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THE POISON IVY PROBLEM AND ITS SOLUTION 



Poison ivy need not be tolerated in orchards now that adequate neans 

 for killing it out are available. Every year many orchard workers are af- 

 fected in varying degrees from minor localized irritation to serious poison- 

 ing requiring doctoring and hospitalization as a result of being poisoned 

 by this obnoxious plant. Incidentally, poisoning talces place only by direct 

 contact. When poison ivj' is established under and on fruit trees, it is very 

 difficult to harvest the fruit without coming in contact with the ivy. And 

 for persons viho are susceptible to ivy poisoning, it is rather foolhardy to 

 take a chance. Considering the scarcity of harvest labor, it is very much 

 to the advantage of fruit growers to exterminate the ivy in order to elim- 

 inate this cause of picker dissatisfaction. Several materials, usually to 

 be applied as sprays, can be used for this purpose. 



In orchards at the Massachusetts State College and in a number of 

 commercial orchards j, poison ivy has been treated successfully with ommoniiim 

 sulfamate. One application in midsumner has usually killed most of the ivy 

 but often there is partial and spotty recovery tho folloif/ing season. A 

 follow-up application the second year should be made v^herever ivy is present; 

 othenvise, it may again bee ">me vigorously established. There are other ma- 

 terials, such as the complicated new "hormone" chemical known as 2-4-D, which 

 are promising. In any case, chemical sprays should be applied preferably on 

 Tfarm sunny days and while the ivy is gr'Tn'v'ing ivell. Following tho applica- 

 tion, no further measures need be taken at least until the following season 

 when some recovery may or may not show up. Care should be taken not to get 

 the spray on the foliage of the fruit trees, 



--Lav^Arence Southwick 



WHY POOR APPLE QUALITY? 



A study of the defects causing poor apple quality ivas made by the 

 New York State College of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, 

 from data collected at a fruit auction and at retail stores. Surface bruis- 

 ing was by far the most prevalent defect. In fact, practically every lot 

 saiapled contained bruised fruit. This emphasizes the vital importance of 

 handling apples r/ith utmost care from the tree to the consumer. 



Lack of good color was the second most frequently observed defect 

 vdth tv;o-thirds of the lots failing to meet color standards. Apple scab, 

 stem punctures, and codling moth stings were each evident in one-half or 

 more of the lots sampled. Red bug stints, russeting, leaf roller injury, 

 limb rub, and dirtiness caused somewhat less severe damage. (From Farm 

 Economics, Hay 1945.) 



— Lavifrence Southwick 



APPLE MAGGOT FLY EIjERGENCE. The peak of emergence 



in the ITaltham cages occurred on July 19, according 



■to y;. D. T/liitcomb. By that time 75^ of the expected 

 total of flies had appeared. 



