oxygen than it does in ordinary' air. The ripening process v;hich goes on inside 

 an apple might be likened to burning since it involves the intake of oxygen and 

 the giving off of carbon dioxide. If only a limited amount of oxygen is avail- 

 able, the ripening process goes on more slowly. This seems to be one of the 

 advantages of the modified storage. 



Fire in the Orcha rd 



Many more orchard fires have been reported this spring than in some 

 years past. The majority of these fires have been started carelessly although 

 occasionally we find someone who is so shortsighted as to burn over the orchard 

 floor every spring. Y'e do not recall ever seeing a highly successful orchard 

 v/hich has received this kind of treatment regularly. 



In the minds of some grov;ers burning over the orchard floor is sup- 

 posed to simplify the pest control program by destroying insects of various 

 kinds and also scabby leaves. In reality, the loss of mulch material probably 

 offsets any possible value from the standpoint of pest control. If, as many of 

 us believe, it is a good policy to stim.ulate groi-vth of vegetation in the orchard 

 and also to haul in additional mulch, then it seems the height of folly to burn 

 this important asset. Some individuals imagine they are accomplishing an im- 

 portant task when they touch a match to the dry grass in an orchard. Here is 

 a chance to make a tremendous showing for a small amount of effort. But for 

 every acre burned over it is reasonable to assume that at least five or ten 

 dollars worth of mulch material goes up in smoke to say nothing of possible 

 damage to the trees. 



From the standpoint of the trees, tlie damage depends to a large extent 

 upon the thickness of the bark and the amount of dry material adjacent to the 

 trunk. One of the v;orst cases of damage observed this spring is in a 7-year-old 

 orchard of vrell grovrn trees v.'here the soil had grown perhaps two tons of hay 

 per acre for a number of years and this had been crrefully placed around the 

 trees. Obviously the results were disastrous. The experience of this spring, 

 however, should not deter the fruit grower from using mulch material in the 

 orchard. It is entirely possible to mulch heavily without incurring a ^reat 

 fire risk. A heavy mulch, Vv-ell packed down around the tree, and not too close 

 to the trunk, seems to be less menacing from the standpoint of fire than a 

 heavy growth of grass left uncut. One of the best v;ays of safeguarding the 

 orchard is to clean up adjacent brush and trash. A fire break in the form of 

 a few furrows around the orchard may sometimes be desirable. An unusual case 

 of fire damage was reported this spring where the exhaust from a tractor result- 

 ed in a blaze where an inflammable fertilizer material had been scattered liber- 

 ally over a dry mulch. 



Control of Oriental Fruit iiota by ;.Iechanical Lieans 



Recent p+'i'Ji.jS in Indiana show some interesting results in the control 

 of Oriental fruit moth by removal of infested tv.dgs and fruits. This practice 

 must be carried out at short intervals beginning early in the season to prevent 

 a high infestation at harvest time. It is rather common in Europe and Asia but 

 has been little recommended in the United States. The principal objections are 

 that such a control practice involves too much tedious labor and that tlie repro- 

 ductive possibilities of the insect are so great as to preclude any hope of suc- 

 cess. 



The Indiana orchard selected for study showed an infestation of approx- 

 imately 25^.' in 1935 before infested tv;igs were collected. In 1956 there was ne* 



