886 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



tban either commercial fertilizers or barnyard manure used alone, and 

 gave nearly as good results. It was found better to apply the nitrate 

 in two portions than to apply the whole quantity at once. 



FeacJies. — This experiment has been carried on for 11 years on soil 

 well adapted to fruit culture. Manuring a peach orchard was found 

 to be profitable. The period of profitable bearing of peach trees was 

 extended by manuring. Complete fertilizers, whether commercial fer- 

 tilizers or barnyard manure, were better than those containing a sin- 

 gle fertilizing ingredient or a combination of two. The commercial 

 fertilizers were more profitable than barnyard manure. 



Straicherries. — In 3 experiments on soils well supplied with mineral 

 fertilizers a strong top-dressing of nitrate of soda was found very 

 profitable. 



Edible fungi, L. M. Underwood {Alabama College Sta. Bui. 73, j)p. 

 337-346, Jigs. 3). — Popular notes are given on mushrooms and their 

 uses, and descriptions of 2 of the most common edible mushrooms 

 growing in Alabama. The species described are Agaricus caynpestris 

 and Amanita cwsurea. The author has drawn up contrasting char- 

 acters by which jioisonous Amanita miiscaria, or liy agaric, may be 

 readily distinguished from the edible A. ccesarea. Brief notes are also 

 given on the puffballs, and some of the more important American 

 bibliography relating to mushrooms is mentioned. 



Experiments with mulching, B. D. Halsted {Neic Jersey Stas. 

 Bpt. 189'j, pp. 317, 318). — Experiments were conducted to test the 

 value of mulching for eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. 

 The eggplants gave a gain of G6.66 per cent in favor of the mulch, 

 peppers 12.95 per cent, and tomatoes 11.30 per cent, while with cucum- 

 bers there was a loss due to a poor stand of plants but a gain of 4.52 

 per cent in keeping quality. 



Fruit statistics, A. T. Jordan {New Jersey Stas, Rpt. 1895, pp. 151- 

 167). — The report is based on a fruit census taken by the State Sta- 

 tion in cooperation with prominent horticulturists of the State. The 

 object of the census was to learn the extent of commercial fruit grow- 

 ing, the methods used by practical men, and their successes and failures. 

 The results of the work are to be given more in detail later. Some of 

 the more general results are given below. 



Total areas and their distribution. — One tenth of all the farmers of 

 the State are engaged in commercial fruit growing. Over 40,000 acres 

 are devoted to this industry. The acreage in peach exceeds that of all 

 other fruits taken together. The apple has the next greatest acreage; 

 and that of the others in the order of rank are strawberries, pears, 

 blackberries, raspberries, grapes, currants, cherries, gooseberries, 

 quinces, and plums. The State is divided into northern, central, and 

 southern sections, and the total acreage is given for each fruit in each 

 of the 3 sections, fruits recently set, etc. A table is also given show- 

 ing for the different counties the average acreage of each fruit under 



