542 Joiiindl of Ai/ricidtHre. [10 Sept., 1917 



APPLE CULTURE IN VICTORIA. 



By J. Farrell, Orchard Supervisor. 

 (Continued from page 469.) 



Setting and Development of the Fruit. 



During seasons wlien uonnal weatlicr eoiiditions prevail, wliile the 

 trees are in blossom, the full-bloom stage of a variety lasts from two to 

 three days. This stage may be shorter or it may extend over a longer 

 period when the weather is dry, hot, and wandy, or when it is calm, 

 with occasional light showers and moderate temperatures respectively. 



When the petals have fallen, denoting that the period of pollination 

 lias passed, the orchardist patiently awaits the signs of fruit-setting as 

 the results of successful fertilization. If success attends the action 

 of the pollen tubes coming into contact with the ovules, the young fruit 

 soon commences to swell when the petals drop off. The flower stalks 

 particularly and the other parts of the florets, which fail to set fruit, 

 quickly turn yellow, indicating that they have lost their vitality; these 

 .soon become detached and fall off. 



Plate 123, Fig. 1, depicts six stages of the yoimg fruit of the Duchess 

 de Oldenburg variety, and shows the condition of the frtiit at the end 

 of each period of three days from the time the petals fall. It will be 

 understood that (a) is the most critical .stage, as the petals have just 

 fallen, but the fruit has not yet commenced to swell. Specimen (b) 

 shows the condition of the little fruit three days later. Owing to the 

 sweilling of the fleshy part particularly, the sepals have commenced to 

 alter their positions by gradually inclining to the horizontal and later 

 to the vertical. In stages (c), (d), (e), which are six, nine, and twelve 

 days respectively from the fall of the petals, it will be observed that the 

 process of fruit development has so far advanced that it only needs 

 the sixth stage (/), fifteen days from the falling of the petals, to show, 

 as almost invariably happens, that the sepals forming the calyx com- 

 pletely enclose the withered stamens and pistil at the end of this 

 period. There are a few instances of varieties such as the Rjmier 

 in the case of which the calyx often remains partly open until the fruit 

 is matured. , . 



Considerably higher percentage of blooms, when they arrive at 

 stage (a), wither and fall than at any other time. ISTevertheless, 

 after the fruit has commenced to swell as shown in the various other 

 stages, and even when it is quarter grown, when self thinning out com- 

 mences, large numbers often lose their vitality and fall to the ground. 

 This has the effect in many instances of reducing what at first appears 

 a good crop to a light one. In some varieties, such as Jonathan, 

 Reinette de Canada, London Pippin, &c., this habit of thinning out is 

 more noticeable than it is in Yates, Morgan's Seedling, Rome Beauty, 

 and others. Excessive thinning out, however, may be reduced to a 

 minimum, even in varieties most subject to it, by keeping the trees 

 free from Black Spot during the previous year, by feeding them well, 

 systematic pruning, careful attention to drainage, and by good soil 

 management. 



Fig. 2 is a vertical section of that very fine quality, double pur- 

 pose, and profitable apple, the Stewart's, formerly known as Stewart's 



