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THE RED APPLE CLUB 



TT.venty-one Massachusetts growers have qualified for membership in a new 

 "honorary fraternity" knovm as the Red Apple Club, This nev/ project emphasizes 

 three importaiit factors in orcharding; namely, control of insects and diseases, 

 fruit color, and yield. In order to qualify, the crop must (1) be at least QO/iJ 

 free from insect and disease blemishes, (2) grade at least 60^ U, S, Fancy, and 

 (3) amount to at least 400 bushels per acre if trees are 20 years old or older, 

 300 bushels per acre if trees are 15 to 20 years old and 200 bushels per acre if 

 trees are less than 15 years old. 



Inspection of the apple crop is made on the basis of a carefully taken sample 

 amounting to about 5 bushels, each apple being e:x;a2iiine d for preventable blemishes 

 and for color. In a iarge orchard comprising several blocks and several varieties 

 it would obviously b* difficult to obtain a sample which would be representative 

 of all the apples eft the farm, If^jiace the grov/er is permitted to ask for an 

 examination of tho fruit in one particular block, so long as it contains at least 

 one acre. In moct cases, the samples have represented a block of 5 acres or more. 

 Membership in the Red Apple Club is distributed as follo^/s: V/orcester County - 5, 

 Hampden and Middlesex - 4 each, Hampshire and Essex - 2 each, Berkshire, Bristol, 

 Franklin and. Norfolk - 1 3ach. A certificate of membership will be presented by 

 the Massachusetts Fruit Growers • Association at the Annual Meeting in January, 



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LIULCII CONSERV'ilS MOISTURE 



The I'ef ent prolonged drought gave an excellent opportunity to check on the 

 value of mulch as a cor:server of soil moisture. On October 27, just before the 

 heavy rain of the 30t'i and 31st , soil samples were taken in a raspberry planting 

 half of which was mul.cned and half of which v.'as not* The soil under the mulched 

 half was cool and mor.st to the touch. There was moisture enough present so the 

 soil adhered well to 'oho soil auger and no difficulty was experienced in gotting 

 samples, Vjliere the mulch was heavy and thick, about 8-10 inches, the soil appeared 

 nx)rQ molct than v/here the mulch was thinner, 3-4- inches. 



On the unmulchec. half the condition was quite different. The soil was so dry 

 that it wouldn't stick to the soil auger. It ran off like sand, Y/hen the several 

 samples were dried and weighed, it vms found that the soil under the mulch had an 

 average moisture cantent of 22 percent, just tv;ice that of the unmulched soil 

 which v;as 11 percent. 



Although the recent rains have helped, the soil in some places is still 

 pretty dry. Unless there is considerable rainfall before the ground freezes, 

 trees may go into the winter in an unsatisfactory condition, A little dry weather 

 in the fall to slow up grov.i;h and make the trees harden their wood for winter is a 

 good thing. But like other good things, it can be overdone. If trees go into 

 the winter in too dry a condition, cold, dry winds can do severe damage* at 

 least to fruits or varieties which are not particularly v«'inter hardy. Perhaps 

 this is the yeai' when mulch \;ill pay an extra dividend by reducing the amount 

 or severity of v/inter injury, 



— J. S, Bailey 



