thought along conservation lines pays for the effort. ■j;- -li- Or "k -^- ■!;- ■!!• ■«• ^i- ■«• -^- -li- -Ji- ^<- ^<- -ii- -X- •«• ^i- Tale of T\T0 Raspberry Plantings. In recent v/eeks v/e have seen (l) a planting which yielded heavily and which there is scarcely a broiTO or yellow leaf and (2) a planting with disappointingly low yield where the leaves on all of the fruiting canes have turned brown and the nevf canes show many lesions due to spur blight or anthracnose. Planting No. 1 received two thorough applications of Fermate in late spring of 19U8 when the new canes were developing. -X- ^ -•'- -M -ir •>;- -X- -"- -i!- -> -li- -;<• -S- <- •}(- •>{• •><■ -K- -K- To Prop or Not to Prop. Propping in some heavily loaded orchards is practically unnecessary. In others it is quite essential. The difference is largely one of tree framework. A leader type tree v;ith no weak crotches will hold a very heavy crop v/ithout appreciable breakage. A iiOO bu. per acre crop may be borne on well spaced trees of medivim size in which only an occasional small limb gives way. Old, tall vdnter injured trees of poor framework present a different problem. But props in sufficient numbers mean quite an investment. They last only a few years. They provide a hiding place for codling moth during the winter. They interfere with hormone spraying. In our young orchards perhaps v;e should pay more attention to the development of a framevrork i.hich will hold up a bumper crop -^thout propping. Apple Pie Contest. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Association and the 5;Iassachusetts Department of Agriculture, a Contest open to residents of Massachusetts except professional pie bakers and state, county or federal employees will be held on V.'ednesday, January I4, 1950, at the Worcester Auditorium. A conventional, tvfc-crust round pie ■.vith filling of Massachusetts apples is specified. No criss-cross, frosting or other decorations permitted — just a plain apple pie. Substantial prizes are offered. Further details may be obtained from your County Extension Office. -X- •«• -;'(■ -;;- * -x- v- -;;- -x- ■«• -x- -x- -x- •«• -Xc •>:- -s:- * -8- A THOUGHT FOR TODAY - "Keep an open mind and someone may drop an idea into it." ■j;- -j;- -;;- -;'<• «■ -;;- -;;- ^a- -si- « -;i- -s;- * -;;- -;.'• -;f- i -;;- -;;- -ii- -;s- UST CALL FOR RED APPLE CLUB INSPECTIONS ■ Have you asked your County Agricultural Agent to check your orchard to determine your eligibility for membership in the RED APPLE CLUB? That is your privilege, if you think your orchard may qualify. But the sample to be representative, is best taken v^rhile the fruit is still on the trees. The requirements are: (1) 90^ clean, (2) 6$% U. S. Fancy, (3) 200-]400 bu. per acre depending on age of tree, and (ii) a sample record of the pest control program. -,<■ -W •*!■ -i}- -;(• -;s- ■«■ -;<■ -;;- •;;- ■>(• -;f- f/uMtNoie^ OCTOBER i:C,l9M9 Prepared by the Departments of Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Ccm.piled by W. H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist Table ot Contents "Think Retail" Individual Grower' s Effort Our ApFle Competition A Major Problem of Distribution Orderly marketing -- Rate of itlovement Apple Purchase Program Boston Surrly of IWcIntosh "Apples At Any Meal" Issued by the Extension Service m 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. - 1 - APPLE MARKETING (The folloTdn^ analysis of the apple marketing situation is presented by Fred E. Cole, Extension Marketing Specialist. With a large crop of good 'quality Mcintosh to be marketed, a careful study of the factors involved is highly important.) 1. THIIIK RETAIL (August 6, 19^9) "Think Retail" is the counsel given by manufacturers in appraising market trends and market possibilities. The advice may be v/ise for us in agriculture, too. In recent years, retail prices have followed a pattern based upon sales experience and the resulting apparent "attractiveness" to consumers in the minds of store operators and sales managers. Retail prices were selected, in the accompanying table, on the basis of their frequency of use in retail store advertisements. "A" includes prices used S% or more of the time, "B" three or four per cent, "C" two to three per cent, "D" one to two per cent of the time in the advertisements studied. The accompanying table may be of assistance in making a comparison of prices. In this table, 20^ of the sales was used as a retail nark-up and 20(i to cover handling from whole- sale market to the store. These two marketing costs will, of course, vary in practice. We 'believe the estimate is of some value as is shovm by the following example in October, 19U8. At that time apples were commonly selling for 3 lbs. for 290 or 9.66{* a lb. Store cost on a basis of 20:?! (sales) would therefore be 7.68^ (9.6 x ,80), Allowing I4O lbs, to the bushel, the bushel cost to the store would then be 4?3.07. Deducting 200 'for handling from the wholesale market to retail store, results in a price of $2.67 v/hich was the prevailing wholesale price at the time. It is a simple rule of thumb but it may have its value. Caution. The consideration given to prices commonly used in retail stores does not mean that these prices should be used by growers in direct sales to consumers. In fact, our counsel would be against it. If growers compete on a quality basis they may keep out of destructive price competition. "Even nickel" pricing on package lots seems to fit the farm-to-consumer sale to better advantage. "To think retail" in considering the price possibilities for 19U9 may be a very practical approach to the problem. The table on the other side of this sheet may be of assistance in translating retail prices commonly used to wholesale in the six price groups. Prices Conunonly Found in Retail Stores A 2 lbs. for 2S Vr -;s- ■?(■ The following area distribution of average U. S. apple storage holdings (Dec. 1) may be of help ncvj- in interpreting the U. S. Apple Crop estimates and later in comparing U. S. apple storage holdings. Average 19Uii-ii8 Cold Storage Holdings, by Producing Areas, December 1 NEY ENGLAND - six states MIDDLE ATLANTIC - N.Y., N.J., Penn. SOUTH ATUNTIC - Del., Md., Va. W. Va., N,C. EAST NORTH CENTRAL - Ohio, Ind., 111., Mich., Wis, PACIFIC - Vv'ash., Ore., Gal. CTHER 13 apple producing states Total Apple crop estimates for the U. S. will be available this week end. The size of the U. S. crop and its distribution by producing areas are very iiTiportant in the grower's kit of facts, used by him, to shape his marketing program. The following table gives size of U. S. crops in recent years. Thousands Percent of of Bushels U.S. Total 7,728 29,129 S.3% 20.0!^ 17,013 12, 61? 72,861; 6,163 U5,^12 11. 75?. 8.7^ 50.1^ lOO'.O^ - u - Commercial Apple Crop United States (3,^ states) 192li-19l;8 Thousands of Bushels - 192h 68,776 1925 101,080 1926 123,550 1927 79,25U 1928 109,938 1929 89,270 1930 105, U3 2 1931 113,207 1932 90,023 1933 81,925 193U 106,005 193? li;0,398 1936 98,025 Sources 1937 153,169 1938 105,718 1939 139, 2U7 19hO lll,U36 19U1 122,217 19U2 126,707 19ii3 87,310 19hk 121,266 19U5 66,796 19ii6 119, UO 19U7 113,0iil 19U8 88,U07 19l;9(Aug.- 1 Est.) 127, 823 Average 1938-17 lll,lll4 I92U-I933 - "Commercial Production" - Agricultural Statistics, 19U0, p. 175, table 224 193ii-1937 - "Total Production, Commercial" - Agri. Statistics, 19ii6, p. I68, table 211 1938-19ii7 - "Total Production, Commercial" - Agri. Statistics, 19ii8, p. 179, table 219 19U8-19li9 - "Apples, Commercial Crop" - Crop Production, Aug. 19U9, page h9 3. OUR APPLE COMPETITION (September l5, 19^9) 19U7-8 — Sixty-nine per cent of the apple receipts for Boston in the marketing year of I9I47-U8 were from "nearby sources." All New England supplied 72.6^ of the receipts. The liiddle Atlantic producing area added h%, South Atlantic 3.1^, and the Pacific states 17.2^ of the total receipts. "Other" areas including British Columbia sent 2.9/^ of the total shipments to Boston. 19U8-9 — Last year, nearby Massachusetts shipments made up $1.1% of the total vrLth all New England 61.5^, iiiddle Atlantic h.d%, South Atlantic 5.0^, the Pacific states 25.5^, and "other" 2.8^ of the total receipts. The Pacific state shipments were largely from California in the very early part of the season and from Y/ashington and Oregon in March, April, May and June. Only two carlots were sent in the two years to Boston from the North Central producing area ivhich includes the states of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Chic. A Few Observations A study of these receipts reveals: (see other side) _ < _ 1. Most of the Boston supply came from nearby areas, 2. The Pacific states were the source of largest competitive volume. 3. The South Atlantic states (Applachia) sent comparatively few apples to Boston. It. Fewer Northvrest apples were sent to Boston in the troublesome late market of 19h7 than were sent in 19a8 in the same period. 5. A difference of I486 carlots from nearby areas in the supply for the two years is a substantial difference. Also the monthly distributions of nearby apples followed a very different pattern, Boston Receipts of Nearby Apples by Months 19U7-ii8 19iiCi-9 in Per cent of Total 10 Month Receipts Aug. I9I17-8 5T3W 19li8-9 8.9^ Sept. 22. U^ Oct. 21.2?^ Nov. 13.1^ Dec. 10. If. 13.0^ Jan. 3.0^ Feb. 972I March 11.0% 3. If. April l.lf 17.7fo 6. These ^vould seem to be little to recommend the 19U7-U8 pattern. Hay 3.3f 0 Apple Receipts - Boston - Ten Months 19U7-8 by Producing Areas CARLOT EQUIVALENT (K^IL & TRUCK) PRODUCING AREAS MASSACHUSETTS Aug. 81 Sept. 190 Oct.. 285 Nov. 198 Dec. 153 Jan. I3I4 Feb. Mar. ilo 167 Apr. May ": 119 50 rctal 1^17 ALL NEV; ENGLAND MIDDLE ATLANTIC SOUTH ATLANTIC NORTH CENTR.1L PACIFIC OTHER 81 6 31 2 192 7 h 11 15 301 1 3 19 13 210 1 18 9 163 30 7 139 31 1 11;8 180 10 18 6 h 1 35 63 3 12 12ii 53 10 15 3 h he U8 1 2 1591 67 30 1 332 65 TOTAL 12,^ 229 337 238 200 171 202 278 18ii 122 ■21H0 19i;8-U9 Carlot Equivalent (Rail & Truck) MASSACHUSETTS Aug. 92 Sept. 231 Oct, 219 Nov. 183 , Dec. " 131. Jan. • B3 , Feb. Mar. ' 16 32 , Apr . May Ml Total 1031 ALL NET-V SNGLAro MIDDLE ATLANTIC SOUTH ATLANTIC NORTH CENTRAL PACIFIC OTHER 92 11 22 12 IJ4C 236 19 11 1 267 230 1 12 2 2ii5 197 3 22 8 lue 11 6 95 3 h 12 h 60 I4I h 5 h 1 17 83 11 lU 12 2 1 2 107 127 8 5 1111 ii9 52 UOii 58 TOTAL 230 170 118 96 liii4 131 133 1671. Source - Daily Fruit & Vegetable Report U.S.D.A. Boston New England includes Me., N.H., Vt., Mass., Conn., R. I. Middle Atlantic includes N.Y., N.J., and Penn. South Atlantic incl-odes Del., Md., Va., W. Va., and N.C, North Central includes ".Vis., Mich., 111., Ind., Ohio Pacific includes '.Vash., Oregon, California - 6 - h. THE BOSTON SUPPLY OF MCINTOSH (September 22, 19149) Mcintosh apple prices in Boston were on the low 19U2 level dui-ing the last Tfeek. It is notevrorthy that Providence and New York had comparable prices. The situation leading to the low price vras not confined to the Boston area. Supply. A comparison of the receipts of apples on the Faneuil Hall Market, Boston, for five weeks before and five weeks after the Labor Day week for the last seven years is given in a table on the other side^ of this sheet. The apple receipts for 19i48, ISUh, 19it3, and 19h2 approach a normal weekly supply. The abnormality of 19U7, 19h6 and 19hS is apparent. The 19i49 apple receipts for Labor Day week and the week following were "normal" on the basis of: (a) the September 1 apple crop estimate for Massachusetts (b) average proportion of Mass. crop on Faneuil Hall Market - 26% - (c) average receipts for the two respective weeks — 3»S^-% and 11.03^. Low prices on the Faneuil Hall Market are not the result of excessive supplies. Demand. Market reports indicate a "fair supply - slow movement." It is evident that there is insufficient demand for Mcintosh apples on the Faneuil Hall Market, to clear available supplies at prevailing prices. There are numerous theories to explain the lack of demand. Predominant among the theories are (1) consumers do not have as much "ready" money as indexes of wages and income imply; (2) consumers are out of the habit of buying apples; (3) some retail prices do not reflect correctly the low wholesale price; (ij.) many apples are not in good condition and not attractive to consumers; (5) housewives are not cooking any more than they have to. Take your choice. It may be a combination of all of them. The point is what can be done about it. More Grower Sales Effort. !5ore direct selling to consumers is possible. Good apples then are plac;i in the consumer's hands at a good return to the grower (5 to 8^ a lb.). Fresh, juicy apples constitute the best possible advertising available to the industry. Newspaper ads, radio and attractive roadside displays can play an important part in increasing the consumption of apples. Advertising and increased sales effort, along this line, increases apple sales in retail stores and the movement in all trade channels. Improve the quality of apples in retail stores by sorting out poorer fruit, more careful handling all along the line, store deliverj"" and store service when feasible, visiting retail stores to look over displays from a buyer's point of view and taking steps to improve apple appeal. Price apples in direct sales at a reasonable margin over wholesale. - 7 - EVERY EFFORT MDE TO INCREASE APPLE SALES HELPS EVERYCTE SELLING APPLES With normal supply and a low price, MORE SALES EFFORT is clearly in order to get this apple deal off dead-center and headed in the right direction. Eleven Weeks previous to Labor Day V.rk. (August) Vfeeks 19U9 "5 67H02 13,918 Apple Receipts - Bushels Faneuil Hall Market - Poston Weeks between Aug. 1 - Oct. 20, 19l9-19U2 (September) 1 17,6U9 19,831 19,023 7,309 5,886 11,608 19,010 lit, 868 IWT 6,210 9,320 10,915 16,702 1911^ 1911^ i9ira k7^22 i47H^ lUTT^^ h,9hh 8,707 16,9U8 13 5,617 ,269 7,909 8,ii05 11,U13 9,17li 7n<:e. follow-1 ing Labor .2 Day '.Veek 3 (September) h (October) 5 38,792 21,938 39,716 31,566 27,253 27,951 2h,2li2 26,193 27,137 21;, 821 39,896 16,739 16,253 16,751 23,6lU 21,190 13,150 15,515 9,67U 10,92U 7, 1^80 22,703 20,191 32,117 Labor Day wk. 26,172 21,306 15,581; 12,559 10,987 21;, 932 26,1;67 23,7U2 16,935 19,651 11;, 510 19l;3 ll3I^ 10,038 21,971 21,119 15,050 21,l;i;9 22,095 33,352 29,716 23,1;59 22,661 19l;2 2l;89l4 27280 31906 1;1;732 "32117^ 1;25U1 1;5760 29031 32961 22977 5. A IviAJOR PROBLHI CF DISTRIBUTION (September 29, 19l;9) I visited the excellent display of the apple industry in the Massachusetts Building at the Eastern States Exposition last week. Thousands of people visited this exhibition, sometimes 3,000 people an hour. An orchard, a packing house, a cider press, a roadside stand and a kitchen featured the produc- tion, handling, processing and utilization of commercial apples. Those who saw the exhibit were increasingly aware of apples. The large quantity of apples and cider sold, testifies to the latent desire of many people for apples. The most frequent question heard airiong the visitors was a despairing inquiry "'vVHERE CAN I GET APPLES LIKE THESE?" Having in mind the good crop of fine quality apples being harvested v/ith the picking exceeding earlier estimates, the apparently overstocked markets, and the current low price, such a query seemed the last straw. And yet, there it is. Apples, apples everyivhere and not a one to eatl Most growers with large orchards have been in the habit of placing all of their apples in vfholesale channels - the same channels used by growers in surplus produc- ing states. They have used their time and energy in taking care of the harvesting and preparation for shipment. Shipments have been made to large wholesale markets to the west and south in direct competition i\dth fruit from other areas in order to better local returns. Mcintosh can meet much of the competition but costs of trans- portation are high - even higher now than several years ago. The low price is general. - 8 - Massachusetts producers are located in a consuming area - a state with 22,163 food stores doing h92 million dollars annual business even in pre-war (1939). Sales in 19U8 were estimated at three times this pre-war figure v/ith 90!^ of the stores. The 6I4 dollar question is on the table face up I Hovj can local growers take advantage of the fact that they are producing apples VJITHIN a consuming area. To what extent and how can the usual channels of distribution be used to advantage? Hovr can growers work with men in these channels in order to get a satisfactory distribution? How must these channels be supplemented so that thousands of people vfho would buy apples will buy them? How can a situation where people and apples are in the same area be used to increase the return to apple growers?. This IviAJOR PROBLE?: of DISTRIBUTION must be faced by the local apple industry with all the resources at its conmiand. Lots of people, good apples and a return lower than cost, just does not make sense i The echo of that question "I'lTiere can I get apples like these" keeps returning. The major problem of getting the apples to these people lies on top of a high stack of apples. It must be solved to get a satisfactory return. As if to punctuate the statement that the low price of apples on Faneuil Hall Market was not caused by excessive supplies, the supply of apples on the Faneuil Hall Market last vreek dropped to 3/h of the week before at no increase in price. iHHHHKHHHHHKHKKHKHf The supply of "deciduous fruit" on the Boston Market for the week ending September 17: (carlot equivalent basis) 76 carlot of apples, 98 carlot of melons, 31 1/2 carlot of pears, 30 carlot of peaches, 10 carlot of fresh prunes, 8 carlot of bananas, U l/2 carlot of plums, 3 l/2 carlot of blueberries, 3 carlot of mixed berries (strawberries mostly), 1 carlot of figs. And arrival carlots on track at the start of the week amounted to 389 carlots. Only 76 carlots of apples! -;H,S;-JHHHHKKi-;(-iKvSHHHHf For the last month arrivals of shipped-in deciduous fruits at Boston have decreased substantially. The prices of seasonal items have been in a dov.Tiward trend i Apples are not alone in the present price situation. The time for INCREASED SALES EFFORT for apples is nowj 6. ORDERLY MRKETING - RATE OF MOVHvIEKT - VWAT DO THEY MEAN? (August 22, 19149) The object of orderly marketing is the greatest possible return, not only for the present but also for a period of years. It might also be added not only for a week but for the season. It is the return for the season that must pay the bills of growing the crop, maintaining the farm and a year's living. Orderly marketing covers handling, method of sale, distribution and promotion, and suggests care in laying out a program as well as courage in carrying it out. - 9 - Rate of movement of a crop has a particular reference to the physical disappearance of that crop. Any rate may be judged against a previous rate, an average rate, or a desired rate. It has to do with balancing the supply over the season — adjusting the physical movement of the crop to the number and kind of sales outlets, and periods of maximum and restricted consumer acceptance. The rate of movement is testimony to the correctness of price and the adequacy of the sales effort. The rate of movement of the crop during the last year or tvro and over the last five years might well be used as a guide. At the bottom . of this sheet are four such guides. 1. Average out of storage movement for Jiclntosh for the last five years. 2. Gut of storage movement for 19ii7. 3. Out of storage movement for 19h8. U. The Mcintosh storage line which might represent a desired out of storage movement as a base. It is something like a home to-vm which is described as a place you are away from. The Mcintosh storage line offers such a base to be "at" or away from as good judgaent dictates. . The Mcintosh storage line has several points. 1. It starts on October 15 — the storage reporting date of maximum storage . 2. It progresses at two vreek intervals corresponding to the storage report, 3. It terminates on March 1 when most agree that Kclntosh should be sold, vath a S% provision for the choice lots to be sold in March. The Mcintosh storage line is an attempt to provide a base to judge rate of movement and in turn correctness of price and the adequacy of the sales effort. Percentages are all computed on the October 1$ amount as a base. Out of Storage Movement - Mcintosh - "Boston Area" 19U7-19Uti - Average of the Last 5 Years And a Suggested j.lcIntQsh Storage Line Expressed as Percentage of the Oct. 15 Stored Supply Remaining in Storage at Specified Dates The suggested 19h7 19h8 Average Mcintosh last 5 years Storage Line Oct. 15 100^ 100^ 100^ lOOJJ Nov. 1 95.8^ 9h.^% 91.3^ 92^ 15 63.9^ Qi.^% 75.5^ 80$ Dec. 1 71.6^ 66.1% 66.2$S es% 15 61. If, l49.0^ 53.8^ 50^ Jan. 1 51i.O^ 32.8^ U2.3^ 1^0$ 15 1^7.1^ 2ii.5f» • 35.8^ 30$ Feb. 1 36.2^ 17.6^ 27.6^ 20$ 15 30.6^ 10.2^ 21.1?^ 10$ Mar. 1 2U.U?: 6.1% 16.5^ 5$ 15 17.5^ 3.h% 11.9^ 2 1/2$ Apr. 1 9.9% — 7.0?^ 15 — — 10 - The marketing season of 19h9 has many of the earmarks of 19U7 and 19l|Ii„ The memories of 19h7 are still vivid. The rate of out-of-storage movement r for this year may be of particular significance in planning marketing operation. -- Fred E. Cole I9U9 Apple Purchase Program Announced for Massachusetts. Authorization has been received by the State FliA Office to purchase apples for the school lunch program and for export. The I9I49 apple crop in the New England area is about 60^ above that of last year and ij.0^ above the ten-year average. The offer to purchase has been made in response to a request of apple growers from the New England area and the whole country. The total amount of apples to be purchased in i^iassachusetts is 28 cars during the month of October, but the rate of purchase will be limited by the capacity of the school lunch program to take the fruit. Authorization is expected to purchase additional supplies in later months at approximately 9 cars per week. The price will be ^1.70 per bushel for U.S. No. I's of the following varieties: Baldwin, Cortland, Delicious, Golden Delicious, Liclntosh, Northern Spy? Rome Beauty and R. I. Greening. Apples may be packed in either bushel baskets or Eastern apple crates protected in the usual way by liners and covers. Shipment will be made in car lots of 560 bushels per car or the equivalent in truck lots. An office of purchase has been established in the Middlesex County PI/iA Office on Stow Street, Concord, in the Old High School Building. The Purchase Representa- tive is ■;:. T. Pearse of Bclton. His telephone number at the office is Concord 1299. The State PM Committee will be assisted in the administration of the program by an advisory committee of representatives of the Extension Service and the State Department of Agriculture together with the following apple growers: Roger E. Peck, George S. Gay, Ben Drew, Archer L. Pierce, Harold Priest, Stephen M . Sabine, ■George S. Davis, H. Sidney Vaughan, and Leander B. Nichols. . This Advisory Committee is established to assist the PM in carrying out the terms and conditions 0^ the Apple Purchase Program. This program has two features. The first one is designed to increase the export of apples to foreign countries and carries a propo- sal of an export subsidy not to exceed vl.25 a bushel, in addition to the amount paid by foreign countries. The second feature of the program contem.plates the purchase of apples for use in the school lunch program and distribution to eligible \velfare institutions. The program is what is known as a surplus removal program and is not to be confused with the programs which are designed to support and maintain a certain market price for farm commodities. ■«■ -;;- -)!■ -;;- -;;- -;!- -x- -:;- ■«• * -x- -;;- -!;- -;;- -ii- -5t- New Leaflet, "Apples At Any Meal". An attractive and highly useful leaflet on the use of apples has been prepared by iiay E. Foley, Extension Nutritionist. It includes recipes for fruit cup, salads, relishes, main dishes and desserts, using the common ingredients v;hich all homemakers have. It gives suggestions for canning juice and apple sauce, and for using these products in the winter. A copy may be obtained from your county extension agent or from the L'ailing Room at the University. Just ask for Special Circular No. I56. -A- -X' -js- i~;- -;;- -js- -;;- ■»• * -;;■ -;;- -;;■ -;(- -k- is- ■«• No September Fruit Notes. No issue of FRUIT NOTES vras distributed during the nonth of September. EXPLANATORY NOTES ON "MCINTOSH STORAGE LINE" An appraisal of a market price oan be made by comparing actual crop movement to a desired crop movement, A suitable standard of crop movement is therefore desirable as a tool for measuring current crop movement. The chart on the other side illustrates a "MCINTOSH STORAGE LINE" which may be used as a base to measure current out-of-storage movement of Mcintosh apples. The chart also carries four dotted lines indicating the out-of-storage raove- jnent of Mcintosh from the BOSTON AREA cold storages in the years of 1948, 1947, 1946 and 1944. The record of the short crop of 1945 is valueless for this i^rpose and is therefore not included. The tables below give the figures used in making the chart. You may plot the out-of-storage movement of Molntosh for 1949-50 on this chart from figures released by the MDA Special Apple Market Report, All percentages are based on the October 15th storage holdings. You may also plot your own out-of-storage movement of Mcintosh by basing your percentages on Mcintosh in storage on October 15, 1949, The "MCINTOSH STORAGE LIKE" is not presented as an ideal out-of-storage movenent although there is considerable support for such a statement. Also this indicated out-of-storage movement stands up profitably when applied to the last 14 years where comparable storage figures are available. The "MCINTOSH STORAGE LINE" furnishes a means of measuring the out-of-storage movernent of Mcintosh, It starts and is based upon the maximam amount in storage. It stops when most agree that the Mcintosh should be all sold. It ftimishes a guide to an orderly movement of the crop with the most rapid movements in periods when the most sales outlets are available and when people seem to want apples the most. Mcintosh Storage Holdings Boston Area Date 1948^ I9479S 1946?? 1944?? Suggested % Oct. 15 100.0 100,0 100.0 100,0 100.0 Nov, 1 94.5 95.8 86.5 92,0 92.0 Nov. 15 81,5 83.9 59.0 79.9 80.0 Dec, 1 66,7 71.6 55.3 72,7 65,0 Dec. 15 49,0 61,1 44.4 61.3 50.0 Jan, 1 S2.8 54,1 33.1 49.3 40.0 Jan. 15 24.5 47.1 26,2 44.3 30.0 Feb. 1 17.6 36.2 19.0 35,8 20.0 Feb. 15 10.2 30.6 11,1 29.6 10.0 Mar. 1 6.7 24.4 8.3 23,8 5.0 Mar. 15 3.4 17.5 5.2 18,6 2.5 April 1 1.7 9,9 3.1 12,7 0 4[4i4iiK*««:»*««««* Issued by the Extension Service, Willard A. Munson, director, in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. University of Massachusetts, United States Depart- ment of Agriculture and County Extension Services Cooperating. §° O CM o 4!^ o CJJ o o ->l 00 CO o o o o o CD 00 c CD a m en H m o CO y^ .t' 7 /.I I i- / /i / #^ // I CD CD CD CO ^ C 00 O -- m r>l m ?> 3 I > 00 o o m CO H r 2 _ 0 m > JO m > O CD > o m o I" g o en If/ // "^mikNdtu. NOVEMBER 30,1949 Prepared by the Departments of Pomology, Entomology, and Botany, and Other Staff Members Compiled by W, H. Thies, Extension Horticulturist CONTENTS Blueberry Sites and Soils Inspection of Nursery Stock Cold Storage Management Mcintosh Strains Mulching the Strawberry Bed Growth Relationships in Peach Trees County Agents' Corner Observations in Marketing Procedures Movement of Mcintosh Out of Storage High Quality Cider 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. BLUEBERRY SITES AND SOILS The selection of a good site and a good soil for cultivated blueberries is an exceedingly important step in establishing a successful planting. Both must receive proper considerations-,. To overemphasize one at the expense of the other can be a costly mistake. For example, one grovrer looked over considerable terri- tory to find an ideal blueberry soil. He fihally located a peat bog and set his plants. The site was entirely surrounded by hills and proved to be a bad frost pocket. Now he has a serious problem protecting his bushes from frost during the blooming season. It would be equally bad to choose a site on a hillside -for good air drainage and then find later that the soil is too dry. The ideal site is located so that excessive amounts of cold air do not drain down through it from bare areas above, and has sufficient air drainage so that cold air does not accumu- late around the bushes. That is, the ideal site has natural protection against both winter injury and spring frosts. It must also include a good soil. The ideal, blueberry soil has an adequate and continuous supply of moisture, plenty of organic matter, and is acid. The importance of good moisture conditions cannot be overemphasized. The highbush blueberry requires a good supply of moisture throughout the growing season. Even short periods of soil moisture shortage can affect the plants adversely. On the other hand, excessive soil water is undesirable. The bushes v;ill tolerate flooding during the dormant season but during the growing season the roots must be out of water so that they can get air. Another disadvantage of a waterlogged soil is that the freezing and thawing of the soil in fall and spring may heave the plants out of the ground, thus breaking off many of their roots. It has been stated that the water, table (that depth in the soil ^vhere free water will be fcjnd) should be 18 to 2U inches from the surface. 'iVhile such a high water table is necessary to provide adequate moisture in the root zone in some of the light sandy soils on which blueberries are often planted, it is not necessarily so for heavier soils where water in sufficient quantity will rise from lower levels. The important thing is that the soil be kept moist. The height of water table required to do this will depend on soil type and amount and distribu- tion of rainfall. IVhere the soil tends to be a bit dry during the summer, mulches can be used to conserve moisture and will go a long way tovrard overcoming this difficulty. A number of mulches may be used such as sawdust, shavings, pine needles, r/aste hay, dried leaves,- and peat. A dry situation can be impr<>ved, particularly for small plants, by digging a large planting hole and putting in the bottom a geneiruc. quantity, up to a half bushel or more, of peat, rotten sav/dust, rotten, crumbly wood or same similar material. Dry peat will need to be well wetted before use, otherviise it may take water away from the roots of the plants and cause them to suffer from lack of moisture, ^.Vhile it is true that blueberries will grow in pure sand if plenty of moisturt and mineral nutrients are supplied, experience has shown that under natural condi- tions they grow much better in a soil well supplied vri.th organic matter, parti- cularly if this is of a peaty nature. The minimum needs v/-ill depend on the type of soil and have not been adequately determined. Certainly very sandy soils require more than heavier soils. There appears to be no upper limit, at least as far as acid peats are concerned, since the bushes will thrive on pure peat. -2- The cultivated blueberry has a reputation for being rather fussy about the acidity of the soil in which it grows. Although it does require an acid soil, it will grow over a rather v/ide range of soil reactions within the acid range. It has been reported as growing at a pH as low as 3.U, which is extremely acid, tc as high as 6.5, which is nearly neutral. Under natural conditions best growth usually results in a pH range of i+.5 to 5.0. At a soil reaction much above 5. 6 a green and yellow mottling of the leaves, or chlorosis, is apt to develop unless special precautions are taken to prevent it. At a soil reaction below pH h, a ligK.t application of lime, which should probably be a high magnesium lime, may be bene- ficial. To insure success with cultivated blueberries, select a site vfith ,:ood air and soil drainage arid a soil with plenty of moisture, plenty of organic matter, and an acid reaction, — J. S. Bailey ■ii- -Jr -Si- ■>!■ -vi- ^;- is- •>(■ -ir -,'c -A- -/:■ ^'<, <■ -ii- -/c -/c ^/c INSPECTION OF NURSERY STlCK FOR TRliEIIESS-TO-MAi'!E The nursery inspection program for 19h9 took our inspectors into eleven states from Massachusetts south to Virginia and west as far as Iowa and Kansas. Nc requests were received from Tennessee or Alabama nurserymen this year. A total of 27 concerns were served. The inspection crew now totals eight, two of whom vrere new this season. Not all eight men are available for the entire season so vre are attempting to train sufficient men tc handle the job without its being a burden on anyone. Again this year the inspection program covered apples, pears, plums, and cherries but not peaches. The volume of stock inspected is impossible to determine accurately, but our estimate is around three million trees. Mixtures of serious proportions still persist, especially in blocks of grafted trees or where the nursery has purchased propagation wood from uninspected sources, A complete list of nurseries served by the ilassachusotts Trueness-to-Name Inspection Service may be obtained from the Pomology Department at the University. — A. P. French •Ji■■^^i• -5^ -,i- -i^ -Ji- -/r -/<■ -JJ- ii- -iS- i'- -Ji- ii- -i!- -it ^i- -iS- 30ME FACTCRS TO CONSIDER IN GCLD STORAGE MANAGEIviENT This year with a large crop of apples in storage, good storage managoiiient is going to be necessary to maintain the fruit in the best possible condition. Vse may expect an extended storage season and Idclntosh, especially, requires attention to details if it is to be held in good condition beyond January. Some factors which influence the storage life of apples are: (1) firmness of fruit at harvest, (2) amount of bruising on the fruit vrhen placed in storage, (3) storage temperature, (i|) humidity of the storage atmosphere, and (5) presence of ripening gases in the atmosphere. I -3- 1. Firmness of fruit at harvest. Obviously, apples which are rather mature and relatively soft at harvest time are not going to keep as long as those v/hich are firmer. Such fruit should be disposed of first and, il possible, stored separately since they produce large quantities of ripening and scald gases which will tend to shorten the storage life of less mature lots. There is still considerable controversy as to whether pre-harvest hormone sprays hasten ripening. Data on Mcintosh indicate that in some seasons the application of hormone may hasten ripening and its effect has been detected in respiration and firmness studies within a few days following its application. Failure of hormone sprayed trees to keep as well as non-sprayed fruit may be related also to the fact that hormoned fruit has been allowed to hang until overripe. 2. Degree of bruising. It should be kept in mind that prevention of bruising at harvest time is impoi'tant not only for appearance's sake but also from the standpoint of firmness. Apples soften faster when bruised than similar apples bruise-free , 3. Storage temperature. In the fall, rapid cooling cannot be overemphasized. Apples held at UQO f. ripen about tv/ice as fast as they do at 32° F., and at 60° F. about three times as fast as at kO° F. Be sure when building a storage that ample cooling capacity is provided and remember that a forced-air circulation system will cool the fruit faster than a coil system of similar cooling capacity which develops relatively weak air currents. It. Humidity. At temperatures of 32^F. attempt to maintain a relative h'omidity around 90%. Under these conditions shriveling will be held to a minimum. Biggest losses of moisture from apples is to ;vooden boxes and cold coils. Moisten the boxes if they have not been heavily rained upon. If possible, v;hen the room is loaded and down to proper storage temperature, raise the refrigerant temperature so that the differential between it and storage room air is small. Coils at 10° F. will take much more out of the air moisture than coils at 25° F. 5. Ripening gases. As apples ripen they produce several ripening gases. Ethylene is apparently most active in this regard although recent investigations at Cornell University indicate that other gases may have a similar influence. Batches of ripe apples produce s-ufficient quantities of these ripening gases to hasten the rate of softening of less mature lots. The problem of removing these gases cannot be accomplished by simple ventilation procedures. Gold storage ventilation is usually not feasible except when outdoor temperatures are near 32*^ F. and such periods in the first month or six weeks of storage are short. Also, as soon as ventilation ceases the ripening gases will build up rapidly to their former level. After an apple has been in storage a month to six weeks it has probably reached the point v/here ripening gases no longer influence its rate of softening. Although the air-purification method utilizing activated, coconut shell carbon is not entirely satisfactory for complete removal of all ripening gases, it is probably superior to any other known method. Also, air-purification will aid in scald control and in eliminating many types of storage odors. — F. V». Southwick ■ir -ii- -it -ir -K- -x- ■;!■ ■!}■ -it -ii- -/c -.i- -it •>!■ r •«• * <*• •«■ ^^ * -is- •;;- -;;- -;;- ■>!- -x- GRCV;TH REUTIGi;3HIPS I;I PEACH TP-EES (Review of a paper on "The Relationship of Leaf Color, Nitrogen ana Rainlall to the Growth cf Young Peach Trees," by V;. P, Judkins, Ohio Agr, Exp. Station) liany peach orchards are located on sites and soils that are subject to erosion under the usual practice of cultivation. There is now a trend towara tne use of sod systems of soil management to reduce erosion and soil depletion. Soil moisture and nitrogen are the factors which are most frequently limiting- in orchards -u'here peach trees are grown in sod. Host investigators have reported reduced growth of young peach trees when grown in sod as compared to trees gro-ivn under cultivation. Some investigators report satisfactory grov^th and yield of bearing age peach trees when groi/vn in sod. The experiment conducted by Dr. Judkins was designed to secure additional infcririation on the growth response of the young trees under a sod system and to study the influence of various amounts of nitrogen on such trees. Halehaven trees were planted in the spring of 19hh and 19hS on a deep, well drained silt loam. Some of the trees were planted in an oven/intered crop of rye and the land was then disked and seeded to a mixture of blue grass, timothy, red top, alsike clover and red clover. The land vras not plowed or cultivated at any time. Several different nitrogen fertilizer treatments vrere established when the trees were set. The trees under cultivation rrere -;;- CGMTY AGENTS' CORNER set at the same time as those set in -^ sod. They have been maintained under -;:- The Values of I.Iulch- (Some inter- a system of trashy cultivation from the -»- esting observations are here presented middle of Hay until late June v;hen a -;;- by Bertram Tomlinson, County Agent- summer cover crop of soybeans vas ■>"- Manager, Cape Cod Extension Service) planted. In September the land was -;;- disked and seeded to rye. Nitrogen -"- The value of mulch in regard to th- v;as applied at the rate of l/U pound -;:- culture of blueberries has been empha- of a 20f. nitrogen fertilizer for each •>!■ sized and re-emphasized so that it has year of tree age.. -;:- become a pretty vrell knovm factor. T/Ve -;!- have been told that mulching v/ith straw. Rainfall in the summer of 19hh -"- leaves, cheap hay or any organic Y;as below average. This lack of •"> material saves labor by keeping down the rainfall had a retarding effect on the -;;- vreeda and conserves moisture. I have trees grcvm in sod plots. This suppres- -x- always felt that there was another very sicn of grovrth y:as sufficiently severe -x- important function for mulch material to exert a retarding influence on tree -x- that has never been sufficiently empha- growth for several succeeding seasons. -;;- sized, and that is, that mulch acts as -6- The trees set in 19US received an -;!• an insulator and ke:-ps Lhe soil ai a ;.v i- adequate amount of rainfall during the ^> unifonn temperature throughout the day growing season and the trees set in the * and night, sod plots made more satisfactory growth ■«• than those in the cultivated plots. The ^^ A few years ago I had occasion to rate of tree growth for the trees in -x- propagate a privot hedge by making the tvra systems was similar for succeed- "- cuttings and these were placed in ?. very ing seasons. There has been no -5^ light, sandy soil. While the bed was apparent difference in the rate of tree ■«• kept vrell watered, it seemed apparent grovrth, as indicated by trunk circum- ■»■ to me that the cuttings were not growing ference, between the various fertilizer "■'<■ as they should, so about the luiddle of treatments up to the present time. This -x- June I tried a very interesting exptri- vrould indicate that nitrogen was not a * ment. The cutting bed v;a3 thoroughly limiting factor in this soil type. --- wet dcim and a light application of -«■ fertilizer (5-10-10) vras applied as a t^.p This investigator found a corre- ^:- dressing. Cne half of the bed was ther. lation between the leaf color and leaf --'<■ mulched with about tvro inches of sawdust, nitrogen. Leaf color was determined by ^'- and the other half v/as left for clean a photo-electric reflection meter. ■'■■- cultivation. Both part? of the bed -;;- received the same treatment in regard to Results from this experiment would * irrigation, but I vias amazed to notice indicate that on this soil tjT'^j • "■■ '"' that within tvra weeks- the part of the soil ..-oir.turo ;7.'.s.a .r.oro iT;iortant ' ^'' bed mulched with sawdust took on a darker factor th.:in nitrogen. The reaults also -"• green color and started a luxuriant indicate that in seasons with adequate -«'- growth. In fact, the bed mulched vidth rainfall, peach trees made as good -"- savirdust grew so much faster than the growth under sod 'as under a cultivation- -x- unmulched that 1 became more interested cover crop system of management during --- in speeding up the growth of the small their first three years in the orchard. -:;- plants, so terminated the experLaent at -:;- the end of six weeks,- and applied a saw- ..-- J. F. Anderson -)s- dust mulch to that portion of the bed -;- -;'r -.;- -;;- -;;- -;;- -;;- -;;- -;;- ■;;- -is- -;;- ■>'<■ ^;- -;;- -;;- ic- -;;- -;!- -;;--;><•■);- that had none. It vras of interest tc note that here again the response was remarkable and v/hile the color and gro^vth became uniform that portion of the bed v^hioh was unmulched during the six weeks period never did attain the height of the other section. It seems__ to me that this experiment has a lesson of great value tc all horti- culturists, and as I pondered the reasons for the difference in growth, I uas satisfied that it must have been due entirely to the insulating effect of the saw- dust and that the ' temperature under the sawdust must have been many degrees cooler than the unmulched area. Unfortunately, this bright idea did not occur to me in time ao. that I could actually measure the temperature differences with a thermometer, 30 I was particularly interested this year in observing a similar case in relation to blueberries. Bill Richards had set out about ten acres of blueberries this past spring, ana at the time of planting mulched them with three or four inches of sawdust and shavings. One section of the field had only one application of water during the jxtreme prolonged drought experienced when we had practically no rain from the 25tl' of May to' the first of September. Despite this abnormal situation, the plants laade a fair to moderate growth.- On the area that was irrigated twice, the grovrth , '.vas excellent. Another planting on a nearby farm without mulch resulted in stuntea ■^rovrth and the loss of 20 to ?.S% of the plants. -7- Since making these and other similar observations, I was greatly interested in reading an article entitled, "The Effect of Soil Management on Yield of Cultivated Blueberries" by Vladimir Shutak, E. P. Christopher and Leona McElroy of Rhode Island State College. These people reported on the use of various mulch materials and their observations included the differences in yield secured with different kinds of mulch, differences in soil moisture and also differences in soil temperature. A lack of space will not permit me to comment on this paper in detail. Suffice it to say that the experiment did prove v/ithout question, that one of the great values of mulch material was the fact that it helped to maintain a more uniform soil temperature in addition to the conservation of soil moisture. It seems to me that this maintaining of a uniform soil temperature is another big reason v/hy farmers and gardeners should give more attention to mulch in the growing of fruits and vegetables. SOI.I: G3SERVATIGNS IN MARKETING PROCEDURES As a feature of the course in fruit marketing by the Pomology Department, it is customary to take the students on a two-day trip to Boston. The first day is spent visiting storages and packing houses in order that these young men may observe how apples are stored and prepared for market. A stop is also made at the New England Vinegar Works so that they can see how culls are disposed of. The second day is spent in Boston visiting the several markets so that the class may obtain first hand information on methods of sale. A few general impressions gained from the trip this year are as f ollov/s : 1. The large volume of high grade Iviclntosh apples that are now in storage. One grower whom we had hoped to visit advised that we had better not come this year because his storage house is so full that we couldn't get into it. 2. ihe care which was evident in the packing houses visited to prevent bruising by careful handling of the fruit. 3. The relatively high grade culls which vrere going into cider and vinegar. The elimination of rotten apples in the fruit used is a credit to any cider manufacturer. Certainly, the more discriminating purchasers of cider will highly commend this practice. U. The extent to which labor-saving equipment is being employed to increase efficiency in the handling of apples in the storages and packing houses. 5. The flagrant disregard for the Massachusetts Apple Grading Law, particularly with respect to the absence of required markings on closed packages. 6. The traffic congestion and confusion around Faneuil Hall Market v/hich for many years has added enormously to the cost of doing business. Relief from this condition ca.nnot come too soon. -8- 8, A window display of Baldwins in a prominent restaurant on Treinont Street where apples were used that would net have graded iDetter than U. S. Utility. The fruit was not only poorly colored but blemishes due to leaf roller, curculio, and bud moth were plainly evident. Certainly, such as exhibit v;as no credit to the restaurant, the Baldwin variety, the fruit gro7/ing industry, nor the fruit grower yiko supplied the fruit. Such a trip affords a splendid opportunity to observe both good and bad practices in the marketing process. T/Yhile a fev/ objectionable practices still persist, it is consoling to note that considerable progress has been made toward better marketing procedures compared with those of :^ ";rnorflticn '\'^c. — 0. C. Roberts MCVEI.IENT OF MCINTOSH OUT OF STORAGE STEPS TO A CLEAR STORAGE BY APRIL 1st (1,2148,0119 bushels of Mcintosh were in storage, in the Boston Area, Mass., Oct. 15, 19h9) ^ 100,000 bu. out of storage in this period if the indicated rate is to be achieved; volume for succeeding periods is shovm. -M50,000 bu. 187,000 bu. 187,000 bu. 125,000 bu. -> 125,000 bu. 125,000 bu. -^ 125,000 bu. 62,000 bu. » 31,000 bu. " 31.000 Oct. 15 1 Nov. 15 1. Dec. 15 1. Jan. 15 1 Feb. 15 1 ■:jlar.l5 1 April bu. — Frederick E. Cole -y- jf. -■(. -;j. v!- ■;<• >i- ii- ii- -it -- -iS- -9- POINTS -TC BE CBSSRVED Ih THE rRGDUCTION OF HIGH QUALITY CIDER On a basis of the reaction of many consumers it would appear that greater care in the production and handling of fresh cider should make for a greater demand for this popular product. The following points are recommended as a guide for the production of g^od quality cider; 1 Cider i3 IJo Better than the Rav; Material from which it is Made. Apples for cider should be ripe, but not over-ripe, sound, and clean. Viihile cider is frequently made from second grade and cull apples, decayed or off flavored fruit will not make a quality product. Even a very fev; soft rots will impart a musty taste to a large volume of cider. The apples should be inspected and all fruit that shows evidence of decay should be discarded, 2. Apples should be Vfashed. Apples should be washed with clean vrater before they are ground. Washing removes dust and dirt which may impair the quality of the cider. 3. Several Varieties of Apples are Better than One. It is well kncvm that a blend of two or mere varieties of apples makes a better cider than a single variety. Blending is particularly desirable when a large proportion of liclntosh must be used. The addition of other varieties to provide added acidity and astringency is to be recommended. If available a small proportion of crab apples (up to 5 per cent) is effective in providing an added zest and charac- ter to cider. h. Equipment Must be Kept Clean. The equipment should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of the day's operation. Dry press cloths should be soaked overnight in clean^cold water before using. Press cloths must be clean to permit a free flow of juice. At frequent intervals they should be boiled and then rinsed in cold water, or they may be washed and then soaked for several hours in a weak chlorine solution to kill microorganisms. Musty press cloths v/ill impart a musty flavor to the cider. Press racks should be cleaned thoroughly and steamed daily. They should be at least partially dried before stacking. There is danger of "Souring" if i:hey are stacked while wet. Clean equipment and premises inspire the confidence of consumers who visit the plant. 5. Clean Containers are Essential. The barrels or vats in which cider is held must be clean, other^ifise off-flavors may be imparted to an otherwise high quality cider. 6. Cider may be Frozen. Cider lends itself to preservation by freezing. Freezing provides a means whereby fresh cider can be made available as a year-round beverage. — IV. B, Esselen, Jr, -10- Reminder on Mouse Control V/here grass is heaviest there is greatest danger of mouse injury to trees. Placing properly treated baits in the active "runs" is recognized as a veiy effective way of dealing with the mouse problem. For full details consult your county agricultural agent. If you can prevent the girdling of even a single permanent tree, a few hours in surveying the situation and taking the necessary steps v/ill be tiine well spent. We Need Your Opinion YiHiat is your present estimate of these apple varieties? Macoun, Golden Milton. If you have any notion concerning comparatively new Delicious, Gallia, the possibilities conditions, please compiler of FRUIT Production, Market tages have come to ciscussed at one o dozen opinions on of any of these varieties under your jot them on a post card and mail it to the NOTES. , Items of interest are: Quality, Demand and v/hatever advantages or disadvan- your attention. Newer varieties will be f the M.F.G.A. sessions in ".Vorcester. A post cards, in advance, vail be very valuable. A Note on Pov.'er Pruners A type of power prune r used quite extensively in the Far West, seems to have possibilities for Massachusetts growers. Some demonstrations are planned during the next few weeks. IVith adequate air pressure, branches 3/1^" in diameter can be removed. For a dropping type of tree, such as Cortland, v;here many relatively small cuts on downward growing laterals should be made, this device is a real time saver. And although it is more expensive that others previously on the market it may have definite advantages. Operated from a home-made pruning tower, ladders are quite unnecessary. Apple Pie Contest A stateiuide Apple Pie Contest will be held in January in connection with the Union Agricultural Meeting. Substantial prizes are being offered. For full details consult your coiinty home demonstration agent. It is suggested that fruit growers encourage their wives to take part in the Contest. To allow a larger number of pies to be entered, a county contest is first being held in each county. The names of the county committee members responsible for development of these local contests may be obtained from your County Extension Office. The five -v.'inning contestants in each county will enter the statev/ide contest in Viiorcester next January. Among the judges is Mrs. Kay Mitchell of Wrentham, first prize winner last year. The other tvro are Miss Deraetria Taylor and Mrs. Lucy Shelve, Home Economists for the N. Y. and N. E. Apple Institute and the N. E. Marketing Program, respectively.