VARIETIES OF APPLE AFFECTED BY BITTEB PIT. 33 

 Bad. 



Adam's Pearraain. 

 Annie Elizabeth. 

 Cleopatra. 

 French Crab. 

 Marie Louise. 

 Northern Spy. 

 Reinette de Canada 

 Ribston Pippin. 

 Scarlet Pearmain. 

 Stunner Pippin. 

 Wellington. 



AUSTRALIAN SEEDLING APPLES IN THEIR RELATION TO BITTER PIT. 



With the assistance of the Principal, I have made a list of those growing in the Horticultural 

 Gardens, Burnley (Appendix IV.), and they are being closely watched with regard to their 

 susceptibility to Bitter Pit, so that at the close of the investigation some idea may 

 be formed as to those which are worthy of being more extensively cultivated for 

 commercial purposes on account of their appearance and quality and comparative freedom 

 from Pit. 



From that list it will be observed that during the past season some of them were badly 

 pitted, and seedlings, such as Prince Bismarck and Borrowdale, were about as bad as any in the 

 Gardens. 



This is not quite in keeping with the experience of Pole Evans (31), in South Africa, who 

 found that " One of the most significant facts in connexion with this investigation is that only those 

 varieties of apples which escape Bitter Pit and which show immunity towards it are those which 

 may be described as Colonial apples." Now, while there is no doubt that climate is an important 

 factor and that there is a decided advantage in growing trees from seed, suited to the conditions 

 prevailing in the country of their origin, yet there are other factors to be taken into account. 

 Heredity has to be reckoned with, and the source of their origin will have an effect upon their 

 susceptibility to the disease. Thus, a Northern Spy seedling raised in the Burnley Gardens is very 

 badly pitted year after year, and it is being discarded on that account. There are 100 listed 

 altogether, and there is always the possibility of some seedling apples being discovered in which 

 the tendency to pitting has been reduced to a minimum. The treatment which the tree receives 

 is important, as the following remarks by the raiser of the " Western Belle " seedling will show — 

 " As regards its liability to suffer from Bitter Pit, I may say that while I winter-pruned the tree and 

 the fruit was extremely large, a large proportion of it was badly pitted. Since 1 have left off winter- 

 pruning it, and the bearing branches have become more or less pendent, the tree yields clean 

 fruit." 



VARIETIES AFFECTED AT BURNLEY HORTICULTURAL GARDENS-SEASON 1011-12. 



As regards varieties liable to Bitter Pit in Victoria, I have selected for special observation 

 the splendid collection of apple trees in the Burnley Horticultural Gardens, where Bitter Pit is to 

 be found more or less every year. This will form a basis for successive years and various correlated 

 characters will be given to see how far they influence the development of Pit. Thus, it will be noted 

 whether the pitted varieties are firm or soft fleshed, early or late maturing, &c, and the stock will 

 be recorded where known. (Appendix V.) 



C. 10461). c 



TASMANIA. 



Slight. 



Cox's Orange Pippin. 

 Gloria Mundi. 

 Hoover. 



Lady Henniker. 

 Prince Alfred. 

 Prince Bismarck. 

 Rhode Island Greening. 

 Shepherd's Perfection. 



