EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 153 



Magnate. — Ripened a few perfect specimens for the first this season on 

 trees planted in 1898. Size medium to large; form obtuse-pyriform ; color 

 yellow with red cheek; flavor vinous, pleasant; texture tender, juicy, melt- 

 ing; quality very good. Ripe October 1. Promising, but requires further 

 trial. 



PLUMS. 



There was a good crop of plums this season and they were quite free 

 from rot. The trees were sprayed early in April with copper sulphate, two 

 pounds to fifty gallons of water. Immediately after the blossoms had 

 fallen, they were sprayed with Bordeaux mixture a^nd arsenite of lime, 

 and this was repeated at intervals of six to ten days until they had re- 

 ceived four applications, after which weak solutions of copper sulphate 

 (three ounces to fifty gallons of water) were applied every week until the 

 fruit began to ripen. 



THINNING. 



One tree each of a few varieties were thinned this season to determine, 

 if possible, the value from a commercial standpoint and in helping to 

 control the brown rot. The fruit was thinned so as to leave as much fruit 

 as was possible on the tree, ^nd yet not come in contact when fully 

 matured, with the following results: The fruit was much larger where 

 thinned and at all times brought a higher price from being such, and it 

 certainly rotted worse where left in large bunches than when thinned. It 

 was also noticed that the trees did not drop their foliage as early in the 

 season. Observations will be taken next season at the time of the blos- 

 soming and setting of the fruit to determine if there be any further effects. 



MARKETING. 



To determine if there are any points of commercial value in the use of 

 different kinds of packages for shipping this fruit, the following test was 

 made on the same day and to the same commission house: The following 

 packages were packed and shipped (variety Red June), one sixteen-quart 

 case (the fruit in quart boxes), two one-fi^th bushel baskets, and one four 

 basket crate, such as is used for tomatoes. By actual measure, the two 

 one-fifth bushel baskets equaled the one four-basket crate, with a differ- 

 ence of five quarts between those packages and the sixteen-quart case. The 

 following sales were made : One dollar for sixteen-quart case, one dollar 

 for four-basket crate, and 35 cents each for the two baskets, or 70 cents 

 for the two one-fifth bushel baskets. Thus the sixteen-quart crate and 

 the two one-fifth bushel baskets brought the same price per bushel of 

 fruit, while in a four- basket crate it brought nearly fifty per cent more, 

 a ditierence of seventy-five cents per bushel in favor of the four-basket 

 crate. The fruit in all of the packages was first-class. 



Observations made with other fruits would indicate that the four- 

 basket crate is especially adapted to first-class fruit, while the second- 

 class fruit is best handled in the one-fifth bushel basket, also that small 

 Damson plums are best handled in the sixteen quart crates. Red June 

 is proving to be one of the most profitable varieties on the Station grounds 

 on account of its earliness and productiveness. The Damson plums 

 brought nearly double the price o.f other varieties. 

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