HORTICULTURE. 335 



between trees of different parentage. Bud selection from high-producing and 

 from low-producing strawberries carried on through 12 previous years showed 

 absolutely no gain in productiveness by selecting runners from high-producing 

 parents. 



Bordeaux mixture and lime-sulphur were found to be about equally effective 

 against the ordinary diseases of the apple which occur in spring and summer, 

 although the Bordeaux caused considerable damage from burning the fruit. 

 Where lime-sulphur was substituted for Bordeaux as the calj'x spray the injury 

 was comparatively small. Arsenate of lead paste proved to be superior to 

 arsenite of zinc in controlling the curculio and codling moth. The arsenite 

 of zinc used in the quantities recommended by the manufacturers not only 

 failed to control the insect but russetted the fruit and also scalded the leaves to 

 a considerable extent. A demonstration spraying experiment conducted in a 

 commercial orchard near Columbia resulted in a return, less cost of spraying, 

 of $G6.S0 per acre for the si^rayed fruit as compared with $5.50 per acre for 

 the unsprayed fruit. 



A study was made of fruit bud development as influenced by various treat- 

 ments. Apple trees girdled in early June set a higher percentage of fruit buds 

 than untreated trees of the same varieties without essentially injuring the 

 growth of the trees. Other things being equal the tendency is for a heavy 

 crop of apples to be followed by a light crop and for a light crop to be followed 

 by a heavy crop. It has been shown that by proper cutting back water sprouts 

 in both pears and apples can in one season be induced to produce both fruit 

 spurs and fruit. In a comparison between fall versus spring planting of 

 trees the increased growth through fall planting has decreased from about 100 

 per cent in the first season to 50 per cent in the second season and 33 per 

 cent in the third season. 



Observations relative to the self-fertility and self-sterility of peaches during 

 the year have shown that all the leading commercial varieties grown on the 

 station grounds are self-fertile. Since these results coincide with those previ- 

 ously secured it is concluded that the grower may safely plant even a single 

 variety like the Elberta and expect the trees to set fruit. The self-fertile trees 

 set as much fruit and the fruit develops as well as where varieties are cross- 

 fertilized. 



Durmg the summer and fall of 1912 almost 200 species of seeds, representing 

 51 genera, were planted to determine whether seeds in general are capable of 

 germinating immediately after ripening if placed under favorable conditions. 

 The seeds of the grass, lily, pink, mallow, legume, and composite families seemed 

 to have no rest period while the sedge, rose, cashew, and vine families have a 

 pronounced rest period. In general seeds of woody plants have a more pro- 

 nounced rest period and are more difficult to force into growth than seeds of 

 veritable and other herbaceous plants. Variation in the length and intensity 

 of the rest period is greater between species than within a species. Etheriza- 

 tion tended to stimulate seeds into an early growth and to increase the per- 

 centage of total germination. Soaked or stratified seeds are more strongly 

 affected by ether than dry seeds. A 12-hour exposure to ether was the most 

 favorable dosage for forcing seeds into germination. 



In the orchard nutrition exi:»eriments none of the apple orchards responded 

 to fertilizers applied during the past year. Peaches showed a notable response 

 to an application of nitrogen, whether in the form of dried blood or nitrate of 

 soda. Phosphorus and potash showed no appreciable influence upon the yield 

 of fruit. 



Report of the experimental work of the Taliparamba Agricultural Station 

 for 1912-13, H. C. Sampson (Dcpt. Agr. Madras, Rpt. Taliparam'ba Agr. Sta., 



