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Of course the real answer to the cold injury problem is the choice of cold resist- 

 ant varieties set in locations most favorable for avoiding cold injury. 



A second trouble which is definitely the result of cold injury has appeared 

 frequently this year. Small berries fail to develop and are flattened instead 

 of round in shape. If these berries are cut open, they will be found to contain 

 no seeds or perhaps 1 to 3 empty seed coats. Sometime during winter or early 

 spring cold killed a very small bit of tissue, perhaps only a single cell, in 

 the flower bud and normal seeds were not formed. Without at least a few seeds 

 the berries fail to develop. The new varieties Bluecrop and Blueray and to a 

 less degree Herbert are not only more resistant to this type of injury but can 

 develop normal berries with fewer seeds than other varieties. 



A third trouble has been very serious in numerous plantings this summer. 

 When the bushes came into bloom, it was discovered that something had suppressed 

 the development of leaf buds. The bushes were a mass of bloom with very few leaves, 

 As a result berries were small and slow in developing. A reason for this can only 

 be arrived at by speculation. 



Among the first varieties of cultivated blueberries introduced was one named 

 Sam. This variety regularly produced shoots 18 to 24 inches or more in length 

 with only 3 or 4 leaf buds at the base and 15 to 30 or more fruit buds. Unless 

 most of the fruit buds were cut off, leaving only 4 ot 5, the bushes would have 

 very few leaves and a heavy crop of very small worthless fruit. 



With so much sunshine during the summer of 1957 conditions for fruit bud 

 formation were unusually good. Many more fruit buds than normal were formed up- 

 setting the normal balance between leaf buds and fruit buds. Unless the balance 

 was restored by heavy cutting back during pruning the result was, as with Sam, 

 much small fruit and few leaves. 



---John S. Bailey 



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FRUIT NOTES TO BE ISSUED BIMONTHLY 



Please note that this issue of Fruit Notes is for September and October. 

 We regret that due to financial circumstances beyond the control of the 

 Department of Horticulture, Fruit Notes will be issued only six times a year 

 in the foreseeable future. 



Urgent and timely information will, of course, continue to be channeled 

 to you fruit growers thru your County Extension Service. 



— - Arthur P. French 



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