-2- 



bees were found to carry the diseaGe from flower to flox^rer in 

 spring, but they were not responsible for carrying It through 

 the winter. (R. A. Van Meter), 



Strawberry Grown Inj ury 



That first cold weather In the fall seems to have dam- 

 aged strawberry crowns quite generally, not only In the North but 

 at least as far south as Beltsville, Md. where the United States 

 Department of Agriculture reports extensive injury. The damage 

 appears ps a brov^ning of the cambial region at the base of the 

 crown. No one knows how serious this condition is but such injury 

 is common in Massachusetts. Experimental work is planned for next 

 fall to see if it cannot be prevented by earlier mulching or by 

 regulating the amount of mulch. (R. A. Van Meter). 



A Newly Discovered Effect of Oil S p rays 



In South Africa a delayed development of apple and pear 

 leaves in spring is often a serious problem. It has long been 

 known that deciduous fruit trees must go through a so-called "rest 

 period" during the dormant season. The breaking of this rest 

 period is apparently associated with low temperatures. ViHiere the 

 dormant season is short and the minimum winter temperatures are 

 high, trees a.re inclined to be very slow in getting under way in 

 spring. To correct this situation, M. W. Black of the University 

 of Stellenbosch in South Africa, has been experimenting with oil 

 sprays as a means of breaking the rest period. Apple and pear 

 trees were sprayed with a ^% raw linseed oil emulsion from ^ to 2 

 weeks prior to the first opening of blossoms. Supplementary 

 studies were also made vrith seal oil and with tvro mineral oil 

 emulsions. He finds a marked benefit from the oil treatments in 

 a year when delayed foliation was prevalent. The degree of re- 

 sponse was apparently correlated with the susceptibility of the 

 variety to delayed foliation. Here in the Northeast v/e don't have 

 to worry much about such things, due perhaps to the fact that 

 sooner or later during the dormant season fruit buds become suffi- 

 ciently chilled to cause a normal development in spring. 



What Makes Big, Red A'oples ? 



R. E. Stephenson, in a recent issue of the California 

 Cultivator, says that big, red apples, or choice fruits generally, 

 are the product of sunshine plus conditions favorable for normal 

 growth. Excesses or deficiencies are not favorable. There is need 

 for balance in all things. Vigorous tree growth in early spring 

 and early maturity of gro^^th favor coloring, Enou.gh soil fertil- 

 ity and moisture for vigor without over-vegetation gives best re- 

 sults. Nitrogen should be a.bundrnt in the spring but the supply 

 should be cut off in Ir.te summer. Trees should be sufficiently 

 open to let in light r'.nd the fruit should be thinned to about one 

 apple for every ^0 or RO leaves. Am.ple moisture through the grow- 

 ing season is important. And rftcr the apple is otherwise ready 

 for the color-making process, then sunlight acts upon certain 

 stored compounds kno^''n to the chemist as anthocynnlns, to form 

 the color pigment. The blue and ultraviolet rays are ecpeclally 



