EXPERIMENTS WITH SPECIAL FERTILIZERS 

 IN FRUIT CULTURE. 



CURRANTS AND PEACHES. 



The experiments with currants, Avhich are described in 

 the subsequent communication, are but a continuation of an 

 investigation inaugurated upon the college grounds ten years 

 ago. 



Field experiments with sugar beets, for the purpose of 

 ascertaining the influence of special fertilizers on the saccha- 

 rine qualities, suggested the extension of the inquiry to 

 fruit-bearing plants. 



For the sake of brevity, and of a desirable understanding 

 of the points involved, I reproduce here the introduction of 

 one of the first publications on the subject under discussion : 

 " The question whether a systematic and rational manuring 

 of our fruit-bearing plants is essential for the continued pro- 

 duction of good crops, engages more attention from year to 

 year. Judging merely from the results obtained in general 

 farm management, in consequence of the adoption of the 

 rule to restore annually to the soil under cultivation, either 

 the entire amount or in part, as circumstances may advise, 

 those of its constituents which the crops carried off have 

 abstracted, it seems but reasonable to assume that the same 

 principle applied to the cultivation of fruit and garden crops 

 in general, must prove in the end most advantageous, as far 

 as quality and quantity of the crops resulting are concerned. 



A liberal supply, in particular, of those essential elements 

 of plant food which are found in the fruits in conspicuous 

 (juantitics and for obvious reasons must serve important 

 functions in their growth, if judiciously provided cannot 

 otherwise but prove beneficial to the entire plant. 



[439] 



