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PROPOSED UNITED STATES PIORT I CULTURAL COUNCIL 



Fred A. Motz , of the Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations, has 

 proposed the formation of a Horticultural Council which will be qualified 

 to speak for the fruit interests of the United States. 



The objectivTss are as follows; 



"To encourage closer collaboration between appropriate government agen- 

 cies and the horticultural industry. To prepare factual data, to inform, 

 to clarify, to consult and advise with, and to make recommendations to 

 the Secretary of Agriculture or his authorized representative in the 

 formulation and execution of programs which affect the horticultural 

 industry. To set up a permanent council or advisory body representative ■ 

 of specified commodity groups in the industry. It should be recognized 

 by the Government as such, and the members thereof should be approved 

 by the Government follov/ing industry nomination, selection or election. 



"The council should be made up of one or more representatives from each 

 of the commodity committees that may be established. Any eligible com- 

 modity groups desiring representation on the Council could make appli- 

 cation to the council for membership. The council must have broad duties 

 and responsibilities to achieve its purposes. It will be necessary for 

 it to screen and analyze the information brought together by the com- 

 modity committees and that available from governmental sources; to con- 

 sider it in terms of appropriate relationships to other food and horti- 

 cultural products and to the industry as a whole; and to advise and 

 recommend industry and Government policies and action in matters deemed 

 necessary to solve the particular problems," 



What They V/rite About. Thumbing through our pile of correspondence for the 

 past month, we find inquiries on the following v;ide range of subjects (figures 

 in parentheses indicate number of inquiries); Source of strav/berry plants (3), 

 raspberry plants (3), pH for raspberries, preventing decay of strawberries, 

 growing boysenberries , grape pruning, poar pruning, source of true-to-name 

 trees (4), source of scions (2), peach varieties, black walnut toxicity. 

 Damson plums, fruits adapted to individual towns (4), soil testing, ferti- 

 lizer program, fermate, spraying (3), apple maggot control (2), bitter pit, 

 deer damage, brush burner, orchard heating, and requests to be placed on 

 Fruit Notes mailing list (2). 



New Apricot Devel oped in Russia. Soviet Russian scientists at 

 the S amarkand Experiment Station have developed an important 

 new type of apricot and one of apple, according to a New York 

 Times dispatch from \7. H. Lav;rence, who accompanied Eric John- 

 ston, U. S. Chamber of Commerce president, on his Russian Tour. 

 The apricot contains 30 per cent sugar when ripe, it is said, 

 and after ripening v;ill dry on the tree in 10 to 12 days with 

 a 50^0 sugar content, or can fall and remain on the ground a 

 month without danger of rotting, thus saving much labor in har- 

 vesting. 



