23S 



ANNUAL KHl'ORT OF TIIK 



Off. Doc. 



per cent., while api)les confined in tlie dark, or exposed to electric 

 light and under identical conditions otherwise, showed practically 

 no increase. Maturity in sunlight on the trees is undoubtedly the 

 great influence affecting the red color of fruit, and when soil ingre- 

 dients apparently affect it, the result is doubtless produced indi- 

 rectly through a modification in the main influence. 



In Table V, we have the "dollars and cents" value of fertilization 

 as shown in some of our most striking results of this year. 



TABLE V 



Financial Value of Fertilization 



Expt. 221, 1909 (3rd Tr.) 



03 



Unfertilized, plots 4 and 7 — ' 19,448 194.5 $97 25 



Com. fertilizer, plots 6 and 9, - 47,028 470.0 235 00 



Manure, plots 5 and 8, I 48,550 485.5 242 75 



$13 00 

 15 00 



$124 75 

 130 50 



Expt. 220. 1909 (3rd Yr.) 



Unfertilized, plots 13 and 16, 

 Manure, plot 14, 



Expt. 338, 1909 (2nd Yr.) 



Unfertilized, plots 1 and 4, ... 

 Com. fertilizer, plots 2 and 3, 



2,607 

 12,026 



291 27.9 



1.947 373.8 



13 95 

 186 90 



156.4 

 721.6 



78 20 

 360 75 



15 00 



IffT 95 



15 00 



267 55 



It is to be noted that the net gains are obtained after deducting 

 hoth the cost of the fertilizer and the value of the unfertilized crop. 

 Also the fruit here is valued at fifty cents per bushel, while the 

 actual prices received for it varied from fifty cents to |1.25; and 

 any increase in the appraisement of the fruit of course will pro- 

 portionately increase the net gain. It is also to be noted that spray- 

 ing and pruning produced no material effect on the size of the crop, 

 since the treatment of all plots in these respects was uniform. 



Such striking results as these of course are not to be expected 

 everywhere. They evidently occurred here because plant food was 

 the crop limiter in these orchards. For any given case this can 

 only be determined by experiment. These orchards are on three di- 

 verse soil types. The soil in one case was evidently "run down;" 

 in another case it was in average condition; and in the third it was 

 apparently above the average. These orchards are from twenty- 

 one to thirty-seven years of age and they are the only ones under 

 experiment above twenty years. Age, however, is not a sure index 



