-4- 



Mulching. In ITev.' York a mulch of v.-ood shavings showed no injurious 

 effects on apple trees after three years of use. Apple pomace used as a :nuleh 

 caused serious injury and some killing of trees. 



■More Oran g es and Crrapefru it. The March 1 estimate of total 1940-41 

 (Sept. to Aug. J orange and grapefruit production v.-as 4.8 million tons com- 

 pared v;ith 4.3 million tons in 1939-40. 



Good Demand for Apples. According to the Bureau of Agricultural 

 Economics, February auction prices of leading varieties of western apples 

 averaged slightly higher than those of a year earlier, despite the larger 

 cold storage holdings. On March 1 these holdings v.ere still 2.4 million 

 bushels greater than a year earlier even though the February out-cf-storage 

 movement v;as 300,000 bushels greater than in February, 194C. 



L. Southv/ick 

 Pruning and Tree Vigor 



' In years past v;e were given this advice: "Prune vigorous trees 



lightly; weak trees, heavily." Back of the advice v:as this fact. Good growth 

 accompanies good fruiting, and since vigorous trees already have the kind of 

 grovrth needed for fruit production there is no need to stimulate additional 

 growth, as for example by branch removal. Not so with trees shovd.ng scanty 

 grovrth and a general lack of vigor. Such trees need pepping up. But the 

 pruning saw is not the only available tonic. Today, liberal annual use of 

 nitrogen provides the new growth which yesterday v.e tried to prune into ex- 

 istence. This merely suggests our modern program of balancing fertilization 

 and pruning. These practices supplement one another. Experience has sho^^'n 

 that an over vigorous tree cannot be pruned back to normal. The same is 

 true of the weak tree. The bag of fertilizer and the pruning saw together 

 make an efficient team. 



Michigan Supreme Court Upholds Advertising Act 



The Supreme Court of Michigan handed down two decisi.ons on Feb. 11, 

 upholding the entire Michigan Apple Advertising Act. In sc ccing, it reversed 

 decisions of tvro louver courts which had caused a complete cessation of activi- 

 ties by the state Apple Commission since December, 1939. 



The advertising Act provides for the assessment of 1 cent a bushel 

 on Michigan apples prior to shipment, to b e expended by the Ilighigan State 

 Apple Commission for advertising and related purposes. It was patterned after 

 the law now in effect in the State of "Vashington, and Is similar to lav,rs in 

 Florida, Maine, and Idaho for the advertising of citrus fruits, potatoes, and 

 other products. 



In its ruling, the Supreme Court declared that the tax is not dis- 

 criminatory. "The tax in question is a levy upon putting Michigan grovvn 

 apples in the marts of commerce ... It applies only to those who put their 

 apples in the marts of commerce and is applicable to all that class without 

 distinction.' V'e must assume that the advertising for which the funds are 

 expended will accomplish the desired purpose, namely, stimulation of the use 

 of Michigan apples, with a consequent increase in production and distribution 

 . . , Statistics indicate that the consumption of apples has shown a marked 

 decrease while that of citrus fruits, extensively advertised, ha^ corre;-por.dent • 

 ly increased. Thet the production of apples is not an infant opcupation is 

 settled from the fact that the average annual value of the crop in this state 



