538 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



date of commencement, full bloom, and duration of bloom of a large number 

 of varieties of plums, pears, and apples. Similar data are given for cherries as 

 well as for various small fruits. 



Selecting an orchard site, N. O. Booth {Oklahoma Sta. Circ. Inform. 13, pp. 

 J,, fig. 1). — A brief popular discussion. 



Notes on a dry-land orchard, J. E. Payne {Colorado Sta. Bui. 173, pp. 3-7, 

 figs. 6). — A small orchard consisting of cherry, plum, and apple trees, together 

 with gooseberry plants, was established at the Plains Substation at Cheyenne 

 Wells, in 1894. Forest trees were planted for windbreaks around the orchard 

 and along the north side of the fai-m. Brief notes are given on the history, 

 behavior, and condition of the trees in this orchard w^hen inspected during the 

 past year. 



Although this is one of the best dry-land orchards in eastern Colorado, its 

 history as a whole shows that the apple trees in particular have needed extra 

 water at some time during each year since they began bearing fruit. The 

 cherry and plum trees produced good crops without extra water nearly every 

 season, but would also have been benefited by additional water. The goose- 

 berries bore well until neglected. 



It is pointed out that nearly all settlers plant more trees than they find 

 time to care for and consequently lose all. The dry-land orchard is not con- 

 sidered a commercial proposition, but the planting of a few well-selected trees 

 which may be given extra care is recommended. Where trees are used for 

 windbreaks, the history of the orchard has shown that they should be planted 

 at least 100 ft. from the fruit trees. 



An examination of the roots of 4 apple trees dug up in August, 1910, showed 

 that nearly all the large roots were in the first 12 in. of soil. The roots of 

 these trees grew deeper when the soil was wet below the normal depth. The 

 growth of nursery-grown trees which were planted from 2 to 2i ft. deeper than 

 in the nursery was not decreased nor was the position of the feeding roots 

 materially altered. 



Thinning the Winesap. — Winter and frost injuries of fruit trees, R. S. 

 Herrick {Colorado Sta. Bui. 170, pp. 19, figs. 3). — The first section of this 

 bulletin reports an experiment in thinning Winesap apples conducted in 1910, 

 discusses the advantages of thinning, and gives directions for it. The remainder 

 of the text comprises a discussion of the nature of winter injuries of young and 

 old trees and of spring frost injuries, together with suggestions for the pre- 

 vention of frost injuries in general. 



The fruit of 6 Winesap trees was thinned about June 16, or shortly after 

 the June drop, 2 other trees were thinned on July 22, and 2 unthinned trees 

 were used as checks. The average results showed a gain of $1.85 per tree for 

 the thinned fruit. The thinned trees yielded an average of 12.72 boxes, of 

 which 5.34 were extra fancy, 3.07 extra choice. 3.2 standard, and only 1.11 total 

 culls, as compared with an average of 17.58 boxes on the unthinned trees, of 

 which only 2.5 were extra fancy, 1 extra choice, and 9 standard, with 5.08 boxes 

 of culls. In this experiment late thinning was just as advantageous in im- 

 proving the quality and increasing the quantity of high grades as early thinning. 

 Early thinning is recommended, however, in order that the remaining fruit may 

 develop quicker and the vitality of the tree be conserved. 



Protecting trees from rabbits, D. C. Mooring {Oklahoma Sta. Circ. Inform,, 

 IJf, pp. 3, fig. 1). — A popular circular describing the protection of trees from 

 rabbits by means of trapping, poisoning, tree protectors, and washes. 



Orchard spraying problems and experiments: A review of and a contribu- 

 tion to previous data, W. W. Bonns {Maine Sta. Bui. 189, pp. 33-80, pis. 12, 

 figs. 10). — This bulletin contains a review of the literature of orchard spray 



