FREAK APPLE TREE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 12

FREAK APPLE TREE.

The discovery in Poverty Bay last season of a curious freak "or "sport," in an apple tree of the Delicious variety aroused much interest. The peculiar characteristic of this freak apple was the solid red colour of the fruit, which contrasted strongly with the streaked colouring of the ordinary variety of the Delicious. This season, says* an exchange, the "sport" has recurred, not only in the tree in which it was first noticed, hut also in two trees in other orchards in Poverty Bay. A feature of the freak is that it does not affect the.whole tree on which it occurs, but is confined to ono branch of an otherwise normal tree, which produces on its other branches fruit entirely conforming to standard. Mr. Mclndoe, Government orchard inspector, when discussing the occurrence, said that the fruit of the freak branches held possibilities of development into a new variety. Apart from the very line colouring, which would be useful in districts where the colour standards were poor, as a means to raise export standards, the "sports" opened up the possibility of a new type of apple. So far as. ho could determine, the breakaway from tho true characteristics of the Delicious was confined to the colour, but ho hoped for further divergencies in the direction of obviating the few faults that the Delicious had as a table apple, such as roughness about the calyx, and an open canal between calyx and core. If the "sports" oiler the means of developing a Delicious apple with a closed "eye" (as the canal is generally termed) the discovery would lie of much value. Mr. - Mclnduo also stated that the freak is susceptible to propagation by budding and grafting, and will reproduce the characteristics of new stock, which suggests that soma interesting experiments might be embarked upon.