60 



BITTER PIT INVESTIGATION. 



6. AT BURNLEY HORTICULTURAL GARDENS, VICTORIA. 



The London Pippins or Five Crowns are about 13 years old, and since they have been systematic- 

 ally pruned on a definite system for four years, the results for the present season should give some 

 indication of the effects of the different methods as regards Pit. 



The larger yield in the unpruned trees and the smaller size of the fruit should tend to reduce the 

 Pit ; still, making due allowance for all this, the amount of Pit and crinkle is comparatively small. 

 On the other hand, the severe pruning has produced 50 per cent., and although the light crop would 

 favour it, there is still the great contrast in the amount of Pit between the pruned and unpruned trees. 



Where the trees have been girdled with a zinc band, there is no indication so far of a lessening 

 of the Pit. 



The trees were pruned on 5th July and the fruit was picked on 24th February, with the results 

 shown in the following table : 



TABLE XXVIII. RESULTS OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF PRUNING ON LONDON PIPPIN- 

 SEASON 1914-15. 



Crinkled. Per cent. Pitted 



Clean. 



Pitted. 



(including 



On Tree. Windfalls. On Tree. Windfalls. On Tree. Windfalls. Crinkle.) 



Ibs. Ibs. Ibs. Ibs. Ibs. Ibs. 



69 



10 Leader 46 



12 Leader 114 



160 



13 Unpruned 143 



14 ,, 144 



287 



5 

 3 



12 

 3 

 5 



20 



24 



53 



77 



65 

 71 



136 



6 



8 3 



14 3 



9 



2 



6 

 17 



9 



35 



44 



67 

 69 



136 



I 

 5 



6 

 3 



8 

 10 



18 



10 



7 

 13 



30 



12 

 21 



33 



8 

 4 



12 



45 



50 

 36 

 54 

 46 



24 



8 



Remarks. 



Zinc band 



Zinc band 

 Zinc band 



Zinc band 



SUMMARY. 



In the first and third year of the experiment the amount of Pit was too small to allow of any 

 distinction being drawn between the different plots. In the second season (1912-13) there was a 

 fair amount, and the percentage of the severely pruned trees was just double that of the unpruned, 

 as shown in the following : 



Unpruned, 15 per cent. Pit ; leader pruned, 17 per cent.; light pruned, 25 per cent.; and 

 severely pruned, 30 per cent. 



Unpruned and leader-pruned trees invariably showed less Pit on the average than light and severely 

 pruned trees. 



7. AT ALBERT SMITH'S ORCHARD, DEEPDENE, NEAR MELBOURNE. 



Although special efforts were put forth to make the final year a success, unfortunately not a 

 single apple has been produced in any of the experimental plots. The trees themselves are vigorous 



