338 EXPEEIMEISTT STATION EECOED. 



gross returns in each case, however, a balance of $140.67 per acre remains 

 for the tilled plats as compared with $74.31 for the sodded plats. The fruit 

 from the sod mulch plats was more highly colored and matured from one to 

 three weeks earlier than the tilled fruit. The tilled fruit was found to keep 

 from two to four weeks longer than tlie sodded fruit and was also better in 

 quality, being crisper, juicier, and of better flavor. 



The average annual gain in trunk diameter for the sod-grown trees was 

 2.39 in. as compared with 3.9 in. for the tilled trees. The tilled trees were 

 uniform in growth whereas the sod-grown trees were lacking in uniformity. 

 There were many more dead branches on the sodded trees and the new wood 

 was not as plump or as bright in color. The leaves of the tilled trees came out 

 3 or 4 days earlier, they were larger, more numerous, a darker, richer green, 

 and remained on the trees several days longer than those on the sodded trees. 



In the quarter of the orchard grown in sod for 5 years and then converted 

 to tillage the beneficial effects to tree and foliage were almost instantaneous. 

 The yield likewise improved after the first year. A change for the worse was 

 almost immediately observed in the quarter of the orchard which had been 

 tilled for 5 years and was then grown in sod. The use of nitrate of soda in the 

 sod plats greatly increased the vigor of the trees and was a paying icivest- 

 ment, although for the 5-year period they bore but a trifle more than half as 

 much as the tilled trees. A marked beneficial influence was observed in the 

 case of sodded trees growing adjacent to ground under tillage. 



Contrary to the results secured in the 10-year exiieriment in the Hitchings 

 orchard (E. S. R., 31, p. 45), the quantities of humus and nitrogen in the 

 plat tilled for 10 years were materially increased. 



The author enumerates and discusses the following reasons why grass mili- 

 tates against successful apple growing: Lowering the water supply, decreasing 

 some elements in the food supply, reducing the amount of humus, lowering the 

 temperature of the soil, diminishing the supply of air, affecting deleteriously the 

 beneficial microflora, and forming a toxic compound that affects the trees. The 

 general conclusion is reached that grass is the chief cause of unprofitable 

 orchards in New York. 



Winter spraying with solutions of nitrate of soda, W. S. Ballard and W. 

 H. VoLCK {Prog. Agr. et. Tit. (Ed. VEst-Centre), 35 (19U), Nos. 20, pp. 630- 

 632; 21, pp. 648-653). — ^A French translation of the authors' investigations 

 which have been previously noted (E. S. R., 30, p. 640). 



Citrus fruit handling and storage, A. W. McKay (Proc. Fla. State Hort. 

 Soc, 26 {1913), pp. 30-Jf5). — In this paper the author discusses the prevalence 

 of blue mold decay in Florida citrus fruit during the 1912-13 season and con- 

 cludes, in the light of experimental work conducted by the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry for several years (E. S. R., 30, p. 841), that the decay was due to the 

 unusually large crop with a consequent relaxing from careful methods of 

 handling, combined with temperature and humidity conditions favorable for 

 the development of the fungus in injured fruit. 



In the discussion following O. W. Sadler presents some evidence to show that 

 carefully dried fruit will tend to resist blue mold decay, even though injured. 



During the season of 1912-13 the Bureau of Plant Industry commenced a 

 cooperative investigation of the factors relating to grapefruit storage. The 

 results for the first season, as here summarized, indicate that grapefruit may 

 be held for 4 months in common storage with over 96 per cent of it in good 

 commercial condition. Grapefruit stored, wrapped, and not washed has kept 

 in the best condition in all the experiments. The quality of grapefruit is im- 

 proved by storage, the chief attraction of stored fruit being a peculiar mellow- 

 ness of flavor. Some evidence was obtained which indicated that there is also 



