-7- 



In the mid-west, Virginia Beauty and Hibernal have been successfully used to pro- 

 mote trunk hardiness and these varieties seem to be suitable stocks for Mcintosh. 

 Any grower who thinks the extra trouble worth while can buy these varieties, set 

 them in his orchard and top work them to Mcintosh at the proper time. J. K. Shaw 



Apple Silage. In Bulletin No. 362 of the Vtoshington Experiment Station at Pull- 

 man are reported experiments domonstrating that cull apples can be used as dairy 

 feed by ensiling them vdth alfalfa hay in the proportion of 80 percent apples to 

 20 percent alfalfa hay. 



No Potash Deficiency. In a report from Michigan (Quarterly Bulletin for Kovem- 

 bi^r, 1938) concerning the potassium situ;;.tion in Michigan orchurd soils, the 

 statement is made that potash is not c.s yut "a limiting fuctor in true fruit 

 production" in that state. 



A New Grafting Vifai . In a test of grafting waxes and other proprietary materials, 

 it v;as concluded in Michigan that several commercial trade preparations could not 

 "be recommended." Certain modifications of the standard home-made formula seem 

 particularly promising. One of the bust of these has the follov/ing ingredients; 

 Rosin - 5 pounds, Beeswax - 1 pound. Raw Linsood Oil - 1/2 pint, Fuller's Earth - 

 1/2 pound. Lawrence Southwick. 



A Breezy Note . A few days ago we had a chance to look over an old diary v/ritten 

 by the great, great grandfather of Vi. H. Taylor, a fruit grower in North Middle- 

 boro. On a certain date in 1815 there appeared a clearly vi/ritten reference to a 

 hurricane which had just swept New England. This was the storm which, according 

 to reliable reports, upro'ted the original Baldwin apple tree in the town of V/il- 

 mington, Massachusetts. 



Kansas Uses Refrigerator Car Storage . The following message was just received 

 from V/. G. Arastein, Extension Horticulturist in Kansasi "I appreciate your 

 putting us on your list to receive Fruit Notes. One of the items by Mr. South- 

 wick on refrigerator car storage reminds me that we have found it a very satis- 

 factory system here in Kansas, and some growers have 6 or 8 cars that they use 

 for this purpose. Several growers have one or two c/.rs. Many have arranged them 

 so that they form three sides of a hollow square and arrange a roof over them so 

 that it makes an interior for working ur^a and slide doors on uhe front or fourth 

 side that provide favorable working conditions and storage on a temporary basis 

 in this large center area. Some are using ico on a temporary basis for c.ar.ly 

 applv^s . . _ _^. 



The Undersized Fruit Enterpris e. Today's mail brought ten inquiries from Massa- 

 chusetts folks about fruit problems. Four of these had to do with certain puzzles 

 generally found in the small apple orchard. One grower has set 28 trees and in- 

 tends to set as many more. Another has 6 trees, v;hile a third has about all the 

 troubles a grov^er would vi^ant , with a single tree. 1/ftiat bothers us Is our inabil- 

 ity to give an encouraging reply. The orchard of less than commercial size is 

 almost certain to be underequipped and is more likely than not to have a poor 

 environment. Much -^s we'd like to discQur>-..ge everybody from planting a backyard 

 orchard, we recognize the inherent right of eVery individual to set as few or 

 as many trees as he may desire. And anything we say will be more tn^n neutral- 

 ized by one first clc^ss nurs^sry s^-lesman. And so Wc face once more the annual 

 problem of explaining why so few perfect apples ^re harvested in the average 

 small orchard. 



