()7<) 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



provi'iit winter injury to tin- tret'K. It Ih generally believed that those varieties 

 who8e growth ripens l)est will prove the hardiest. It was thought, therefore, that 

 the moisture content of the twigs of an apple tree as winter approaches would be an 

 indication of its power to resist frost. In order to test the matter, twigs were selected 

 from 10 varieties which contained representatives of sorts which were practically 

 frost-proof, sorts which are killed back in severe winters, and sorts which suffer 

 every winter to a greater or less degree. 



In the first group were Duchess of Oldenburg, Yellow Transparent, and McMahon 

 Wliite. Varieties which were considered less hardy than these were Wealthy, Scott 

 Winter, Scarlet Pippin, and Walworth Pippin. The varieties Hebble AVhite, Boy 

 Delight, and Blenheim Pippin were selected as least hardy of the 10. The twigs of 

 these different varieties were examined every 2 weeks from January 23 to May 15. 

 Tlie ])ercentage of water in the basal and terminal portions of the twigs and in the 

 whole twig is shown in the following table: 



Water in apple twigs in lointer. 



Variety. 



Whole 

 twig. 



McMahon White . . . 

 Yellow Transparent 



Duchess 



Walworth I'ippin . . 



Bov Dell!i;ht 



Wealthy 



Scott Whiter 



Scarlet Pippin 



Hebble White 



Blenheim Pippin... 



Per cent. 

 45.79 

 45.82 

 46.00 

 46.58 

 46.75 

 48.06 

 48.21 

 48.23 

 49.74 

 50.01 



After the winter was over it was found that of the trees under examination 3 only 

 showed winterkilling, the other 7 varieties proving hardy to the tip. The tender 

 varieties were (1) Boy Delight, with terminal buds killed and twigs in a few 

 instances killed back 3 in.; (2) Hebble White, showing terminals of twigs in every 

 instance killed back about 3 in.; (3) Blenheim Pippin, the tenderest of all, with 

 terminal buds killed and wood killed back 3 to 6 in. or more. The data obtained in 

 the investigation would therefore, in the opinion of the author, seem to show "that 

 we have direct and definite proof that there is distinct relationship lietween the 

 moisture content of the twig and its power to resist the action of frost, and that 

 those trees whose new growth contains the largest percentage of water as w'inter 

 approaches are in all probability the most tender. 



"Further, it seems likely that if hardiness is dependent upon the degree of ripe- 

 ness of the new growth (indicated by moisture content), then it is quite possible that 

 it is a quality that can be materially affected by judicious cultural methods. Hardi- 

 ness is evidently something more than an inherited tendency. It seems probable 

 that it is a quality largely under the influence of the soil condition as regards moisture 

 and temperature in the late summer and autumn months, and probably these factors 

 rather than the severity of the succeeding winter determine the tree's immunity from 

 frost. If in northern latitudes vegetative growth be early arrested and ripening of 

 the new wood thus induced, either by artificial means (pruning and cover crops), or 

 by a dry and cold autumn, varieties now considered tender might prove hardy." 



Tlie work is to be continued and the examinations of the twigs begun earlier in 

 the season. 



The composition of apple pomace from Cornouailles in 1903, J. Croche- 

 TELLE [Jour. Agr. Prat., n. ser., 6 {1903), No. 49, pp. 730, 75i).— The density of juice 

 obtained from pressing cider apples is reported, as well as the amount of reducing 

 substances and starch per liter, the composition of the juice being discussed in rela- 

 tion to the maturity of the apple crop. 



