330 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



nnd they are in a more promising condition this season than ever 

 before. The greatest difliculty appears to be in getting the small 

 fruits started. Once fairly started they seem to persist, though in 

 most cases it is not until the second or third season after planting 

 that they have become sufficiently well established to make much 

 growth. 



A considerable number of plants of all the small fruits mentioned 

 are now getting well established and are in a promising condition. 

 Of the cane fruits the blackberries are apparently better able to with- 

 stand the conditions than any of the raspberry varieties thus far tried. 



Forest-ranger fruit and ornamental gardens. — Substantial 

 progress has been made in the forest-ranger work. As previously 

 reported, the apple trees for distribution to the various ranger sta- 

 tions were propagated and grown at the Arlington Experimental 

 Farm. The distribution was made in the spring of 1911 and in- 

 cluded 2,680 apple trees, which were sent to 165 different ranger sta- 

 tions selected in cooperation with the Forest Service. The num- 

 ber of trees sent to each station ranged from 10 to 19, and 11 varie- 

 ties of apples were represented in the distribution. 



The distribution already made practically completes the present 

 plans for this work except that a few more stations are to be sup- 

 plied later. 



MISCELLANEOUS POMOLOGICAL WORK. 



Pecan investigations. — The pecan investigations, under the 

 charge of Mr. C. A. Eeed, have been continued mainly along the lines 

 followed in previous years. A considerable amount of orchard 

 data has been obtained from field studies and observations ; a careful 

 comparison of the merits of the leading varieties has been made; 

 specimens of a number of new varieties have been examined and 

 reports made to the growers as to their merits ; addresses before asso- 

 ciations of nut growers have been delivered; and much information 

 has been disseminated through correspondence and personal inter- 

 views. 



The work will be continued and extended. The tabulation and 

 correlation of the results of three years' experiments in the grading 

 and cracking of specimen lots of the leading varieties will be given 

 special attention in the immediate future. Careful comparisons of 

 seedling pecans grown in the various States will also be made. 

 Orchard observations as to the bearing of individual trees will be 

 begun during the coming season in order to establish superior strains 

 of some of the leading pecan varieties. 



Citrus-fruit improvement through bud selection. — The investi- 

 gation of the possibilities of the improvement of citrus fruits 

 through bud selection begun in California in 1909-10 has continued 

 under the charge of Mr. A. D. Shamel, and has followed the lines of 

 the preceding season. The methods of work adopted last year have 

 proved to be satisfactory for securing and recording individual-tree 

 data, illustrations, and descriptive notes. The data obtained this 

 second season with the Washington Navel orange and Marsh pomelo 

 corroborate the results of the first season; the variation in the total 

 yield and the commercial quality of the fruit borne b}' individual 

 trees under comparative environmental conditions were even more 



