BITTER PIT IN APPLES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1127, 15 May 1911, Page 8

BITTER PIT IN APPLES.

NEW ZEALAND AUTHORITY'S VIEWS.

One.of New Zealand's highest authorities on fruit and'fruit troubles, when interviewed by a JUoiiwioN representative said that tho cable message,from Australia stating that bitter pit ik apples, was attributable to spraying was not "intelligible" to him. The almost universal spray was arsenate of lead, and prior to that being so commonly used 1 aris green was popular. Bitter pit was known when Pans greeii was used, aud, iurtner, before spraying of any kind came into nso. Consequently, he thought it surprising that spraying should bo held to 00 the cause.

Bitter pit was/in his opinion, a constitutional trouble, not, as a Wanganui grower is reported to havo said, something caused by a microscopic fundus This authority also doubted the statement cabled that,the Victorian Government would postpone tho "Federal and State- investigations, on, which it was intended to expend ten thousand pounds ior the prevention of bitter pit. Ho says tho Government had decided to employ Mr. M'Alpine, whom he described as the best mau for the work in this hemisphere, for four years at ,£l,lOO a year, exclusively 'on this matter. Bitter pit is the cause of a good deal of trouble. in New Zealand, but is the source of greater loss to countries with a big export trade. In New Zealand apples which havo to bo held in store bitter pit is liable to be troublesome.