82 BITTER PIT INVESTIGATION. 



derived from the Yates parent of being Pit-resistant. While the normal standard of the variety is 

 maintained, the one object is kept in view of rearing a Pit-resistant Cleopatra. 



A large number of plants must be raised to afford material for selection, and they must be con- 

 tinued to the fruiting stage. It may require a decade or more to bring a new generation of apples 

 into bearing, and then those showing the greatest immunity to Pit would be selected. 



The largest and most mature seeds from the cross should be chosen, to ensure uniformity in the 

 crop and a quicker germination to give a good start to the young plant. 



The experiments should be conducted in as many of the States as possible to have a variety 

 adapted to different conditions of soil and climate, heat and moisture. 



I have confined my attention to the one character of Bitter Pit, because that is the object which 

 immediately concerns us, but there are other diseases which might be similarly treated, such as Woolly 

 Blight. 



There is a wide field and immense possibilities in the work of systematic breeding and selection, 

 and it is worthy of the undivided attention of thoroughly capable experimentalists. 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 



In carrying out a work of this magnitude within a limited time, there was necessarily a number 

 of experiments, from their very nature, which could not be completed. I refer more particularly to 

 such experiments as the influence of the stock on the development of Bitter Pit, the effects of different 

 methods of pruning, and the application of different fertilizers. It is to be hoped that these will bo 

 continued and extended by the Agricultural Departments of the respective States. In the case of 

 pruning alone there has been a sad lack of experimental work. Each expert is a law unto himself, 

 and while it is useful and educational to have pruning demonstrations, it is only by continuous treat- 

 ment extending over a series of years that the commercial success of a method can be proved. A 

 particular variety could be chosen for the purpose, as they vary in their habit of growth, and a definite 

 system followed, always leaving untreated trees or checks to show the benefit of the method of treat- 

 ment adopted. 



In South Australia there is an Experiment Orchard, where the various operations are being 

 submitted to the test of experiment under the superintendence of Mr. G. Quinn, Horticultural 

 Instructor. It is the most complete experiment station of its kind in the Commonwealth, and a record 

 of results is being kept from the earliest stages. 



In the case of perennials, such as orchard trees, which take a number of years to reach the fruit- 

 bearing stage and continue in bearing for a long period, it is absolutely necessary to extend the test 

 over a series of years, and for the sake of completeness, to prolong it as long as the tree continues to 

 bear. 



There is one form of experiment which has an important bearing on Bitter Pit, and which is 

 necessarily a slow process. I refer to the crossing of varieties so as to secure new ones adapted to our 

 conditions and with the liability to Pit eliminated. It is an operation requiring patience, skill, and 

 aptitude for the work hi order to get the best results ; and just as the crossing of annuals, such as wheat, 

 is being pursued with success, I trust that the equally important breeding of fruit trees will receive 

 attention. The amount of patience required will be at once understood by those who know that to 

 breed a new variety of commercial value, even of an annual like wheat, often demands experiments and 

 tests running up to ten or more years. 



As I was appointed by the Commonwealth and State Governments to conduct this investigation, 

 the co-operation of each of the States was assured, and I desire to put on record my appreciation of the 

 services rendered. 



