-2- 



side of the apple seemed reluctani: to take on riore than a tinge of color. 

 Much of August and the first three v:eeks of September wore muggy, Groi-rth of 

 the fruit continued but nothing had happened to initiate the process of color 

 development, as for example cold nights ivhich are often follov/ed by clear 

 days. Not -ontil the first frost around September 21 or 22 did coloring proceed 

 rapidly. 



The writer v/as in a high elevation orchard on September 26 and the 

 Mcintosh harvest was just getting under T:ay, It continued until about October 

 8, In this orchard the apples v/ith partial exposure to light v;ere still too 

 green to pick v.hile the type of color on those on the outside vrould be greatly 

 improved by another week of good coloring weather. Incidentally, the frviit 

 was sticking on tenaciously even though no hormone had- been applied. There 

 had been practically no drop up to September 26, 



Ultraviolet light is apparently an important factor in color develop- 

 ment. Less of this portion of the sun's energy reaches the earth -.;hen the 

 atmosph'jre lacks the clearness of a frosty morning. The notion still persists 

 that cold nights bring out the red color in apples. The cold nights tend to 

 sot the stage, and the clear days provide the magic touch which transforms 

 into a brilliant red pigment, a material manufactured by the loaves. 



GOT'B HMVB3T SEASON OBSERVATIONS 



Almost everything vio do in the orchard during tlie year has as its 

 objective the production of a large crop of high grade fruit, 'Te prune, spray, 

 thin, fertilize, etc., in order that each tree may j'ield its full share of 

 well colored, unblemished fruit. In the rush of the harvest season, -,.'hen 

 comiting bushels and supervising inexperienced help seems of utmost importance, 

 we are likely to miss out on an opportunity to size up the results of our 

 efforts. A day spent in looking around irhile the fruit is ctill on the trees 

 may pay big dividends. 



If we look at a bearing tree at all critically, we notice at once 

 a difference in color of the fruit on different branches, and we take as a 

 matter of course the green fruit on the inside of the tree, assuming that 

 little can be done about it. But many trees have more than their share of 

 limbs which never receive the direct rays of the sun. Pruning to remove these 

 handicapped limbs can be done much more effectively if wo first observe where 

 tl;3 poorly colored apples are produced, 



Linbs v/hich hang do\m. in the grass are obviously in the vinwanted 

 class. The same is true of those parts of limbs which are drooping, heavily 

 shaded, or submerged and as a result produce fcv; Fancj/ apples. At pruning 

 time we may well concern ourselves with the removal of these unprofito.ble 

 limbs and parts of limbs, instead of cutting off enough of the over-topping 

 limbs to let the sunlif^ht in. The linbs with foliago no\r exposed are almost 

 certain to bo younger than the shaded limbs and are therefore in bettor 

 position to produce Fane.'- fruit. 



