784 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



rate of over 300 bu. per acre, 3 oxer 400 bu., and 1 over 500 bu., the 

 best producers beiuf? Hubbard Early, Salzer Giaut Tree, Salzer First 

 Prize, Bond Early Minnesota, and Early Ruby. 



A fertilizer test was made with nitrate of soda, potash salts, super- 

 phosphate, land plaster, and salt, singly in varying amounts and vari- 

 ously combined. The data are tabulated and indicate beneficial results 

 from the use of small quantities of phosphoric acid. 



A plat of 40 plants tilled with rake and hoe gave earlier fruits than 

 one cultivated 3 in. deep, but the fruits were less in number and of 

 smaller size, the calculated yields per acre being 332.53 bu. for the 

 raked plat and 446.13 bn. for the cultivated plat. Mulching retarded 

 the maturity of the fruit. 



In a comparison of different systems of training, a i)erpendicular 

 3-wire trellis gave best results, but the author concludes that *4n gen- 

 eral it does not pay to train tomatoes." 



Plants grown from cuttings carried through the winter were com- 

 pared with i)lants from seed of the same variety. The results both in 

 general yield and in work involved were in favor of the seedling 

 plants. 



Seed was sown at different dates between January 16 and April 16, 

 the largest crops being produced by the plantings nearest March 15. 



To test the theory that removing the new growth and blossoms after 

 the plants have set the desired number of fruits will hasten the 

 maturity, one lot of plants was pruned August 3 and a similar lot 

 allowed to grow naturally. The iDruned i)lants were checked rather 

 than hastened in maturity, as only 1.5 fruits per i)lant ripened by 

 August 31, at which time 4.4 fruits per plant had ripened on the 

 unpruned lot. The yield for the entire season, however, favored the 

 pruned plants, the yields being at the rate of 460 bu. per acre pruned, 

 and 293.5 bu. normal. 



Trials were also made to test the influence of soaking seed in water 

 as in the cleaning process, and to compare normal, sun-ripened, and 

 green seed, and home-grown and foreign seed. The conclusions are 

 that "the washing of seeds from the i)ulp can in no wise injure them 

 for seed. . . . Seeds from green fruits give a lower percentage of 

 germination, but the resulting jdants give an increased crop for the 

 season. . . . While the home-grown seeds do not give earlier fruits, 

 they give a larger yield." 



The peach, 11. H. Price {Texas Sta. Bui 39, pp. 801-848, figs. 21).— 

 This comprehensive bulletin on the peach treats of varieties, with a 

 classification of those adapted to different climates, rules of nomencla- 

 ture, and peaches recommended by different Texas horticulturists, with 

 directions on orchard setting and budding. 



The author classifies the various varieties according to the 5 follow- 

 ing races: Peen-To, South China, Spanish, North China, and Persian, 

 the different varieties under each being described, and notes given on 



