THE McINTOSH DROP 



By Lawrence Southwicki, Research Assistant in Pomology 



Introduction 



One of the problems in the production of Mcintosh apples in Masachusetts 

 is the dropping of fruit just prior to picking maturity. This varietal trait often 

 forces orchardists to harvest crops before the attainment of maximum size, 

 color, and quality. Furthermore, dropping increases in severity through the 

 season of harvest. Even moderate winds and slight jarring of limbs incident to 

 picking operations result in considerably lowering the percentage of fancy hand- 

 picked fruit which a good grower might otherwise expect. Such a loss is serious 

 enough when harvesting is not delayed in waiting for more color development. 

 With the present insistent demand for high color, the grower is tempted to delay 

 picking, and this invariably intensifies the drop problem. Spot picking is an 

 alternative which offers two important advantages: a better average color for the 

 total crop and a lessened fruit drop. Disadvantages are increased inconvenience 

 and cost of harvesting. Another practice which has been developed to some 

 degree of usefulness in recent years is that of early picking followed by sun color- 

 ing. The investigations of Hoffman (10) and others have shown that green apples 

 can be sun colored successfully under partial shade. Practical results have been 

 variable. In some instances growers have been quite successful, but in many 

 others results have not been particularly satisfactory because of extra cost, sun 

 scald, mechanical and insect injuries, decreased storage life, and inferior quality. 

 Furthermore, the color often is not bright as in normally ripened fruit. 



Extent of the Problem 



Not only in Massachusetts but over the entire Mcintosh belt, orchardists 

 are concerned with this very definite problem of drop. In Massachusetts, growers 

 have reported dropping of more than 50 percent of the crop in many cases; in 

 New Hampshire, up to 35 percent; in Maine, from 1 to 15 percent; in Connecticut 

 and Rhode Island, from 10 to 30 percent. Other sections report similar results. 

 A general survey indicated that dropping is more severe as the southern limit of 

 the Mcintosh belt is approached. This might be expected because of higher mean 

 summer temperatures and the attendant difficulties in the way of good color 

 development. Undoubtedly, Mcintosh has been planted south of its best range 

 and in such cases the difficulties in getting the fruit to color properly and to hang 

 on are increased. In many sections the dropping tendency of Mcintosh has cost 

 this variety a place on the recommended commercial planting list. In some 

 areas such as New Jersey, Mcintosh is being replaced by Lobo, not on the basis 

 of quality but rather because it hangs to the tree considerably better. In fact the 

 present delimitation of Mcintosh, which is otherwise widely adaptable, can be 

 attributed largely to its unfavorable reaction to high summer temperatures. 



^The author is indebted to Dr. J. K. Shaw for suggesting this study, and assisting in the planning 

 of the experimental work. 



