-7- 



THE "GREEN MCIMTOSH" PROBLEM 



Apple buyers are showing little interest in Mcintosh apples unless 

 they are firm and of good color. Here are a fev; conunents heard at a recent 

 meeting in Worcester: "V^e have too maiiy green Mcintosh." "I'd rather have 

 2^ inch red Mcintosh than 3 inch green ones." "\'/hen we get the right kind 

 of fruit, we can get a good price, but 75jb of the Mcintosh in storage are 

 too green and soft." 



With thousands of bushels of green Mcintosh still to be sold, growers 

 and dealers alike are asking "V/hat's happened to Mcintosh?" "V/hat are the 

 reasons for sp high a percentage of green apples in certain orchards?" This 

 is the subject of a detailed statement which has been preparod by the mem- 

 bers of the Pomology Department at M.S.C, to be sent to every interested apple 

 grower in Massachusetts. Any reader of Fruit Notes who fails to receive a 

 copy of this analysis of an important problem within the next two or three 

 weeks may obtain it by dropping a postcard to ViT. R. Cole, Secretary,- M.F.G. A. , 

 Amherst, Mass, 



Among the reasons for poor color outlined in the above mentioned 

 statement are (1) Too much nitrogen in late summer. (2) Fruit immature, 

 (3) Magnesium deficiency, (4) Boron deficiencAr, . (5) Trees too crowded. 

 (6) Inadequate pruning. (7) Yfeather conditioniMiay affect all these factors 

 and increase the tendency toward oversize fruit, delayed maturity, poor color, 

 and early drop. 



In answer to the question, "Should nitrogen applications be discon- 

 tinued?" we should bear.. in mind that nitrogen starvation reduces yield and 

 tends to throw even Mcintosh trees into biennial bearing. It is advisable, 

 of course, to maintain a good sod cover in the orchard. This calls for mag- 

 nesium limestone Euad a "complete" fertilizer in moderate amounts broadcast 

 on the grass at intervals varying with soil conditions. The remedy for too 

 much nitrogen in the tree is less nitrogen , not more phosphorus or potassium. 



There are several things which the apple grower may do to reduce the 

 percentage of green Mcintosh. He may (1) Adjust the nitrogen application to 

 fit the orchard. (2) Correct magnes-ium deficiency. (3) Correct boron defi- 

 ciency. (4) Allow apples to reach reasonable maturity before harvesting. 

 (5) Remove crowding trees. (6) Grade out and dispose of green Mcintosh in 

 the fall, if possible, instead of trying to hold them in cold storage. 



The State College will cooperate in a further study of the green 

 Mcintosh problem. From a list of orchards which persistently produce green, 

 inferior quality Mcintosh, a number of orchards will be selected for a care- 

 ful analysis of the factors which may be responsible. Other orchards which 

 produce firm, high colored Mcintosh will provide a basis for comparison. 

 A detailed report of this study will be presented at the annual meeting of 

 fruit growers in Vforoester next wiAter. 



Hew Seedling Apple . Vfe have a few one-year trees of a promising seed- 

 ling apple called A-17, developed here at the College, for trial dis- 

 tributioia to interested growers. It is an early apple, ripening in 

 late August. A few trees wore distributed last year. Anyone wishing 

 to test this seedling may contact the writer at Massachusetts State 

 College, indicating the number of trees desired, — Lawrence Southwick, 



