-2- 



developed blossoms on both lateral and terminal buds of the 1945 

 growth. It was not at all unconunon to find practically every bud 

 on the terminal growth developing into a cluster of late blossoms 

 instead of showing the usual vegetative behavior. The weather in 

 1945 may have been responsible* 



The initiation of fruit buds seems to be associated with hot, 

 dry weather and an accumulation of carbohydrates in the tree. Until 

 mid-summer of 1945 we had more than our share of wet weather. In 

 fact both June and July, when fruit buds are normally differentiated, 

 brought at least six inches of rainfall. Not until August did we 

 encounter anything like a dry spell and by that time the terminal 

 growth was completed, which meant many additional buds (on the 

 terminal growth) which might be influenced to beccane flower buds 

 instead of leaf buds. And that is apparently what happened, not in 

 mid-summer, but perhaps as late as September, 



It is a well known fact that about 9 months may ©lapse between 

 the beginning of a fjruit bud suid the opening of the blossoms. Thus a 

 bud which starts to develop in late July might be expected to show 

 blossoms around the last of April, while a bud which got underway a 

 month later might be correspondingly later in blooming. If such is the 

 case, the delayed or secondary bloom on 1945 wood which was so apparent 

 this spring is merely a rraninder that fi^iit buds were forming over a 

 longer period in 1945. It will be remembered that growing condition* 

 v/ere quite ideal during early summer and that diverted into vegetative 

 groVi-th the carbohydrates needed for fruit bud formation. 



CHANGES IN FRUIT DISEASE CONTROL DURING THE PAST TEN YEARS 



The most outstanding change in the past ten years in control 

 praotio«J8 for fruit diseases involves the discovery, testing and 

 adoption of new fungicides. Ten years ago, we were emerging from 

 an intensive period of appraisal of the milder forms of sulfur, 

 the elemental wettable sulfurs. These had replaced the old-time 

 dry-mix sulfur-lime spray on orchard fruits. At that time, wettable 

 sulfurs were recomnended for apples in the cover sprays, but lime- 

 sulfur still was the standard material for the pre-blossom and calyx 

 applications. Little or nothing was known or said about sulfur 

 applications rn scab-susceptible varieties during blocan or as 

 emergency treatments during rainy periods. 



Likewise, the dinitro material, knoa-m as Elgetol, ivas being 

 tested as an eradioant spray on the orchard floor for destroying the 

 overwintering stage of the apple Scab fungus. During the past ten 

 years, it has been given a definite place as an emergency spray in 



FARM AND HOIvffi VTOEK FRUIT MEETING - Tuesday, July 23, 



