456 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



In 1902, plants from the twelve varieties named in the following table, were 

 set out north of the orchard, in order to note their behavior when growing 

 upon well drained, sandy loam. A single row three rods long was planted to 

 each variety, the rows being four feet apart and the plants eighteen inches 

 apart in the row. Numerous plants, especially of Michigan and Sample, proving 

 worthless and having evidently been taken from the ends of runners, were 

 subsequently destroyed, thus leaving some of the rows, especially the last two, 

 not as well filled out at the end of the season as some of the others. The first 

 fruiting of the varieties is shown in the following table, the results being mainly 

 conspicuous for earlier blossoming and fruiting due to the higher and warmer 

 soil. As the timber stands within a rod north of the plot, the berries were soon 

 discovered by chipmunks and cedar birds, and the results which are negative 

 with three varieties, were probably more or less affected from the same cause, 

 at least as far as the late ripening varieties is concerned. Further trials are 

 necessary in order to determine the preference of the varieties for one or the 

 other kind of soil, though as far as Excelsior is concerned, the plants showed 

 SHch rapid and very marked improvement as soon as transplanted, as to make 

 it quite certain that the increased yield is due to the lighter soil. 



T.UJLE OF STRAWBERRIES PLANTED OX SAXDY LOAM (in matted TOWS 3 rods loug and 



4 feet apart). 



Varieties. 



Date of 

 blossoming. 



Bederwood.. 

 Brandj-winc. 



Clyde 



Excelsior 



O.indy 



Glen .Mary... 

 Haverland... 

 Marshall 



Michigan 



Parker Earle 



Sample 



Success 



May 11. 



14... 



29. 

 21. 

 20. 

 20. 



30. 

 22 

 23! 

 19. 



First 

 ripe 

 fruit. 



June 20. 

 " 27. 

 " 23. 

 " 16. 



July 6. 

 June 2,"). 



" 23. 



" 26. 



July 4. 

 June 2S. 



" 30. 



" 26. 



L.ist 

 ripe 

 fruit. 



July 22.. 

 " 31.. 

 " 26.. 



" 18.. 



July 29. 

 " 23. 



July 31. 

 " 31. 

 " 26. 



of plot, 

 in qls. 



m 

 loi 



15J 





 9i 

 19 

 





 5i 

 8 

 6i 



Yield 



per 



acre in 



qts. 



2,310 

 1.870 

 2.310 

 3.410 







2.090 



3.960 









 1.210 

 l,7riO 

 1,430 



ORCnARD. 



No disease proved troublesome during the season, apple scab yielding readily 

 to judicious spraying, though pear scab seems hard to control with the Flemish 

 Beauty, but appears to be confined to this variety only. Even though wet sea- 

 sons are more favorable for the spread of fungous diseases, shot-hole fungus 

 and leaf spot of the cherry never before yielded so readily to Bordeaux mixture, 

 requiring but two sprayings during the season, the result being perhaps due to 

 the greater amount of lime which had been added to the copper sulphate, being 

 50 per cent more than the usual quantity for the first spraying and 30 per cent 

 more for the second spraying. This increase was deemed advisable owing to 

 the wet weather, and the effect of even the earliest spraying could still be 

 noticed upon some of the leaves towards the end of the season. 



No insects proved troublesome except several species of aphis. Owing to the 

 persistent warfare waged against it during the preceding season, the cherry 

 beetle (Calerucella cavicollis) could not be found until mid-season, those which 

 then appeared being evidently stray individuals reared on the wild cherries in 

 the neighboring woods. Basilarchia arthemis (banded purple) were found upon 

 most of the apple trees at the beginning of the season, but in greatly reduced 

 numbers when compared with the preceding season. The black aphis of the 

 cherry, never before seen here, made its first appearance early in August and 

 the green aphis of plum trees were exceedingly numerous early in season. The 

 apple tree aphis were hardest to control and did not appear to be materially re- 

 duced after three sprayings with tobacco water and two with soap water, but 

 finally yielded to a combination of the two spraying mixtures, one pound of tobacco 



