40 



BITTER PIT INVESTIGATION. 



The generally good yield obtained, combined with the continuity of the experiments, enabled 

 conclusions to be drawn with more certainty than in any previous year. 



The trees were pruned on 2nd August, 1915, and the fruit was picked on 3rd and 4th April, 1916. 



TABLE XIX. 



RESULTS OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF PRUNING ON CLEOPATRA APPLE TREES 



SEASON 1915-16. 



No. CLEAN. PITTED. 



On Tree. Windfalls. On Tree. Windfalls. 



PER CENT. PITTED. Per 



cent. 



On Tree. Windfalls. Pitted. 



Remarks. 



Severe priming 616 



409 



714 



36 



19-56 33-48 22-00 



SUMMARY OF PRUNING EXPERIMENTS AT DEEPDENB SEASON 1915-16. 



Remarks. 



Growth poor, foliage of good colour, fruit mostly 



under-sized. 

 Growth medium, foliage of good colour, fruit of 



fair size. 

 Growth superior to preceding, foliage of good 



colour, fruit slightly larger than preceding. 

 Growth good, foliage of good colour, fruit superior 



in size to others. 



In contrasting no pruning with severe pruning, it will be observed that the growth was poor and 

 the fruit under-sized in the one instance, and growth good and fruit superior in size in the other. This 

 shows that a decreased percentage of Pit may not always mean an increased profit, and the orchardist 

 must use his judgment and experience in deciding between less Bitter Pit and the marketable value of 

 the fruit. Thinning the fruit, combined with light pruning, may be found to be effective against 

 Pit, while lessening the danger of strain in young trees and the undue proportion of small fruit. 



