•12- 



Lots of fruits suspected of having water core should be sold early in the 

 season. Even though water core may disappear in cold storage internal breakdo\^m 

 may occur later. If it is necessary to store Delicious apples suspected of 

 water core for a considerable period, apple storage operators should make 

 inspection of the fruit throughout the storage season not only for the presence 

 of internal breakdown but for other storage disorders, llegular inspections at 

 regular 2-or-3 week intervals, starting about Thanksgiving time, would help to 

 eliminate serious losses late in the storage period. 



VI. Jo Lord 



I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 



BLUEB ERRY TR OUBLES 



IXiring the past summer three troubles have appeared in blueberry plantings 

 scattered over the State, They are not new but at least one has been more frequent 

 and more serious than in the oast. In fact, in a fe^j fields it has been extremely 

 serious o Usually this trouble is observed first during pruning. One or more dead 

 canes arc found. A look at the base of these dead canes reveals a canl;er which 

 looks very much like a disease canker. On young canes the juvenile bark has turned 

 black and the tissue beneath is brown, dry and dead. Where these cankers have 

 completely encircled the canes, they are deaci or soon die. On older canes the 

 cankers are not so apparent. The corky outer bark is still present and covers an 

 area from which the inner bark has entirely disappeared leaving the xi70od e::posed. 

 This exposed v70od is dark, brov/n or black and dead.. Frequently the presence of 

 these dead areas is revealed by a swelling beneath the bark or a split in the 

 bark through which can be seen an irregular, light brovm, corlcy looking mass of 

 tissue vrhich resembles a gf.ll of some sort. These gall-like growths always 

 develop at the top of the (;anl:er as if the plant were trying to callus over the 

 wound. 



V/hile the first dead canes v;ere observed in the early spring at pruning time, 

 not all affected canes died so early. Canes have continued to die all summer. In 

 some cases fruit set and developed to about one-fourth mature size before the canes 

 died. 



What is the cause of this trouble? Is it disease, winter injury or a combin- 

 ation? Since pathogenic fungi have been found in and around these cankers, there 

 is evidence that the trouble is caused by a disease. On the other hand, there is 

 evidence of cold injury. This suggests the possibility that the fungal attack was 

 secondary, that is, the fungus invaded tissue already severely damaged by cold. 

 It will take considerable painstaking work to get the true answer. 



In the meantime v/hat can be done where this trouble is present? The answer 

 will have to be tentative until more is knoT^m of the cause. Affected canes can be 

 cut out and burned to prevent spread - it is hoped - in case the trouble is a 

 disease. To reduce the danger from cold injury less nitrogen can be used and all 

 applied at once in the spring. Where cultivation is practiced, it can be stopped 

 earlier and a cover crop so\m to stop grovjth and cause the canes to harden off. 



