24 



BITTER PIT INVESTIGATION. 



TABLE XI. MINERAL CONSTITUENTS OF DRIED APPLE SKINS FROM RIPE APPLES, 



GLEN INNES EXPERIMENT FARM. 



Ash 



Potash 



Lime 



Magnesia 



Oxides of iron and aluminium 



Phosphoric acid 



Sulphuric acid 



Stone 

 Pippin. 



o/ 

 /o 



2-404 

 1-257 

 132 

 111 

 095 

 201 

 097 



TABLE XII. COMPARISON BETWEEN PERCENTAGE OF ASH OF JUICE AND ASH OF SKIN OF APPLE. 



Ash of Juice. 



Ash of Skin. 



COMPARISON OF THE RATE AND AMOUNT OF GROWTH BETWEEN YATES AND CLEOPATRA APPLES. 



The rate of growth of an apple has an influence upon the development of Bitter Pit, for when 

 one is slow and steady, and the other rapid and irregular, under similar conditions, the slow-growing 

 is less liable to Pit than the quick-growing. 



The size of an apple, as represented by the amount of growth, has also a bearing on the result, 

 for when the crop is light and the individual apples rather overgrown, there is usually a larger pro- 

 portion of Pit. The fruit of the Yates is naturally small, relatively to that of the Cleopatra, which 

 is large to medium. 



For purposes of comparison the rate and amount of growth in Yates and Cleopatra apples was 

 determined. Two apples of each of the varieties growing near each other were selected for observation, 

 and measurements were made at stated intervals, generally once a week. A pair of calipers was used 

 for this purpose, in which the measurement was automatically recorded (Fig. 56). Growth in length 

 as well as in diameter was measured. The fruit set in October, but it was 9th November when the 

 first observations were made. Yates was the only one which adhered to the tree until it was ripe, 

 and fell naturally on 26th April. By this time the starch was all converted into sugar, as the flesh 

 of the apple gave no blue reaction with iodine. Cleopatra dropped prematurely in January, so that 

 a complete record for that variety is not available. 



As might be anticipated, the greatest amount of growth occurred in November and December. 

 The Yates attained its full growth about three weeks before it fell, and remained stationary after- 

 wards, so that the energy of growth ceased before the fruit was ready to be detached from the tree. 



