X. WOOD ASHES AND APPLE SCAB.* 



S. A. BEACH. 



SUMMARY. 



In an experiment including 124 trees in full bearing and con- 

 tinued for five years, liberal applications of hard-wood ashes did 

 not increase the immunity of apples from the scab. With few 

 exceptions, the yarieties on treated sections yielded larger per- 

 centages of scabbed fruit than those on untreated sections. 



On the treated sections of the orchard the foliage in many 

 cases was improved, but it cannot be said that the improvement 

 was due to increased immunity from the scab. 



Where the ashes were used, the color of the fruit was much 

 improved in some seasons with some varieties, but in a season 

 which favored the perfect development of the fruit none of the 

 varieties showed any improvement in color as compared with the 

 same varieties on untreated sections. 



Apparently the use of ashes had a general tendency to hasten 

 the perfect development of the fruit. When the season was not 

 especially favorable to the perfect development of the fruit, it 

 improved the keeping quality, but in a season very favorable to 

 the perfect development of the fruit the ripening jjrocesses were 

 generally carried so far where the ashes were used that the ap- 

 ples did not keep so well as where no ashes were used. 



The yield, except with the Baldwins, was greater on the treated 

 sections ; but the data are not such as make it safe to draw defi- 

 nite conclusions as to the effect of the use of ashes on the yield. 



Decided differences were shown between varieties as to the 

 ability to resist scab, and preliminary investigations indicate that 

 this difference in resistant power is correlated with structural 

 peculiarities. 



♦Reprint of Bulletin No. 140. 



