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Look For Mouse Injury 



During the past \miter there was little, if any, 

 snow covering in most orchard areas. Consequently, 

 fruitgrowers might feel complacent in regard to 

 mouse injury© Hovrever, the combination of hurri- 

 cane-loosened trees and deep-frozen groxmd increases 

 the need for careful exaiaination of tree bases for 

 signs of girdling. Several quite severe cases of 

 mouse injury have been found in matvire orchards, 

 where tall grass, mxilch, or weeds have been allowed 

 to accumulate directly against the tree trunks* It 

 is suggested that grovrers examine trees in suscep- 

 tible areas in their orchards so that inarching or 

 grafting may be done this spring* 



Carl B, Henry 

 # # # # T-;;- # # # # f!' # # # 



THE MCINTOSH OUTLOOK 



It looks like re can expect a heavy bloom on Mcintosh this spring following a 

 rather light crop in 19Sh» With a big crop in prospect, poorly colored or small apples 

 cannot be esqjected to be worth much by fall. 



This looks like a spring vriien it would be desirable to use a littln less 

 nitrogen than usual to help reduce the tendency for over setting and eventual small, 

 green apples. Also, Mcintosh trees which don't over set are much more apt to bloom 

 and produce in 1956» Our data do not indicate that once a tree becomes biennial in 

 bearing haavy applications of nitrogen are going to make the trees annual. In fact, 

 a heavy nitrogen application in the spring of the "on" year, through its tendency to 

 increase the set, may increase the tendency toward alternate bearing. Nitrogen is a 

 very important and essential element in apple raising but v:hen used to excess it iiTill 

 depress red color development, increase fruit drop, and result in a softer, poorer 

 keeping apple also. 



If exceptionally good weather exists at blossom time, it might be desirable to 

 take colonies of bees out of the orchard after a day or tvTO of good pollinating 

 weather. Of course, an overset m^ still occur if wild bees are plentiful. 



It is recognized that even if the following suggestions are followed, Hclntosh 

 may over set anyway. In this a. tuation chemical thinning seems to represent the best 

 approach to reducing the set and maintenance of annual blooming. For those of you 

 who may be interested in chemical thinning of Mcintosh, other apple varieties, and 

 peaches, vre have available our 19SS revision of Special Circular #189, "Chemical 

 Thinning of Apples & Peaches", This circular can be obtained from your County Extenp- 

 sion office or from the Pomology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst upon 

 request. 



Apparently, peaches came through in good shape in Massachusetts with little or 

 no winter bud killing, 



F,W,Southwick 



