PHYSIOLOGY OF APPLE VARIETIES

Abstract

The degree of vegetativeness is closely related to the chemical composition of the tree, particularly as regards carbohydrates and N. Young trees of biennial varieties store carbohydrates more abundantly than those of regularly or shyly bearing kinds. Bearing trees of biennial varieties store carbohydrates abundantly during the year that blossom buds are formed. On alternate years carbohydrates are stored later and less extensively. Carbohydrate storage is intermediate in trees of regularly and shyly bearing trees. In high nitrogen nutrient trees of biennial varieties gained most weight; in low nitrogen nutrient the greatest gain was by trees of the shy varieties. Fruitfulness was correlated with character of terminal growth, growth rate and period, rate and period of xylem formation, anatomical structure and chemical composition.