138 STATE BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



MEASURING ALTERNATE ROWS OF CROPS WHERE THE CONDITIONS ARE 



APPARENTLY UNIFORM. 



It is very^frequently the case that people make experiments by using some 

 fertilizer or other different mode of treatment on rows alternating!? with those 

 treated in the ordinary manner. A little difference in the yield of the alter- 

 nate rows is attributed to the use of the special fertilizer or the special culti- 

 vatioiVo'r other treatment. 



In 1881 my assistant selected five rows of yellow Danvers onions. These 

 were fourteen inches apart, and were contiguous rows of the same length run- 

 ning across the patch of ground which had been used several years for onions. 

 The rows were selected because they seemed to be of uniform quality and 

 productiveness, and had been treated in the same manner. 



The first row yielded 6| bushels. 



The second row yielded ._ 51 bushels. 



The third row yielded .* 6|- bushels. 



The fourth row yielded... 4|- bushels. 



The fifth row yielded o bushels. 



Suppose rows numbers 1 and 3, alternating with 2 and 4, be compared. We 

 get a yield of 13 and 10;| bushels respectively, quite a marked difference, for 

 which we can give no reason. 



We easily see that we may place too much stress on results obtained where 

 rows alternate with each other. 



An accident in 1883 prevented me from adding other examples of the yield 

 of long rows of onions which were alike in all respects, so far as we could 

 observe. 



WILL THE POLLEN FROM ONE VARIETY OF APPLE CHANGE THE APPEARANCE 



OF ANOTHER VARIETY? 



It is not an uncommon thing to see an apple of a kind which is usually 

 smooth, bearing stripes of russet from the stem to the blossom end, or calyx. 

 This russet stripe has often been considered an evidence of a cross, or a partial 

 cross by pollen from a russet variety. 



On examining several such apples I cannot now remember to have seen a 

 single one where the russet stripe corresponded to a carpel of the apple. 

 This we should expect in case the russet stripe was due to russet pollen. A 

 few years ago I crossed some smooth apples (when in flower) with pollen from 

 a russet tree. No effect was produced. In 1881 this experiment was repeated. 

 Pollen of the flowers of Northern Spy and Golden Itusset were interchanged 

 or reversed on the stigmas. In no case was there any indication of russet on 

 the skin of Spy apples, where russet pollen had been used on the flowers. 



There was no change of the color of the skin of the Russet apples where 

 pollen from Spy flowers was used. 



I think the russet stripes found on apples* which are usually smooth are to 

 be attributed to what we call a sport. In other words, we cannot account for 

 the russet stripes. 



OUR NEW VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 



During the past ten years I have several times crossed the flowers of several 

 of our cultivated and wild fruits. I have spoken in my previous reports of 



