Taking the United States as a whole, Delicious plantings- 

 have exceeded those of any other single variety. Varieties that 

 have generally enjoyod increased planting oince 1910 include 

 Delicious, Stayiuan, Mcintosh, Yellow Transparent and Grimes Golden. 

 Those showing decreased plantings include Ben Davis, Rhode Island 

 Greening, Baldv/in and York. 



More than ever bcTore constjmi'^rs are demanding high qual- 

 ity in foods. Apples arc no exception. Furthermore, fancy prices 

 of former years cannot be expected in the near future. High 

 yields must compensate. On the basis of these demands the I.lclntodi 

 variety probably excels today under our conditions. \Mne.t the fu- 

 ture may bring in improved varieties is problematical. Growers 

 should follow carefully the results of bre'^ding work and subse- 

 quent testing of new sorts. Lawrence southwick 



Evaluati on of Ai';^l e V ar ieties fo r the No rt heast 



"^Glasslf icatio'n and Evaluation of "Varieties of Apples 

 Grown in the Northeastern States" Is the title of a mimeographed 

 leaflet recently prepared by J. K. Shaw oT the State College 

 staff in cooperation vilth other hor ticialturists in the iJortheast. 

 More than 100 varieties, new and old, are rated according to their 

 popularity in the different Northeastern States. Here are some 

 of the varieties we are advised to discard; Alexander, Hubbard- 

 ston. Maiden Blush, Wolf River, Yellow Belief lower, etc. Other 

 items discussed are: basis of evaluation and classification, 

 regional variations, older and newer varieties, miitations or bud 

 sports, evaluation of varieties by districts, and variety synonyms. 

 This publication of about a dozen pages helps to clarify the apple 

 variety situation in the Northeast. A copy may be obtained by 

 addressing a postcard to the Pomology Department, M. 3. C., Amhers: 



The Orchard and Soil Acidity 



A recent editorial in the Amicrican Fruit Grower presents 

 a common sense view of the relation between soil acidity and fruit 

 prodi;ction. According to the author, fruit trees have been found 

 to thrive at pH values of from 4.2 in Ohio and New York, to pH 3. 

 in Washington and California, and even 8.5 in New Mexico. This 

 represents a tremendoius range in acidity when we consjder that 

 a soil of pH 4. is 10 times as acid as one which ratc3 pH 5. 

 Since m.any of our agricultural crops arc strikingly benefitted 

 by the use of lime, it raises the question about fruit trees. 

 Do fruit trees thrive better on a limestone soil? Should they 

 be limed occasionally to improve their growth, production, or 

 the quality of the product.?- 



The whole question of acidity is so tied up with fer- 

 tility, draitisge, aeration, organic matter, etc., that it cannot 

 be considered separately. It is true that sulphate of a.mm,onia 

 makes the soil slightly more acid after several years use while 

 sodium nitrate has no measurable effect and cyanamld reduces the 

 acidity slightly. But in general, the tree secm.s to be very 

 tolerant of acid conditions. With the cover crop, however, the 

 situation is quite different. Here is an agronomic problem, and 

 whether the crop bo grass, weeds, or othei' vegetation, lim.e may 

 be required for a satisfactory growth. 



