52 BITTER PIT INVESTIGATION. 



The blooming season is reckoned from the date of the first bloom up to the end of the final bloom, 

 when the petals have all fallen. The first date of bloom was 19th September (Ribston Pippin and 

 Cleopatra). The last date of the first bloom was 12th November (Annie Elizabeth). The shortest 

 season of blooming was four days (Jonathan, Yapeen, and Sturmer Pippin), and the longest twenty- 

 five days (Ribston Pippin). The blooming season of apples in the screen extended from 19th 

 September to 22nd November, and averaged twelve days. 



The value of the data obtained from the period of blooming may be shown in various ways. 



The early and late blooming varieties can be planted in that portion of the orchard most suitable 

 for them. 



For purposes of cross-pollination, it is evident that only those sorts which bloom about the same 

 time should be inter-planted. There are some orchard operations which depend upon the time of 

 blooming and the dropping of the petals, so that labour may lie economized, by planting varieties 

 together which require to be sprayed about the same time. 



Lastly, there is a scientific value attaching to the determination of the blooming period, for it 

 may be shown that the stock has a determining influence upon the time of blooming, and thus be one 

 of the factors causing variations in the same variety. 



THK SAME VARIETY ON DIFFERENT STOCKS FOR COMPARISON. 

 The same variety is usually grown on different stocks for comparison, and an example may be 

 given of Cleopatra, which is grown on nine different stocks as follows : 



TABLE XXIX. 

 CLEOPATRA ON DIFFERENT STOCKS, SHOWING YIELD AND PER CENT. OF PIT. 



No. Stock Used. Yield. Per cent. Pitted. 



No. 



9 Northern Spy a . . . . 9(5 53 



49 .. b .. . . 36 31 



10 Yarra Bank a . . . . . , S3 48 



11 ,, b 134 25 



12 Duchess of Oldenburg .. .. SO 56 

 22 Cole's Paradise . . . . 4 100 



27 Winter Majetin (i 66 



37 Magg's Seedling . . . . 30 36 



45 Seedling (unknown) 



46 Perfection on Spy a . . . . 2 50 



47 ,, ' b .. ., 8 75 

 55 French Crab on Spy . . . . 11 27 



The most striking feature in this table is the great variation in the yield, and the only one producing 

 more than 100 apples is that on the Yarra Bank stock. It is the second highest yield of all the varieties, 

 and the smallest amount of Pit, but the results of this one season allow no final conclusions to be drawn. 



VARIETIES BARREN. 



During season 1914-15, out of fifty-four varieties only eight yielded fruit, while during the past 

 season the majority fruited, and only seven were barren. All of the barren varieties were budded with 

 the exception of Newtown Pippin, and it is generally found that grafts come into bearing earlier than 

 buds. The Duchess of Oldenburg was the only one of the seven which had produced fruit previously 

 (up to four apples at the most), and it was rather unexpected that in a prolific season like this it should 

 be altogether barren. 



In the case of Blenheim Orange there are two trees of this variety, both on the Spy stock, and 

 while one is barren, the other has produced thirteen apples. Both are budded on similar stocks, 



