THE CONTROL OF BITTER PIT. 63 



The export trade in apples from the Commonwealth has now assumed large dimensions, and it is 

 gratifying to find that we now know how to regulate the temperature of the freezing chamber so as to 

 prevent the serious losses formerly arising from Bitter Pit developing on the voyage, and also from 

 over-ripening. While this is so, the fruit-carrying steamers do not always maintain a constant and 

 uniform temperature, and until a line of Commonwealth steamers has been established with refrigerat- 

 ing space, when the temperature will be under control, it is desirable to adopt every means which 

 experience has shown to be profitable 1 for the safe carriage of the fruit. 



The age of the trees has an influence on the development of Pit, and this was clearly stated in 

 my Second Report under the heading of "Old Apple and Pear Trees"- -"It is a well-known fact that 

 young and vigorous trees are liable to this disease, while old and well-established trees are compara- 

 tively free, and this is just what would be expected from a consideration of the factors contributing 

 to it." 



An experienced shipper has given practical confirmation of this view in a letter recently received, 

 and it is worthy the attention of those orchardists engaged in the export trade. 



Mr. F. W. Moore, who was formerly Secretary to the Council of Agriculture in Tasmania, and now 

 belonging to a firm of Australian fruit merchants, Covent Garden, London, has kindly placed at my 

 disposal his experience, extending over sixteen years. 



In 1900 he started shipping apples from Tasmania, and came over to London with his first con- 

 signment, which landed in good condition. 



Next year he shipped two consignments of apples by way of the Cape, and had not only seen 

 these apples growing on the trees, but many of them were wrapped and packed in his presence, and he 

 felt satisfied that no better fruit had been shipped. When the fruit was opened in London, he was 

 astonished to find that a very large proportion of the Ribston Pippins were badly affected with Bitter 

 Pit. It so happened that a large proportion of this variety, which was the only one affected, had been 

 grown on young trees. 



In 1902 he started the business in London of supervising the handling and sale of Tasmanian 

 apples, and since that time his firm has had to do with shipments of apples from all parts of Australia. 

 As the result of this large experience he has come to the following conclusions 



(1) That Ribston Pippins from older trees show less Bitter Pit than from younger trees, and 



instances the case of a Tasmanian grower who never ships this variety to England 

 from trees under ten years old, and while Bitter Pit is never altogether absent from his 

 consignments, it has never been very bad. 



(2) That fruit from young trees is more severely attacked is strikingly confirmed by the fact 



that fruit from Northern Tasmania has shown a higher percentage of Bitter Pit than that 

 from the south of the Island. Fruit-growing in Northern Tasmania is comparatively a 

 new industry, and a very large proportion of the trees there cannot be more than ten to 

 twelve years old in the orchards which have been planted for commercial purposes. 



In keeping with this view, West Australian fruit is often found to be badly affected, and it is 

 known that a large proportion of the apple trees in that State are still comparatively young. 



It must not be forgotten that the fruit referred to, which was found to be badly affected on reach- 

 ing London, had been placed on board comparatively free from any visible sign of Pit. Kept at the 

 proper temperature, it has been experimentally proved that the development of Pit would have been 

 retarded, but at the same time it suggests that many of these apples, if allowed to remain on the trees, 

 would have become pitted. 



In the experimental orchard in Western Australia the Cleopatra trees were only ten years old when 

 the fruit was picked, and this will partly account for the high percentage of Pit in a season particularly 

 favourable to its development. 



Just as the proper regulation of the temperature controls the Pit in cold storage, so will the proper 

 system of pruning in the orchard control it in the fruit still growing on the tree. 



