90 



BITTER PIT INVESTIGATION. 



The trees are planted on the hexagonal system, at a distance of 20 feet apart. 



The cultivation of the orchard was carefully attended to. It was ploughed twice during the 

 winter, and scarified several times and harrowed during the summer. The trees were also dug and 

 hoed around. 



The Cleopatra trees used in these experiments on Northern Spy stocks were planted out in 

 August, 1908, when one year old, and the first manurial dressing was applied in September, 1909. 

 There were three trees in each plot, and in every instance there was a guard or barrier row of trees 

 between each plot, without any manure. 



The manure has now been applied for three years in succession, viz., 1909, 1910, 1911, and 

 the yield of fruit is here recorded for 1912, distinguishing between pitted and clean :— 



Table XVI.— Results of Manurial Experiments with Cleopatra Apples, Season 1911-12. 



Tost No. 



-Manure used per Tree each year. 



i Dates Gathered. 



Date of last 

 Examination. 



Results re Bitter Pit. 



] 





No manure 



26.2.1912 



16.5.1912 



56 clean, 5 pitted, 3 fell immature 









9.3.1912 





2 





1 lb. superphosphate 



26.2.1912 





58 apples clean, 4 fell immature 









9.3.1912 





3 



/ 



1 lb. superphosphate 



j 3 



j j 



3 apples clean 







2 lbs. lime 







4 



f 



1 lb. superphosphate 



26.2.1912 



) ; 



26 apples clean, 1 fell immature 





f 



\ lb. sulphate potash 

 1 lb. superphosphate 



9.3.1912 

 26.2.1912 





5 





-J lb. sulphate potash 



9.3.1912 



3 ? 



13 apples clean, 1 pitted, 1 fell immature 





1 



\ lb. sulphate ammonia 







6 





No manure 



26.2.1912 



3 3 



1 apple clean 







1 lb. superphosphate 







7 



j 



\ lb. sulphate potash 



26.2.1912 



3 3 



10 apples clean, 1 fell immature 





I 



\ lb. sulphate ammonia . . 



9.3.1912 









2 lbs. lime 









8 





2 lbs. lime 



9.3.1912 



3 3 



5 apples clean 



9 



( 



\ lb. sulphate ammonia . . 



26.2.1912 



3 3 



14 apples clean, 3 fell immature 



\ 



J lb. sulphate potash 



9.3.1912 





10 



f 



1 lb. superphosphate 



26.2.1912 



3 3 



20 apples clean, 1 apple pitted 



\ 



£ lb. sulphate ammonia . . 



9.3.1912 





11 





56 lbs. stable manure 



26.2.1912 

 9.3.1912 



3 3 



20 apples clean, 1 apple pitted, 4 fell 

 immature 



12 





No Manure 



26.2.1912 

 9.3.1912 



3 3 



27 apples clean, 1 apple pitted, 8 fell 

 immature 



13 





\ lb. sulphate of iron 







Planted 1909— not fruited yet 



MANURIAL EXPERIMENTS. 

 4. At Mr. Andrews' Orchard, Craigburn, Tamar Valley, Tasmania. 



This orchard, lying in a recess of granite hills, has a grey loamy soil, overlying a good friable 

 clay subsoil on top of gravel. The soil is of a porous nature. 



There were large blocks of Cleopatra apple trees very suitable for experiment, being eight 

 years old, as they were planted six years, and two years old at time of planting. They are all at a 

 good bearing age, having borne profitably for thr^e years, and carried fruit for four. The trees are 

 planted on the triangular system, which is well adapted for a permanent orchard, and are 20 feet 

 apart, so that there are 108 trees to the acre. 



