KEEP imrLY SET TREES GROTIIIG 



Recent drj'' weather is likely to raise havoc with youn[^ fruit trees, 

 particularly on dry soils, unless water is supplied during this critical per- 

 iod. In a recent issue of a national magazine, John C. Snyder of Washington 

 State College makes these pointed statements i "The root system of young 

 tr«os is reduced about nine tenths when they are dug from the nursery row. 

 It is considered a good practice to prune the top somewhat in order to tut 

 down the amount of water needed; the reduced root system obviously can't 

 supply the original water-losing leaf surface. However, it is not advisable 

 to reduce the top to one tenth of its former spread in order to get balance 

 between roots amd leaf surface. Some orchardists reduce the pruning required 

 by keeping the soil more moist than usual during the first half of the growing 

 season. Keeping the soil moist around the roots and never allowing it to dry 

 out helps the reduced root system to supply the tree vdth water. Plenty of 

 wator can be responsible alone for doubling the size of the tree by the end 

 of the first growing season." 



PLUf! CT.IRCULIO FAYS AIuTlIAL VISIT 



The last fev; days of May and the first few days of June are almost 

 invariably the season of intense activity on the part of the plum' curculio. 

 Tbis insect, which probably bleraishes as many fruits as any other single in- 

 sect in r'assachusetts, is running true to form this season. 17. D. Vfiiitcomb 

 reported on May 51 that curculio emergence was practically completed. This 

 report is further empiiasized b^ limited jarring tests in the Connecticut Val- 

 ley, A 5- year -old peach trce/jarred twice on Thursday, June 1, netting 18 

 beetles in the morning and 6 in the evening. About 50 beetles have been 

 collected from that tree thus far. Incidentally, the tree 3hov/5 a heav^'' 

 set of fruit and there are prospects of bringing a crop through to maturity 

 by frequent jarring and collecting of beetles, even thouph no lead arsenate 

 is applied. Can the reader visualize combatting curculio with a baseball bat? 

 This weapon, vrell padded, is being used on the above peach tree as a means of 

 jarring the individual branches and thus dislodging the beetles. 



USED COOTAINBR SITUATION (Maine Fruit Notes, by R. N. Atherton) 



With the increased arrivals of southern vegetables, some types of 

 used packages are more plentiful in Nev/ York State markets, but in general 

 the demand still exceeds the supply of most types. The general over-all con- 

 tainer situation has not improved, and in some spots is somewhat worse, due 

 to continued manufacturing difficulties. Barring further and nev/ linexpected 

 disaster, prospective c rops will require every new and used container that 

 can be made available. Reports on the probable carry-over of new baskets, 

 hampers and boxos from last year's short crops are necessarily incomplete 

 and inconclusive, but they range from 10 to 25 percent of requirements in 

 IJeAv Engl'^ndj the four Appalachian States, South Carolina and Georgia, the 

 most pessimistic outlook being in the Middle West and New York where the car- 

 ry-over is practically negligible. In only one or two instances (liaryland 

 and South Carolina) does it appear that actual delivery in appreciable quan- 

 tities has been made on confirmed orders, 



