-2- 



and probably about tv/o-thirds of an average crop for the area. For the v/estern 

 group of States, production should be fully as large as average but considerably 

 belov7 the record large 1947 crop, 



soi.a: OBSERVATions on follii:aticu akb fruit set 



In its simplest terms, tne setting of fruit involves the transfer of pollen 

 to the stigiaatic surface of the pistil v.'hich, in the. case of the apple, is a five 

 parted affair, Apple pollen, unlike the pollen of the corn plant and of nut trees, 

 is sticky and therefore is not carried in the v;ind. Insects, particularly bees, 

 are essential. Successful pollination also implies flcr^ers uninjured by frost 

 and, in the case of self-unfruitful varieties, pollen of a suitable variety. 



The .iclntosh variety is notoriously self-unfruitful. Unless pollen of a so- 

 called diploid variety such as Cortland, Delicious, \:ealthy. Red ^strachan. 

 Duchess, Early llclntosh, etc, is deposited on the stigxnatic surface while it is 

 receptive, the set of fruit is certain to be disappointing. Baldwin, Gravenstein, 

 and othfjr triploid varioti-3S are nvOt effective pollenizers. 



This season thero has bec3n little or no frost injury to the blossoms, thus 

 eliminating one of the adverse fact'^rs experienced in recent years. Cold, rainj/- 

 woathor during bloom, hov/over, groatly interfered v;ith bee activity. In some 

 orchards, it is doubtful if the temperature v;as much above 60^^ at any time during 

 bloom and, at best, the bees had very few hours suitable for n'-rmal activity. 



Inclement v/eather during bl )om along \iith a scarcity of bees in some orchards 

 have provided ideal conditions for stud;/ing a^iother factor, namely, the nearness 

 of other varieties suitable for cross pollination. Careful obsorvati tns have 

 once more c-nfirmed our opinion that a scarcity ^f p'/llinating varieties in 'Uir 

 Mclnt 'sh blocks is greatly reducing the chf.uice -jf cross p.)llinati-'n. ITc must make 

 it easy f^-r the bees, in a cold rainy season, to tnmsfcr pollen -.f the right kind 

 from one tree t" another without a lengthy flight. Lclnt'>sh trees alternating 

 with Delici'-'us or Cortl-ind show, in general, a go-)d set. Solid bl.jcks of L.clntosh 

 shwv;, ;n the average, a light sot. 



Many observations have been made of Mclnt'/sh trees immediately adjacent to 

 a Red Astrachan or other gojd pollenizer. In these cases, we 'if ton find as mejiy 

 as tw-i or three liclnt-^ish apples on a single spur. This conditi'm djos not exist 

 in the case of t, solid ticlnt )sh bl 'ck. 



To surainarize the situation, \fo must make better provision f )r cross pollina- 

 tion as a means of insuring a set of fruit in u season such as this. Grafting 

 one brcoich in- every Llclntosh tree to a go .d pollenizer next spring may return big 

 dividends in the years tt c Jme, 



Vfe Visit '"eltsville. ^ -.;hree-da2/ visit 



to the Pliait Incustry Station at Belts- 



ville, lloryliuid raid to 'v/ashington, D.C, 



l:ay 24 to 26, v/as most interesting and 



informative. A day cJid u half was spent 



in looking over experimental v^ork and 



conferring v/ith U,S»D,A» workers, l^ew 



developments in small fruits and in tree 



fruits vrere reviewed. The more important 



observations will be presented in an early 

 issue of FRuIT IJCTSS. 



