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emphasis during the next ten years. 



Orchard Reorganization . The Coranittee rocanmends a thorough reor- 

 ganization of all present day orchards, Many of our orchards are below par 

 for one or r.iore of the follc.ving reasons; (1) trees crov/ded, (2) too many 

 obstructions such as stone walls, boulders, brush, etc,, (3) lack of pollen- 

 izers, (4) poorly drained areas, (5) inconvenient water supply for spraying, 

 (6) too many old troes, and (7) need of extension by planting a new block on 

 a good soil and a frost free site. These factors nust be stressed during the 

 next ten years. Our fruit industry v;ill be on a firner basis in 1957 if 

 growers reorganize all present plantings. 



Marketing , Rough handling of fruits probably detracts as much from 

 their sales value as insect ai^-d disease bleiTiishes, A method must be v.'orked 

 out to place the Mcintosh apple in the hands of the consvuner in bettor con- 

 dition. This means more careful handling and a better container. The problen 

 should be attacked from several angles; (1) handling more carefully on the farm 

 while the fruit is still x^nder the grov/er's control, (2) eliminating un- 

 necessary marketing machinery, (3) development of containers to protect the 

 product all the way from the tree to the consumer. In conclusion, the Ten 

 Year Program Coinmittce looks forv;ard to 1957 with optimism. As we tackle the 

 problems enumerated above, taking advantage of neiv developments, and pooling 

 the experiences of all concerned, we shall find ourselves in an increasingly 

 good competitive position and we shall be able to deliver to the ctjnsumer a 

 fancy product at a fair price, D* V/'. Cheney, Fruit Committee Chairriian. 



Fruit School for Commercial Growers Plans ari being made_for another Fruit 

 School at the State College in Amherst, The tentative -dates' are March 31 to 



wtoril 2. By scheduling the School during the Spring Vacation, we shall have 

 facilities not available while classes are in session. Staff members for ex- 

 ample will not be tied up with class v;ork, 



LEI^^GTHEiaNG THE SHELF LIFE OF FRUITS AI-JD VEGETASLES 



In a recent issue of DuPont Agricultural C'Omment, Dr, C, Vf. Hauck, 

 of Ohio State University presents these interesting facts concerning perish- 

 able products: "'Shelf Life' is a term vmich may be foreign to many fruit 

 aiid -vegetable growers. To the retailer of these commodities, hovj-ever, it 

 spells profit or loss. In the parlance of retailers, 'Shelf Life' is the 

 period of time during v;hich the produce received by the retailer remains fresh, 

 attractive and appealing to the customer. Enough so that the retailer is not 

 forced to reduce the price in order to move the product. 



Fruits jurid Vegetables Are Alive, Although we seldom consider tliem as such, 

 fresh fruits and vogotablcs are living, respiring parts of plants. They must 

 be cared for and handled as such for they are materially affected by conditions 

 to which they are subjected. The life of apples, peaches, tomatoes, cabbage, 

 or the like is shortened by any factor which has a tendency to speed up the 



