7 - 



However, fruit mineral analyses could be quite useful to a fruit grower 

 if for no other reason than to measure the adequacy of his Ca treatments. 

 It could also indicate whether or not a postharvest Ca drench is needed. 



Although no fruit analysis service is available in Massachusetts, the 

 Analytical Laboratory in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences of the 

 University of Maine is offering a commerical apple fruit testing service. 

 Their capacity to analyze fruit within 7. weeks is limited, but within this 

 limit the cost of an analysis is $l?.On per sample. For anyone interested 

 in this service samples should be taken 2 weeks before the projected harvest 

 date. A sample would consist of 20 apples, one from each of ?0 trees, and 

 these trees should be representative of the block which is being tested. It 

 is essential that the fruit he uniform in size, between 2.7 and 2.8 inches 

 in diameter. These fruit will be analyzed for Ca , K, P, and Mg . A problem 

 that will have to be resolved is how these samples can be transported to the 

 laboratory. We would suggest that any grower who is interested in this ser- 

 vice should contact Mr. Bruce Hoskins (207-581-2917) well before sampling so 

 that necessary arrangements can be made. 



There is considerable interest among research workers in the potential 

 for predictions from mineral analyses. We have not encouraged establishment 

 of a commercial laboratory in Massachusetts because we believe that Ca defi- 

 ciency is correctable. However, now that fruit analyses are available 

 through the University of Maine laboratory, growers have the opportunity on 

 a limited scale to assess the mineral status of their fruit in time to make 

 critical decisions about the ways in which they will be treated and stored 

 after harvest. This may be a direction for the future. 



POMOLOGICAL PARAGRAPH 



Weeds are reservoirs for virus . Tomato ring spot virus (TmRSV) can cause 

 disease of apples, peaches, cherries, grapes, raspberries, blueberries and 

 strawberries. For example, TmRSV is associated with a disease known as 

 apple union necrosis and decline and Prunus stem-pitting disease of peach. 



Studies in Pennsylvania show that 18 species of broadleaf weeds 

 including common chickweed, henbit, dandelion, common plantain, wild 

 strawberry, sorrel, red clover and oxalis were all natural hosts for TmRSV. 

 Further studies showed that (1) TmRSV in dandelion is correlated with Prunus 

 stem-pitting diseases of peach; (2) dagger nematodes that feed on the roots 

 of a TmRSV-infected dandelion and then on the roots of a peach tree can 

 transmit the virus to that peach tree; and (3) TmRSV can be carried by dan- 

 del ion seeds . 



How do these results apply to growers in Massachusetts? TmRSV also is 

 of concern in Massachusetts, thus the control of dandelions to insure good 

 bee activity should also help eliminate a major source of the virus. 



