HORTKM'LTURE. 875 



bushes. The plats dressed with artificials were but little better than those receiving 

 DO dressing, and the hushes in them were quite worn-out and dying at the end of 7 

 or 8 years. Heavier dressings of manure produced no effect on the crops, but 

 increased the growth of the hushes, especially in the case of dung." 



Currants (pp. 45-49, 92).— Satisfactory crops of currants have been obtained for 

 only 5 seasons, although the experiment has been under way for 8 years. The test 

 with currants involved a comparison of L2 and 30 tons per acre, respectively, of Lon- 

 don city manure, with equivalent amounts as regards fertilizer constituents of com- 

 mercial fertilizers. Notice of early work has previously been given (E. S. K., 12, 

 p. 648). 



A final summary of the results secured indicates that moderate dressings of city 

 manure and artificials for red and white currants increase the crop about 28 percent. 

 The city manure had less effect at first, owing to its increasing the wood growth. The 

 commercial fertilizers were least effective at the end of the experiment. The manured 

 plats were much superior to the others as regards size and quality of fruit and growth 

 of hushes. Both the fruit yield and the size of the hushes were considerably increased 

 by the use of 30 tons of city manure over a similar application of 12 tons. The heavier 

 dressing of commercial fertilizers, however, while it increased the size of the bushes 

 slightly, had hut little effect on the crops. 



Raspberries (pp. 50-52, 92, 93). — The fertilizer experiments with raspberries were 

 similar in character to those noted above with currants. The experiments covered a 

 period of 7 years, hut in only 4 seasons were satisfactory crops secured. The average 

 increased yield of the fertilized over the unfertilized plats was 30 per cent. The use 

 of 30 tons of manure per acre resulted in lb' per cent better yields than when but 12 

 tons were used. The larger dressing of commercial fertilizer, however, decreased the 

 yield. On the whole, the city manure proved 23 per cent better as a fertilizer for 

 raspberries than commercial fertilizers, the fruit being larger and of better quality. 

 The effect of the manures on the growth of canes was not determined. 



Apples (pp. 53-90, 93). — Fertilizer experiments with apples have been under way 

 since 1896, during which time records have been obtained for 8 seasons. Details of 

 the plan of the work have been previously noted ( K. S. R., 12, p. 749). The treat- 

 ment of the different plats as regards fertilizers has consisted of a comparison of 

 London city manure with equivalent amounts of commercial fertilizers and of combi- 

 nations of commercial fertilizers and manure, in some instances where nitrate was 

 used the applications were made in late summer. 



An exhaustive account is given of the effect of the different fertilizers on the leaf 

 growth, the growth of trunk and branches, and on the production of fruit. On the 

 whole, "neither moderate nor heavy dressings of dung or artificials, nor of both com- 

 bined, had any appreciable effect on any feature of the trees, nor on the crops from 

 them. The total effect did not amount to 5 per cent, and even that effect was very 

 doubtful. The only exception was in the case of nitrate applied in the early or. late 

 summer, which, in several seasons, produced a good effect [on growth of leaf and 

 tree and size of fruit]. In a lighter and poorersoil [at Millbrook] the results obtained 

 indicate that manures will there have a more positive action." 



In discussing the exhaustion of the soil by different fruits, the authors state that in 

 their experiments the wood growth of strawberries, roughly speaking, has amounted 

 to about 5 cwt. per acre per annum, red currants 22 cwt. per acre per annum, and 

 bush apples 48 cwt. per acre per annum. It is thought that the wood growth of 

 gooseberries would he similar to currants and that of raspberries intermediate 

 between currants and strawberries. Some of the final practical conclusions of the 

 authors relative to the whole work are as follows: 



"We should not recommend a grower to spend any money in manuring apple 

 trees, especially in heavy and fairly fertile soil, unless he had ascertained by an 

 25503— No. 9—05 4 



