750 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The mustard is considered about four-fifths as vahialile as the castor cake, and linseed 

 cake a little more valuable than the mustard cake. The use of the nitrates of soda 

 and potash and of sulphate of ammonia as fertilizers for tea is not as satisfactory as 

 some of the more permanent forms of nitrogen, and should not exceed, in the 

 author's opinion, 5 per cent in any fertilizer mixture. Basic slag is considered one 

 of the most satisfactory sources of phosphoric acid for tea manuring. This is the 

 element most closely related to quality of tea (see article on Tea soils, p. 723). 



Burning tea prunings and returning the ashes to the soil is believed to he safer than 

 burying them. If the garden is entirely free from blight, however, the prunings 

 may be buried. In this case they should be l)uried as soon as cut and covered at 

 least 6 in. deep with soil. If Vjasic slag is used it may he dusted over the prunings in 

 the trenches at the rate of 400 to 500 lbs. per acre. When basic slag is used with- 

 out the prunings it may be broadcasted on the surface either at the autumn deep 

 hoeing or with the first spring hoeing, and then followed withacropof " mati kalai" 

 in May, to be hoed in in June. Wood ashes is also recommended as a phosphatic 

 fertilizer to be used in the same manner as basic slag. Lime is not required to any 

 great extent in Assam soils, but may be used to help rot buried prunings in the place 

 of basic slag, and for its fungicidal effects. Potash manures are not deficient in 

 Assam soils, and while potash may form a component part of the fertilizer mixtures 

 for tea it should never be applied alone. Relative to time and methods of manuring, 

 the author is of the opinion that this should be carried on the year before heavy 

 pruning of the plant takes place. 



Rotation of manures is suggested as follows: First year, light dressing of bheel 

 soil, not more than I in. thick when put on; second year, crop of mustard in May and 

 June to be hoed in as a green manure; third year, 8 cwt. per acre of basic slag in 

 November; fourth year, crop of "mati kalai" in May and June, to be hoed in as a 

 green manure; fifth year, nothing; sixth year, 7 tons per acre of cattle manure in 

 March; seventh year, nothing. Modifications of the above rotation are also sug- 

 gested. 



Culture and preparation of tea, A. Dolabaratz {Rev. Agr. Rhmion, 7 {1901), 

 NoK. 7, pp. 272-281; S, pp. 321-325). — Notes on the culture, preparation, and on the 

 quality of Reunion tea. 



Instructions for growing' tea from seed [Bol. Agr. y Ganaderla, 1 [1901), No. 

 13, })p. 20, 21). — Methods of growing tea from seed, transplanting, etc., are given. 



Small fruits in 1900, J. P. Pillsbiry {PennsyhmiiaSta. Rj)!. 1900, pp. 352-371).— 

 The results obtained in tests with 65 varieties of strawberries, 32 of raspberries, 4 of 

 blackberries, 8 of currants, and 1 2 of gooseberries are recorded in tables and notes. 

 Similar earlier work with these fruits has been reported (E. S. R., 12, p. 645). In the 

 experiment with strawberries the fruiting period extended from June 4 to July 9. 

 Meek Early and Ella were the earliest varieties tested and Hunn the latest. War- 

 field has been the best yielding variety grown at the station for the past 4 years. In 

 1900 the best 5 varieties in point of yield in hill culture were Crawford, See No. 5, 

 Brandy wine. Crescent, and Dayton, in the order named; and the best 5 varieties in 

 matted rows were Brandywine, Warfield, Crawford, Ohio Centennial, and See No. 

 5. In the comparison which is being made between the hill system and matted 

 row culture of strawberries — with regard to the production of berries of large size — 

 the results of the season seem to show a decided increase in favor of the matted 

 row. With 19 varieties grown by l)oth systems there was a difference varying from 

 0.05 to 2.7 gm. in favor of the hill system, and with 35 other varieties the difference 

 varied from 0.01 to 3.65 gm. The average results, as regards yields per acre, with a 

 large number of varieties grown from 2 to 4 years at the station by both systems of 

 culture are quite largely in favor of the matted row. 



The phosphates in stravrberry culture {Sci. Amer. Sup., 52 {1901), Xo. 1349, 

 pp. 216^^5, 21626). — The method of fertilizing strawberries observed by M. Con- 



