THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 503 



years of ago. For a number of years it received no fertilizer except 

 barnyard manure. For the past five years the whole grove has received 

 nitrogen from blood or tankage, and phosphoric acid from bone meal. 

 Seven roAvs, containing one hundred and twenty trees, in the center of 

 the orchard have received in addition to this from two to fonr ponnds 

 of potassium sulphate per tree. There has been no appreciable differ- 

 ence between the part fertilized with potash and that not so treated. The 

 past season 's crop, which was the fifth since the experiment was started, 

 was picked and graded separately and no difference that could in any 

 way be laid to the fertilizer was evident. 



There are other experiments which I might cite, emphasizing these 

 same points. On the other hand there are doubtless those who feel very 

 confident that their experience demonstrates other points. I have as 

 yet been unable to find evidence Avhich satisfies me that other points 

 have been established. As Dr. Lipman said in his paper this morning, 

 there seems to be very little .scientific evidence regarding the exact value 

 of either potash or phosphoric acid in the forming or maturing of citrus 

 fruit. As Dr. Wel)])er lias explained to you, the experiments at River- 

 side have so far shown that nitrogen is by far the most important factor, 

 and, as IMr. Leffingwell has just said, many of the orchardists are coming 

 to wonder if nnich of their money spent for pota.sh and phosphoric acid 

 is not wasted. I can only urge that you as individual growers test out 

 these various questions, keeping accurate records where possible. It 

 does seem, however, tliat a word of warning is also necessary. We must 

 not draw conclusions from one year's results. A man told me this morn- 

 ing that he knew potash had given liijii results l)ecause the year he used 

 it he matured the largest crop which his orchard had ever borne, but 

 on inquiring I found that he had applied this fertilizer fairly late in 

 the spring, so that probably very little of it had actually affected the 

 particular crop in <pie.stion. 



WINTER WORK ON THE LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN 



OF THE FARM. 



By W. VORTRIEDE, Sacramento, California. 



By the end of November the lawn starts to take a rest and stays mostly 

 dormant until the end of February, in Central and Northern California. 

 This is the time to do the winter work. Dandelions and chicken or 

 sheepsorrel should be destroyed by cutting the taproot two inches or 

 more underground, and then pulling the plant out. An old chisel or 

 table knife is a good tool for such work. If the lawn is full of chick- 

 weed and red Oxalis, a lawn weeder is the best tool to use for destroying 



