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FRUIT VARIETY TESTING PROGRAM 



One of the important services v;hich the Pomology Department carries on for the 

 fruit grower is the testing and evaluating of fruit varieties. The total number of 

 varieties of all fruits being grovm in the University of Massachusetts plantings 

 is well over 500, Not all of these are under active test^ since in the case of 

 apples, especially, v/e are preserving a goodly n'omber of old varieties which have 

 only historic value, Hov/ever, the list of newer naraed vai-ieties and numbered 

 seedlings under active test at present includes about 50 apples, 35 pears, 50 

 peaches, 20 plums, 20 cherries, 25 strawberries, 20 raspberries, 10 blackberries, 

 40 blueberries, and 40 grapes. 



The Department issues a list of varieties recommended for commercial and home 

 planting as well as a list of varieties suggested for trial only. These lists are 

 revised each winter and are available to anyone who is interested, 



— A, P, French 



Fruit Thinning , An Old Practice , Long before the removal of excess fruits 

 became a common practice or cnemical thinning was even dreamed of, a 

 Massachusetts apple groVTer is reported to have done something about this 

 age-old problem. Robert ivlarjiing of Salem whowjs graving apples in the 

 middle 1830 's found that his Baldwin trees were bearing fruit 'every two 

 years. One spring he went thru his orchard and picked the blossoms off 

 every other tree (vre'll assume small sized tree^. The untouched trees 

 bore fruit that year, and the follca^/ing year the remaining trees bore 

 a crop. This probably marks the first attempt at blossom thinning, 



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Y/hat Limits plant Growth? Air and water plus energy from the 

 sun are responsible for about 95^ of the total weight of 

 growing plants, but the, 5% furnished by the soil determines 

 the yiold. Even though weather conditions are almost perfect 

 yields may bo lovx because the 5% furnished by the soil is 

 limiting the plant in utilizing the other 95%, And to 

 complicate the mattor, plants aren't as fortunate as cattle. 

 They can't break through the fence and go v;here there is 

 more food, 



Delicious , Our Most '.Tidcly Gro-.-fn Apple Variety, 

 Based on average annual production for the years 

 1942-46, the Delicious apple crop in the U, S, 

 amounted to a little more than 20,000,000 bushels 

 or about l/o of the national crop. The variety 

 next in importance is Yfinesap v/ith about 12,000,000 

 bushels, Mcintosh is third aiid Jonathan fourth 

 vdth about eight and seven million bushels 

 respectively, Romo Boauty, York Imperial, and 

 Stayman come next in order ivith approximately 

 six million bushels each. 



