-7- 



The 1930 statistics show 29,800 acres in orchards in Algeria with 

 a total of 1,400,000 trees. Amonc the deciduous fruits v/ere apples and 

 pears, 4,400 acres; plums, 5,900 acres; peaches, 5,200 acres; cherries, 

 2,300 acres; apricots, 2,000 acres; almonds, 4,600 acres; medlars, 959 

 acres. To v/hat extent these fruit plantings are being taken care of at 

 the present time is a question. Under Axis domination the production un- 

 doubtedly dropped. It will be interesting to Icnow to what extent the events 

 of last November may have changed the agricultural picture in North Africa. 



RAIN - HAY - MICE - GIRDLED TREES 



That's about the order of events which has resulted in some of the 

 worst cases of mouse injury we've seen in years. In four orchards which 

 have come to our attention growers are faced with a real job of bridge graft- 

 ing. The reasons for so much mouse injury are not difficult to determine. 



A heavy hay crop in 1942 plus many unharvested drops set the stage 

 for an unusually heavy mouse population. Ideal "cover" provided not only 

 protection against natural enemies but a good food supply in the form of 

 tender grass. And so liicrotus raised large families and many of them. With 

 well established runs around the bases of apple trees the next step was to 

 supplement the grass diet with generous samples of succulent inner bark. 

 Another factor which worked to the advantage of the mice was this. At the 

 time when mouse bait would normally have been distributed help was scarce 

 and difficult to get. Ilany growers took a chance on mouse injury, — and 

 lost. There v/ill probably be a renewed interest in the use of zinc phos- 

 phide bait next fall, thanks to a combination of circurastances v/hich favored 

 the furry Enemy No. 1 of tiie orchard underworld. 



HERE'S AIT IDEA 



At apple harvest time next fall apple growers v;ho are fortunate 

 enough to have a crop will undoubtedly be scouring the neighborhood for 

 "scarcer than hens' teeth" apple pickers. Good apple boxes will be not 

 only expensive but difficult to get. Available storage space must be 

 used to good advantage. Considering all these things, why not make sure 

 that at least 90^ of the apples you grow this season are worthy of your 

 efforts at harvest time, your packages and your storage? Grow only good 

 stuff. Solve the low grade fruit problem by not growing low grade fruit. 



Even in normal times apples below U.S. No. 1 grade are likely to 

 be more of a liability than an asset. In wartime they become increasingly 

 so. ITalter R. Clarke of Ulster County, New York, v;riting in the Rural New 

 Yorker, has this to say about apple grades and prices. "I believe it is 

 true that the retail prices of apples are as high as we can expect for the 

 nop notchers, Fancy and good No. I's, but our trouble comes in the growing, 

 handling and selling of that 30 or 40 per cent betv/een cull and these top 

 notchers. Carefully worked out figures show a loss of almost 20 cents per 

 box on that percentage of our crops. This loss, taken from the gain made 

 on the good GO per cent, does not leave enough profit for the grower and his 

 investment to keep him happy, grov/ing apples." 



