FRUIT NOTLcj - June, 1940 



Vv. ii. Tiiifcs 

 Ext on£ Ion Jrio r t i c ui turi s t 



Apple Crop Procpects 



The cormaercial apple crop in ivii^ooachucetts will be a- 

 bout 1..') per cent less tnan in 19b9 acooraing to a survey covering 

 about one-tenth oi' our total proauction. This survey was conauctea 

 by Vv . E. Piper of the L'ivision oi" Markets at a recent twilight meet- 

 ing in the John Ghanaler Orchard in oterllng. Growers present re- 

 ported a crop of about cl5,000 bushels last year ana an estiinatea 

 271,000 busncls this year. The i/lclntosh estimate v.'as 15 per cent 

 less than last year -.vnen 185,000 bushels were prouucea cornparea . 

 v.-ith 159,000 this year. The Saiawin crop -j^ill be about 20 per cent 

 greater than last year, while other varieties were estiinatoa at 41 

 per cent less. This aecrease is mostly in the Delicious variety. 



In tne June .S£ issue of "The Fruit Situation',' prepared 

 by the U. ti . j^. A., v;e finu this statement about apples: "June 1 

 conaiticn of apples in the 38 states having commercial proauction 

 averaged 67 per cent of normal, cornparea with 69 per cent a year 

 earlier ana the 10-year (19^.9-^8) average of 65 per cent. In all 

 areas except the South uentral States June 1 condition was reported 

 to be average or above, ^s cornparea with a year earlier, condition 

 was consiaerably lower in such iraportant states as Nev/ York, Ohio, 

 Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Misscuri, ana California, but somewhat 

 higher in Connecticut, I>Jew Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, 

 V:est Virginia, laaho, Colorado, Vvashington, and Oregon." 



i'^'*\:e Fruit Insect Observations 



The first apple maggot fly of the season was ooservea 

 by V . h. vihitcomb in his V'/altham cages on June S5. oy July 1 a to- 

 tal of 56 flies had emerged from the 500 pupae of last year. With 

 maximum temperature of 75'"^ or more over a perioa of at least a week 

 follov/ing June 2 plum curculio vvas very active in Massacnusetts or- 

 chards. Rosy aphis are numerous, particularly in southeasteon Mass- 

 achusetts on Cortlana anu other susceptible varieties. They are due 

 to migrate to other nost plants soon, ii heavy infestation of rea 

 mite -.vas observed in central Massachusetts recently, -oron^lng of 

 leaves is a'lready apparent. Leaf hoppers are relatively scarce in 

 most orchards. Peach moth infestation appears to be up to normal. 

 In 9no peach orchard a corn borer larva -was found insiae a peacn. 



Another Observatj .:n on. tne -i-f feet of Malch 



K numoer of groivers t:.ave seen in one of our experimental 

 orchards at the College tne effects of a rather light mulch of poor 

 hay appliea to a rundown block of Mcintosh trees whicn had been cul- 

 tivated without fertilization for more than 15 years. After mulch- 

 ing, the trees revived at once, had a good leaf color anu bore greab- 

 ly increased crops. Examination sho'vs an abundance of small rootlets 



I.jiued by the Extension Service, vVillaru A. Munson, Director, 



in furtherance of Acts of May 8 ana June bO, 1914. Massachusetts 



btate College, United States Department of Agriculture, ana tounty 

 Fxtension Services cooperating. 



