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At present only limited supplies of these virus- £ree stocks are available. 

 They are being used for experimental purposes and are not available to growers. 



Although this list of varieties is short and most are of little value in 

 Massachusetts, it indicates that a good start has been made toward finding virus- 

 free plants of a longer list. It is not yet known how long virus-free plants can 

 be kept in this condition under field conditions but short time experience makes 

 it look hopeful. 



Severe spur blight infection has been discouraging to some growers. This is 

 a fungus disease which girdles and kills the canes. Control measures were worked 

 out a number of years ago and seemed very effective in some areas. Recently 

 these measures have given very poor control in New England. Several varieties, 

 particularly our principal commercial variety Latham, are quite susceptible. 



"Crumbles" is another trouble which bothers at times. The sections of the 

 berry separate, or crumble, so that the fruit is fit only for jam making. The 

 cause and prevention of this trouble are unknown. 



Because of their perishability, the handling of raspberries from grower to 

 market has always been a serious problem. This has become much less of a problem 

 with the development of rapid, comfortable autcmoblle travel. The consumer is 

 willing to go to the grower and either buy what the grower has picked or pick his 

 own berries. The pick-your-own system of marketing has also solved the problem 

 of getting good pickers. 



Until recently, weeds, particularly grasses, have presented a serious prob- 

 lem in raspberry plantings. Hand weeding in the rows became too time-consuming 

 and too expensive. By the use of 2,4-0 for broadleaf weeds and dalapon for the 

 grasses, this problem has ceased to be serious. 



While several of the lesser problems of raspberry growing have been partly 

 or totally solved, the two main causes of the decline of raspberry growing in 

 Massachusetts, winter injury and virus Infection, remain unsolved. Until these 

 are solved, it is unlikely that raspberry growing will ever reach its former 

 importance in Massachusetts. 



John S. Bailey 



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



RESEARCH FROM OTHER AREAS 



(Items Included under this heading are for your information and may not apply to 

 Massachusetts conditions In all instances.) 



Handling Apples From Storage to Customer - What's Wrong and How We Can Improve It 



Frederick A. Perkins reported in a leaflet of the Department of Agricultural 

 Economics, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers-The State University, 



