SPRAYING TO CONTROL PREHARVEST DROP OF APPLES 

 ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO McINTOSH 



By Lawrence Southwick, Research Assistant in Pomology 

 and J. K. Shaw, Research Professor of Pomology 



INTRODUCTION 



Tlie dropping of fruit just before and during harvest often causes con- 

 siderable loss to apple growers. In Massachusetts the problem centers 

 around Alclntosh, the leading commercial variety and a notoriously "bad 

 dropper." However, this fault is not limited to any one variety. It is 

 natural for any apple upon approaching or attaining maturity to terminate 

 its iiitiiiiale connection with the tree and fall to the ground. Nature's 

 purpose has been accomplished in the production of mature seetls to per- 

 petuate the species. But unlike nature, man is concerned primarily with 

 tiie flesh of the apple which, unfortunately, is particularly susceptible to 

 physical injury and deterioration. In short, apples belong to the class 

 of very perishable "handle with care" farm products and many precautions 

 are necessary to prevent bruising. One of the first requisites is to harvest 

 apples before they drop to the ground. On the other hand, apples should 

 be allowed to mature properly in order to develop size, color, and quality. 

 W'itli some varieties, this development is not as satisfactory at the time 

 dropping begins as with seme others. Mcintosh is a good example. P>e- 

 cause of its recognized tendency to drop before full development, many 

 Mcintosh are harvested early and thus deprived of the chance to develop 

 that exquisite quality that should be associated with this variety. This is 

 especially true with the larger orchards where, in order to finish the har- 

 vest before disastrous dropping takes place, an extra early start is a 

 practical necessity. A further impetus to early picking is the insistent 

 ilemand for Mcintosh at that time. Buyers urge growers to "color pick" 

 ill order that this demand may be supplied. Too often this demand is 

 over-suppliefl with immature, poor-quality fruit. Consumers, fooled once, 

 do not reorder and demand slackens. This depresses prices, which olten 

 -liow a decided tendency to resist a later, usually justified upward trend. 

 In siiort, low-quality ofiferings at any time may limit the immediate sale^. 

 lower current prices, and even depress the price level for later oilerings 

 of better quality. Any development which promises to aid materially in 

 getting apples to the consumer in prime condition is a step in the right 

 direction. The proper use of the recently developed lionnone sprays may 

 lielp. 



Development of Quality 



The ultimate quality which an apple can develop depends to a consifl- 

 erable degree on its stage of development at the moment it is harvested. 

 Following its removal from the tree, which has furnished its entire nour- 

 ishment, an apple continues to respire and in so doing proceeds to use up 

 its own energy resources. A stage called the "climacteric" is eventually 



