515 



Tbepercentagesof leaf growth and blight {Sj)h(creUafragarkc) observed 

 during the autumn of 1889 are recorded for 75 varieties. 



Those varieties which had a thrifty growth of 60 per cent and 

 upward, and not over 10 i)er cent ot blight, were the following: 



Bidwell 1 BiibacliNo. 5 5 Gaudy 10 



Vau Demau 2 Bessie Crystal City 10 



Anna Forest 2 Cornelia 6 James Vick 10 



Haverland 3 Arlington 7 Miner Prolific 10 



Hoffman 3 Eureka 8 Jessie 10 



Daisy 4 Mrs. Garfield 8 



Kuby 5 BubacliNo. 132 10 



Potatoes. — Notes and a tabulated record of yields are given for Early 

 Kose, Early Maine, and Queen of the Valley potatoes in an experiment 

 in which large and small whole tubers, single-eye cuttings, and "pieces 

 as usually cut" were planted. The results as a whole agreed with 

 those of previous years in indicating that "the most profitable seed 

 potatoes, on the average, are those the size of an egg, one whole tuber 

 being planted in each hill." 



"Duplicate plantings of both Northern and Southern- grown seed 

 potatoes were made in 1800 at this station and also at the Vermont Sta- 

 tion to verify the results of the previous year.'' The results, as tabu- 

 lated, for 14 varieties agree with those of 1889 in favoring the Vermont- 

 grown seed. This experiment is also described in the Annual Report 

 of the Vermont Station for 1890 (see Experiment Station Eecord, vol. 

 Ill, p. 480). 



In every case with the 14 varieties tried the Vermont seed gave more merchanta- 

 ble potatoes than the Maryland seed, and the total product Avas greater from the 

 Vermont seed in twelve cases out of fourteen. The gross product from Vermont 

 seed was almost double that from the Maryland seed, and the merchantable potatoes 

 were three times as many. 



Blackberry rust. — Tabulated data are giveu regarding the amount of 

 rust observed on 20 varieties of blackberries October 15, 1890. " Those 

 which gave a strong growth of w^ood and were least affected by the 

 rust were Wilson Early, Wilson Junior, Wachusett, Early Harvest, 

 Crystal White, and Thompson Early ^Mammoth." 



The report also contains brief notes on the orchards and nursery of 

 the station. Experiments with wild and cultivated varieties of grapes 

 are to be undertaken. A fertilizer experiment on apple and jjeach trees 

 has been begun. Dried blood 240 pounds per acre, muriate of potash 

 100 pounds, and dissolved boneblack 320 pounds, singly and all three 

 together, were applied for the first time May 16, 1890. 



Report of Chemist, H. J. Patterson, B. S. (pp. 118-129). — This 

 report includes an article on marls; descriptions and analyses of 14 sam- 

 ples of Maryland marls, 1 sample of muck, and 2 samples of marsh 

 mud; and au article on the use of animal charcoal in the determination 

 of fat in feeding stufits. The following investigations are in progress: 



(1) Methods for the determination of hygroscopic moisture in feeding stuffs; (2) 

 effect of food on the digestibility of milk ; (3) heat-producing power of various fats, 



