LOCAL WOOL SALE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7024, 12 January 1910, Page 3

LOCAL WOOL SALE

Tuesday, February 15th, 3 p.to.

BITTER-PIT A DISEASE AS ELUSIVE AS IT IS DISASTROUS. Tlio Hawke’s Bay A. and P. Assowiiton has asked the Canterbury Associatio n .to supply it with nuy nuormaUeu «a 1 able in regard to Wtter-pit in apples m vh-w of the fact that one qt its numbers, Mr T. Horton, is preparing a report on the subject, and the Canterbury Adulation has decided to forward the lullefjt information rcgaruni n lv : 111 view of the local interest being taken in this elusive and d ‘ u ’Kf lv trouble it is well to briefly state the extent of present knowledge in regard to bitter-pit. In the fust place, bitteipit may be regarded as the moat dangerous of all diseases of the apple, especially to the country l 9? l llc l ur , n< -'‘L > a 0 11 export trade. It is entitled to this distinction because, with the present mystery surrounding it, it cannot be gum tied against, and apples which may appear sound at the time of shipment may develop the trouble to such an extent tnat their shipment may prove disastrous to the grower. So far all efforts of tbo ecientifio investigator to discover tho cause have proved futile, and producers, therefore, ore able to take no means whatever to w r ard it olf. . It is known in America as Baldwin Spot, or Physiological Fruit Spot, the Baldwin applo bclnjj? especially subject j.o it. Tile Trouble is fairly common in most apple-growing regions, but it is only in coiuitries where the export trade assumes any importance that it is of serious moment. Cauad laixd the United States liavo tho trouble in more or less serious form, but it Las caused more loss in Australia than in any other country. A PHYSIOLOGICAL DEFECT. Bitber-pit is a physiological defect, and bein'? in no way a fungoid disease it cannot be regarded as infectious. Tho fruit of young trees is said to be affected jjy tlie trouble more than that of well established trees, though old trees which have never produced apples which have Bern attacked have subsequently borne apples which have become affected. Again, some varieties arc more subject to the disease than others, while some trees of a particular variety are especially prone to it. Then, trees which have been immune for years have afterwards produced bitter-pit fruit. It develops, in cool storage more than under ordinary conditions of storage. This makes tho disease of particular moment to New Zealand, in view of the fact that an endeavour is being made to establish an export trade in apples. The mysterious nature of the disease is proved by the fact that prime Californian apples have developed it after being unpacked in this country. A GERMAN THEORY. A German investigator claims that it Is due to the absoncp of certain essential plant foods in the soil, but the general nature of tho trouble, existing, as it does, in varying soil and climatic conditions, rather disproves this theory. One of tho principal means of dissemination is claimed to bo the distribution of grafts from affected trees. WTTAT SHOULD BE DONE. It is to bo regretted that a special man is not available in this country to make a thorough study of the trouble, but while New Zealand is not able to take up tho work there is no reason why the more wealthy States of the Commonwealth, where the fruit industry is of such magnitude, is not taking steps to overcome this menace to an important industry. Tho first thing which should bo done is to clear up tho question, as to whether fruit of young trees id more liable to tho disease than that of old trees. If tho fruit of young trees is more subject to bitter-pit it points to the fact that tho disease is duo to tho food stored up in the apples not being *n many oases sufficient, areas being loft 'ii which th-ere ia very little starch or sugar, the tissues in these areas drying up and forming tho bitter-pit patches. Any work done in investigating bittcrBit8 it in Australia or Now Zealand up to le present is of no value whatever, as it has not been, carried out on sufficiently exact methods. ITS APPEARANCE. Those unacquainted with bitter-pdt will ho able to recognise the trouble by dark patches on the skin of the apples. * Sometimes these are not more than skin deep, while again they may affect the apple light to tho core, tho flesh from the spot to tho edro having sometimes a bittor taste. If, however, the dark patch is the only indication of the trouble, the makotable value of the apple is depreciated by the unsatisfactory appearance.