-5- 



tha orchard to distribute the pollen. This will tend to insure fruits sym- 

 metrical in form and full in size. (6) Thin the apples on the tree to 

 l-roduce better sizes and grades. (7) Properly spray the trees to eliminate 

 diseases and insect pests, thereby improving color and grade of the apples. 

 (8) Grade rigidly to conform to official standards. (9) Pack carefully in 

 order to avoid bruising. 



Two Rainy Months 



According to a report by C I. Gunness of the College staff, 8.45 

 inches of rain fell in Amherst during tho month of June. The normal for 

 that month is 3.54 inches. That looked like a tremendous amount of rain 

 for a single month. But the month of July "added insult to injury" by 

 bringing us 7.45 inches of rainfall, while the noXEol f or July is 4.33 inches. 

 Thus we have a total rainfall for the two months ^mounting to 15.9 inches 

 compared to a normal rainfall of 7.87 inches. This is more than twice the 

 amount normally expeotod. Ai-a it i'- Boid.. that the rainfall in eastern 

 Massachusetts was even more excessive. 



The effects of so much rainfall are quite apparent. Grass has 

 grown exceptionally well on tho drier soils where water is generally a 

 limiting factor. Dairymen have found it very difficult to cure hay. The 

 result is a large tonnage of spoiled hay vifhich will serve as excellent Kulch 

 for a grower on the lookout for such material. Thousands of tons should be 

 moved into needy orchards. This is one of the best examples of using a 

 practically worthless material in a year of surplus to supply a real need 

 in the orchard. Fewer hours of sunshine and excessive water in the soil 

 have combined to provide unfavorable growing conditions for some fruit cr"ps. 

 Water logged soils are in evidence where normally soil night be considered 

 fairly well drained. The ^vriter recalls a recent orchard visit where care 

 was necessary to avoid stepping in over one's shoetops. It is res.conable 

 to assume that fruit trees ore not too happy under sEch growing coicitions. 

 A season like this offers a real chance to form an estimate of a given or- 

 chard location from the standpoint of drainage and water holding capacity. 

 It takes a good soil to coine through a very wet season as v/ell as a very 

 dry season in good c-^ndition. Good soil drainage and good water holding 

 capacity seem to be the critical factors involved. 



Of all the fruit crops, raspberries prcbably suffered mare than 

 any of the others fron. excessive rainfall. A large percentage of the berries 

 either molded or dropped off v/hile many of the harvested berries were watery 

 and therefore of poor quality. The v/eather man apparently planned his 

 affairs vathout much regard for the raspberry crop. 



Apple Crop Prospects 



About the middle of July, 100 cards were sent out to Massachusetts 

 apple growers asking for an estimate of the present season's apple crop and 

 a report on tho amount harvested last fall. Fifty-tv/o growers replied. 

 Following is a summary of these reports 



Bu. Harvested (1937) Bu. Estimated (1938) 



Mcintosh 

 Br-ildwin 

 Other 

 Total 



204,109 



67,481 



114,828 



386,418 



207,950 



84,200 



100,025 



392,175 



Increase or 

 Decrease 



•> 2/. 

 * 255^ 





