BITTER PIT IN APPLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 300, 13 May 1911, Page 5

BITTER PIT IN APPLES.

A "DISCOVERY" SCOUTED. By Cable —Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, May 12. Mr. Allen, Government fruit expert, opposes the suggestion that bitter pit is the result of spraying, stating that it was equally prevalent before spraying was introduced. DISEASE PREVALENT IN WANGANUI. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, Friday. With reference to the Melbourne cable announcing the supposed discovery o£ the cause of bitter pit in apples, Mr. 11. D. Williamson, orchardist and late Covernment inspector of orchards, expresses the opinion, based on forty years' experience of fruit-growing and experimenting on fruit diseases, that the Melbourne scientists are mistaken in attributing the disease to the codlin moth spray. He says bitter pit is caused by a microscopic fungus, and has been common amongst apples in the Wanganui district for fifty yearse. The spores of the fungus are capable of being carried many miles and drop up the fruit, and when packed one contaminated apple will affect the whole case in three weeks, lie says that when the spores first appear on the surface of the fruit the 4-4-50 Bordeaux mixture will destroy it, but after it has penetrated the fruit spraying is of no use. FURTHER INFORMATION. Hastings, Last Night. Writing to the Tribune re bitter pit. Mr. F. E. Nottage, Inspector of Orchard-; in Hawkc's Bay. mentions two facts which appear on the surface to largely discount the value of the theory advanced by Dr. Jean White and Professor Ewart. of Melbourne University. They are: (1) In Western Australia, where codlin moth is unknown and arsenical spraying is never resorted to. bitter pit is alarmingly prevalent, and occasions ;-''cat loss to fruitgrowers every year; (21 in his travels around the orcnanls of the Dominion during the past four years he had frequently noticed bitter pit on the trees which had never been sprayed for the control of codlin moth or other pest. Mr. Nottage is a practical grower of many years' experience.