HORTICULTURE. 973 



This plant forms a thick mat over the surface of the ground, which makes an ideal 

 cushion on which apples that fall are not bruised to any extent. .Seeding cover crops 

 about July 5 has resulted most satisfactorily. 



A good many fruit trees were killed by severe cold during the winter of 1903-4. 

 Careful examination of different orchards indicates that those trees which had been 

 stimulated by fertilizers or late cultivation and were thus somewhat sappy were most 

 seriously injured. 



Comparative fertilizer and vegetation experiments with lime nitrogen 

 on garden vegetables, R. Otto (Gartenflora, 53 (1904), No. klO, pp. 534-588). — 

 Field and pot experiments were made to determine the value of lime nitrogen 

 (CaCX 2 ) as a fertilizer for garden vegetables in comparison with nitrate of soda and 

 sulphate of ammonia. The held experiments were carried out on light garden soil 

 that unfortunately had just received a dressing of stable manure. The different 

 fertilizers were applied in such a manner that all the plats received equivalent 

 amounts of nitrogen. The lime nitrogen and sulphate of ammonia were first mixed 

 with dry earth and then raked into the soil about 3 in. deep before the seed was 

 sown. The nitrate of soda was not used until about 7 days later after the plants 

 were up. 



In the first experiment 3 varieties of spinach were used. The lime nitrogen in the 

 early stages of growth of the plants had an injurious effect on all 3 varieties. As 

 growth continued this injury was gradually overcome, and at harvest time the plants 

 were practically equal to those grown with nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia, 

 and much superior to those grown on the plats which received stable manure alone. 



In the field experiment with head lettuce the lime nitrogen had an injurious effect 

 when the plants were brought in contact with it in a fresh condition, but when the 

 plants were first brought in contact with it 12 days after it had been applied as good 

 results were secured as with nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia. 



In the pot trials 18.5 lbs. of garden soil was used in each pot to which 5 gm. of 

 nitrogen in each of the different forms was added. The lime nitrogen and sulphate 

 of ammonia were mixed in each case with the entire quantity of earth and the plants 

 set -4 days later. The nitrate of soda was mixed only with the surface soil and not 

 applied until about 2 weeks later. For about 11 days after the plants had been put 

 in the pots those fertilized with lime nitrogen remained behind the others. The 

 plants did not appear sick, however, and the leaves were greener than plants in the 

 other pots. From then on the plants in the lime-nitrogen pots grew more vigor- 

 ously and finally surpassed all the others, the relative figures being as follows: Lime 

 nitrogen, 460; sulphate of ammonia, 425; nitrate of soda, 200; unfertilized, 200. The 

 heads were much more solid in the pots fertilized with lime nitrogen and sulphate 

 of ammonia than in the others. 



In experiments with corn the pots were prepared practically the same as for cab- 

 bage, 5 kernels being sown in each pot. Germination was equally good in all cases. 

 All plants but one were then removed from each pot. At harvest time the yield of 

 the plants in the lime-nitrogen pots was considerably higher than in the other pots, 

 the relative figures being 11 for lime nitrogen, 9 for nitrate of soda, and 7 for sulphate 

 of ammonia. 



Salad plants, as in the field experiments, were seriously injured by the use of 

 fresh lime nitrogen, even where the lime nitrogen was placed 3 in. deep. Like results 

 followed when the lime nitrogen was mixed with the entire quantity of earth and 

 the plants not set in the pots until 3 days later. When the plants were first set 

 8 days after mixing they had a sickly appearance, the leaves turning brown and 

 dying. They gradually overcame the trouble, however, and in about 4 weeks 

 assumed a normal appearance. When the plants were not set out until 14 days after 

 the lime nitrogen had been mixed with soil no injury followed, neither did any 

 injury follow when it was mixed with the soil 5 to 10 in. below the surface. 



