68 



BITTER PIT INVESTIGATION, 



trees still healthy and bearing well. He states that many of the pears in the counties of Devon 

 and Somerset are " certainly 150 years old, yet the trees are as healthy and lofty as English 

 elms." 



Apples are equally long-lived, and Hooper (107) describes and figures an old French 

 Nonpareil apple tree in Nova Scotia, probably 150 years old, and during twenty years the amount 

 of fruit from it has varied from two barrels up to sixteen, the average being nine barrels. 



Those orchards planted here on comparatively poor sandy soil, on a good clay subsoil with 

 ample drainage, are still flourishing, while some of those on deep alluvial or volcanic soils are 

 dying out. 



It has already been pointed out that a tree may be very liable to Pit, and yet to all appearance 

 healthy, and even old age or senile decay is not necessarily favorable to the disease. I have 

 selected some old trees in Victoria to show that they are rather remarkable for freedom from 

 Pit. 



The apple tree represented in Fig. 117 was planted about 70 years ago in the orchard now 

 occupied by Mr. Bosch, Greensborough. It was the variety known as Devonshire Red Streak, and 

 in 1891 it was re-worked to Rymer, and afterwards yielded several heavy crops. In season 1909-10 

 it bore 30 cases of export fruit, without any sign of Bitter Pit. A limb broke off with the weight 

 of the fruit, and Mr. Bosch decided to graft Rome Beauty on Rymer, and that is the condition in 

 which it was photographed on 13th May, 1912. The soil is a sandy loam, and the roots may go 

 down to any depth, as there is no clay bottom. 



The old apple tree of the variety Purity represented in Fig. 118 and growing at 

 Bongamero, Cheshunt, was planted about 1848, thus making it 64 years of age. The owner 

 of it informs me that it has borne consistently for many years, one side or one-half being heavily 

 laden with fruit each alternate year, the other half the intervening year. He has picked 

 as much as 56 bushel cases off the tree, although not nearly so much of late years as formerly, 

 some large limbs having broken off a year ago. Nevertheless it yielded during season 1910-11 

 30 cases of fruit, after a fair number had fallen. It has been sprayed with arsenate of lead for a few 

 years. Bitter Pit has not been observed in the fruit, although younger trees in the district 

 were showing a good deal. The tree, notwithstanding its age, still looks healthy. The pear tree, 

 represented in Fig. 116, growing in a lane off Collins-street, Melbourne, is over 50 years of age. It 

 is covered with abundance of bloom in the spring, and last season produced a fairly good crop of 

 healthy pears, which, however, were rather hard and unpalatable. The tree is deteriorating under 

 the adverse influences of poverty of soil, unfavorable surroundings, and lack of attention. 



A tree of the Rymer variety at Harcourt (Fig. 112), 40 years old, yielded this season 40 bushel 

 cases of fruit free from Bitter Pit, and the Broompark pear, over 50 years old (Fig. 114), is still 

 vigorous. The growing points of an old tree, such as Rymer or Broompark, are just as capable of 

 development as those of a single year old tree. 



Then if we take an old variety such as the Winter Pearmain, which is noted by Dr. Hogg 

 as the oldest existing English apple on record, having been cultivated in Norfolk as early as the 

 year 1200, and a lately constituted variety, such as Magg's Seedling, the younger may be bad 

 with Bitter Pit and the older comparatively free. 



It is desirable, however, to test the effect of crossing on some of our commercial varieties, 

 and, while enthusiastic individuals have undertaken the work in a limited way, it is time that a 

 beginning was made in some of our State Nurseries to see how far new and regenerated forms resist 

 the Bitter Pit. Attention has hitherto been paid to the breeding of cereals and potatoes, and 

 although it takes longer time to secure results in the case of fruit trees, there is no reason why it 

 should not be attempted. Systematically arranged experiments, with regard to stocks and cross- 

 breeding, are very much wanted, and although the results would not be available within the 

 currency of this investigation, still provision could be made for their continuance. So that while 



