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Page 4 The Colborne Citizen Sept.25,1974 A deep red apple should be sweet, By Terry Check that apple! Is it a nice deep red colour, free from blemishes, firm to hold? It looks almost perfect and you're just about to bite into it? Don't! You may find yourself biting into an unripened, sour, green apple. Hard to believe when it looks so good? Not when the apple is on a tree at the Smithfield Experimental Farm. The Farm, located four miles west of Trenton and one mile north of Highway 2 consists of 300 acres which is all devoted to experimental work with horticultural tree fruit, small fruit and vegetable canning Controlling the color and maturation of the apple crop is just one of many experiments being carried on. Dr. Sherwood Miller, a plant physiologist as the farm, pointed out that this station is one of many federal stations mature slowly. By 1976 the researchers would like to have increased the production of apples by 10 percent and still maintain the storage and processing quality of the fruit. To do this they hope to modify the management practises such as training and pruning, controlling the tree population with growth regulators, pest control, thinning and Dr. Miller said that approximately 125 varieties, strains and advanced selections from other stations have been or are in the process of being grown in two variety orchards at Smithfield. One of the major problems faced by apple farmers in this area is that of apple scab, Smithfield, in conjunction with other stations, has been working on a variety that is scab resistant. Macfree was the name given to a scab resistant variety selected at Smithfield. This machine to aid apple pickers is one of the many inovations used at Smithfield across the country who all work in conjunction with one another. Smithfield Experimental Farm serves the area between Toronto and the Ottawa Valley. Dr. Miller explained that investigations being carried out at the farm involved the effects of nutrition, irrigation, crop rotation, herbicides, weather conditions and growth regulations on various crops. Because Eastern Canada Supplies 1/3 of the country with its apples and fruit, the Experimental Farm deals mostly with the apple crop, trying to improve it and give suggestions to area growers. Many experiment results have been a great asset to the area farmer and increased their production. By 1975 the apple program at Smithfield hopes to know more about flower induction and the developement of biennial bearing varieties. They also would like to know more about the juvenile apples which The need for winter hardy, size controlling apple rootstocks has long been recognized in Eastern Ontario. Experimental orchards for this purpose were established at Smithfield and Ottawa in 1967. Here they tested the performance of the 14 most promising rootstocks. The result was a new rootstock known as "Ottawa 3" and it was made available to the farmers in 1974. Work with remaining rootstocks is still continuing. Dr. Miller pointed out that another problem plaguing the apple farmer is insects. "We are trying to cut down on the amount of pesticides used. This will reduce pollution and thus control the amount of, criticism agriculture often gets," he said. To accomplish this, experimenters at Smithfield go through a process known as pest monitoring. This process shows the presence, number and distribution of each /WWW. PI I FRY I ELLERY DRAPES & CARPETS ^^^^^^^^^ 57 Main St. Brighton 475-1800 Scarf e Paint Wallpaper Brand Name Carpets (also Indoor/Outdoor) Custom Drapes Vinyl Flooring Expert Installation Visistors to the experimental farm were 1 given rides on wagons to see the many acres of apple trees during the recent Apple Tour held at Smithfield Farm. pest and beneficial insects in the orchard. Monitoring has to be conducted from the very developement of the insect, their first appearance each season and through the duration of the period when controls would be effective. The monitoring of the adult coddling moth, red-banded and oblique banded leaf rollers, apple maggots and leaf hoppers, is accomplished by the use of traps. These traps attract the insect by color, shape or odor. The odor may be a feeding or sex attractant. The presence of aphids and mites is determined by visual examination. Monitoring is carried out in two steps, the first one called Qualitative, which shows the occurance of the pest. At this point the farmer can decide whether or not to spray. The second step is Quantitive which shows the numbers of pests present PEARSALL MOTORS LTD. Brighton Invite you to visit their showroom on Friday, Sept. 27, 1974 to see the new GRANADA plus many of the new Ford & Mercury products for 1975 CLOTHES VOU CAN WEAR to moke heads turn Clothes for the man about town who likes style individuality. Attention-getting coats, suits, sportswear find your special look here! See our new selection of Fall & Winter Wear A complete line of LEVI Denims & Cords Village Men's Shop Our store will be Roy Kelly Ray Simpson closed AAon., Tues., 74 Main St. Brighton & Wed. Sept. 30, Oct. 1 & 2 Beside Ray s Barber Shop 475-1442