86 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 369 



producer and superior to Taylor in quality. Our Taylor plants now show 100 

 percent mosaic infection ; in Newburgh the percentage is much lower. No roguing 

 has been done in these rows. 



All Geneva introductions have been quite severely killed back the past two 

 winters, while Latham and Chief have shown little or no such injury. 



Strawberry. Pathfinder (N. J. 35) has proved to be attractive, of good shape, 

 juicy, of fair quality and a good producer. North Star (U. S. D. A. 1425) is 

 large, of attractive appearance, of high quality and satisfactory in productiveness. 



Fruit Bud Formation in the Strawberry. (R. A. Van Meter.) Continuing a 

 study of the relation of mulching to winter injury and the behavior of fruit buds, 

 30 plots of 180 plants each were established in the spring of 1938 and harvested 

 in 1939. The thickness of the mulch had a direct bearing on the amount of 

 winter injury but the time of mulch removal needs further study as it may affect 

 the behavior of fruit buds as reflected in yield. 



To complete this study 20 plots of 300 plants each were planted in the spring 

 of 1939. These were given four treatments in five replications, as follows: 



1 . Light mulch to be removed early. 



2. Light mulch to be removed late. 



3. Heavy mulch to be removed early. 



4. Heavy mulch to be removed late. 



Observation of the effect of these treatments on yields next season should 

 bring this phase of the study to an end. 



Bud Mutations. (J. K. Shaw and W. H. Thies.) Among the many scions 

 collected several years ago in the belief or hope that they were bud sports, is 

 one that has possibilities. This is a highly colored Gravenstein that seems equal 

 and may prove superior to the Red Gravenstein now grown. Most others have 

 proved little or not at all better than the parent variety. 



The collection of possible bud mutations of the Mcintosh has been carried on 

 and 20 different lots are now budded in the nursery. Not all of these are thought 

 to be improvements on the variety as commonly grown, but most of them are of 

 higher color as indicated by the fruit of the trees from which they came. These 

 trees will be grown and fruited to see, not only whether they have superior color, 

 but whether they are in other respects equal or superior to the variety as com- 

 monly grown. 



It was observed that the buds of one strain started a little later and did not 

 grow quite as tall as did those of three other strains. This observation requires 

 confirmation before it can be said that the strain is really less vigorous than the 

 others. 



Gas Storage of Strawberries and Apples. (O. C. Roberts.) During the past 

 season a study of the effect of CO2 on the storage of strawberries, raspberries, 

 and apples has been made. The work this year has been of a preliminary nature 

 and has consisted chiefly in a study of technique and general observations. Con- 

 clusive results have not yet been attained. 



Study of Behavior in Storage of Apples Affected with Internal Cork. (O. C. 



Roberts.) It is generally recognized that certain varieties of apples grown in 

 soils deficient in boron will in dry seasons develop internal cork or corky core. 

 Some growers have expressed the opinion that this condition may disappear to 

 a greater or less extent in storage. In order to obtain exact data on this problem, 

 samples of apples, known to be affected with internal cork, were collected from 

 orchards in Middlesex County and brought to Amherst. On September 26 random 

 samples were selected from these lots and examined for amount of internal cork 

 present. The remaining apples were divided into two lots, one of which was 



