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WINTER KILLING OF RED RASPBERRIES 



In spite of the continual snovi cover during the past winter, there 

 is considerably more winter killing of canes in the College plantation this 

 spring than a year ago. The canes of many varieties are entirely dead above 

 the snow line . 



A three-year average shows that Chief, Lathajn, and Indian Summer are 

 the most Iwinter hardy, showing only about 10^ killingj next come Taylor, 

 Ranere and Sunrise with about 20^^ killing} and Milton with about 40^o killing; 

 vihile Cuthbert, Marcy and Nev;burgh show from 65-70^'o killing. 



Unfortunately, some of the most winter hardy varieties have other 

 v/eaknesses. Indian Summer fails to mature its fall crop, Taylor is serious- 

 ly damaged by mosaic vihen present, and Sunrise is inferior in size and quality. 

 So the search for the perfect red raspberry continues. 



— A. p. French 



GET YOUNG TREES OFF TO A GOOD START 



Good nursery troes are expensive tind hard to get. The way some of 

 these trees are handled at planting time and afterward is a horticultural 

 crime. They should be made to grow rapidly from the start and not allowed 

 to loaf along the first season. A "leader" should be encouraged by removing 

 entirely or cutting back any competing branches. V/horls of branches and 

 forks should be corrected promptly. Even more important than the pruning 

 at planting time are the corrective cuts during the second and third years. 

 If delayed until tlie tree is four or five years old, larger cuts' are necessary 

 and an ideal framework is, in many cases, out of the question. Let's give 

 those young trees the attention they need this spring. 



NITROGEN CONTENT Of APPLE l£AVE5 



There seems to be a close relationship betv:een the amount of nitrogen 

 in apple jp.eaves in late summer and the color of the fruit. The optimum nitro- 

 gen content is probably slightly under 2%. In one orchard where the fruit was 

 of good color the nitrogen content v/as found to average 1.8^. Ij^ another or- 

 chard where the fruit was of poor color the nitrogen content was 2.1^. It is 

 a well known fact that over vigorous trees tend to have dark green leaves 

 which are indicative of a fairly high nitrogen content v;hile trees with lighter 

 colored leaves may bear fruit of high color. In years to come we will probably 

 analyze apple leaves in late summer as one check on the nitrogen needs of the 

 tree. This will help to supplement our present knov/ledge of the factors re- 

 sponsible for fruit of inferior quality. 



Fruit Notes Mailing List . Mailing lists for all of the M.S.C. 

 Extension publications are now being revised, A letter to that 

 effect is being mailed out by Director Munson. If you care to 

 remain on the Fruit Notes list, a prompt return of your card 

 v/ill do the trick. AH names added since December, 1944 will 

 automatically be continued. 



