IffiW USSS FOR DEC IDUOUS FRUITS ; 



The need for new and wider markets for deciduous fruits, particularly those 

 portions of these fruits that are sometimes wasted, has caused the U.S. Dept, of 

 Agriculture to undertake a long-time project under the Research and Marketing Act 

 in the hope of expanding the outlets for these products. It is estimated that 

 around one-sixth of this country's apple crop is either wasted or brings a very low 

 price because the apples are undersize, offshape, or have some other defects that 

 make them less desirable for the fresh fruit market* Similar wastes occur in the 

 production of practically all of the other deciduous fruits. 



The research v/ill be conducted by the Bureau of Agricultural and Industrial 

 Chemistry's Eastern Regional Research Laboratory in Philadelphia, and its Y/estern 

 Regional Research Laboratory at Albany, Calif., in cooperation with the Virginia 

 Agricultural Experiment Station at Blacksburg, Vb.» , and possibly other experiment 

 stations. Studies will be made on peaches, pears, apricots, plums, cherries, 

 grapes, and berries. 



This v/ork is being undertaken lai^ely as a result of the success the Eastern 

 Regional Research Laboratory has had during the past few years in finding new out- 

 lets for apple products. Of the 18 products now being made commercially from apples, 

 two of them, apple concentrate and apple-flavoring essence, v/ere developed in the 

 Eastern Laboratory. The apple essence has received a particularly enthusiastic 

 commercial acceptance, and is being u6«d in the manufacture of candies, soft drinks, 

 jellies, and other products that lose flavor during cooking, 



SEEPAGE SPOTS IN ORCHARDS 



On many hillside orchards farmers are troubled by wet spots caused by under- 

 ground seepage. Underground v.-ater tends to follovv' along a hardpan or clay layer 

 (See Fig. l) and when this layer comes close to the surface, vrnter seeps out and 

 keeps the ground below wet. Occasionally these spots become so vret that they are 

 a costly nuisance - bogging down equipment and keeping some trees from reaching 

 maximum production. 



In general (See Fig. 1) the solution is to intercept this underground seepage 

 water by a tile line around the slope. The assistance of someone experienced in 

 this type of work is usually necessary since test holes must be dug to locate the 

 sub-surface flow before excavation is started for the tile line. 



The intercepting tile must be installed above the v/et spot at a place v;here 

 the impervious layer is below frost line, preferably more than 30" belov/ the ground 

 level. Tile laid in this manner should have a grade betv/een ,1% and ,5;'c. 



Vflien v/ater from the intercepting tile must be emptied at the bottom of a 

 steep grade, bell tile should be used as a conduit. On steep grades land tile is 

 likely to cause subsurface washing along its path. Generally, at least two concrete 

 collars are necessary on the bell tile conduit - one v/here the tile system joins 

 it and the other at the outlet (See Fig. 2). 



Assistance for this type of work has already been furnished by technicians of 

 the Soil Conservation Service working through local Soil Conservation Districts, 



Benjamin Isgur 



District Conservationist 



