236 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



In a study of bud selection for increasing yields by J. C Whitten it bas been 

 found tbat continuous bud selection of strawberry plants during a period of 15 

 years has given no gain in the total productiveness of the plats originated from 

 high-productive plants over the plats originated from the low-productive plants. 

 Selection from bud-propagated strawberry plants does not appear to have 

 limited the range of variation among individual plants. A similar experiment 

 has been conducted with scions selected from an exceptionally poor-yielding 

 Ben Davis apple tree and from the Ben Davis tree which produced the 

 largest and best apples of its kind on the station grounds. Examination of the 

 third year's crop showed no perceptible difference in size, color, grade, or 

 quality of the fruit from the two lots of trees. The total product from the 

 trees in each lot averaged slightly higher than those propagated from the. high- 

 producing parent. There appeared to be as much variation between individual 

 trees in either plat as between the two. 



An investigation is being made by C. C. Wiggans of the tendency of certain 

 Tarieties of fruit trees to bear only in alternate years, as compared with 

 varieties which tend to bear more regularly. Observations made in the spring 

 in the case of a Gano apple tree showed that there were no blossoms produced 

 on spurs which had borne fruit the previous year. Likewise but very few 

 blossoms were produced on the Rome and Jonathan trees on bearing spurs of 

 the previous year. 



The test at the station of fall v. spring planting of trees, by J. C. Whitten, has 

 shown that fall-planted trees have reached their bearing habit approximately 

 one year in advance of the spring-planted trees. In every case the fall-planted 

 trees have grown much better during the year than those planted in the spring. 

 This was particularly true of cherries. In apples the fall-planted trees showed 

 a greater growth of from 33J per cent to 150 i>er cent in excess of spring-planted 

 trees. Fall-planted trees producetl a thicker trunk and the growth of the lateral 

 buds was more vigorous. 



Observation of the self-fertility and self-sterility of fruits by C. C. Wiggans 

 during the last year indicates that all the varieties of peaches commercially 

 grown in Missouri are self-fertile, and that mixed plantings for the sake of 

 cross pollination are unnecessary. Only a few of the commercial apples gave 

 indications of being able to fertilize themselves. 



In the orchard nutrition studies by J. C. Whitten and C. C. Wiggans the 

 peach is the only fruit which has so far shown any advantage from the appli- 

 cation of fertilizers (E. S. R., 31, p. 335). On all plats fertilized with nitrogen, 

 whether alone or in combination, the number of peaches set was larger than 

 on the other fertilized plats or on the check plats, and the average increase 

 in the number of peaches produced was 50 per cent. The average weight of 

 the peaches fertilized with nitrogen, however, was only 60 per cent of the 

 average weight of the peaches grown on plats receiving fertilizer other than 

 nitrogen. The nitrogen-fertilized trees carried a very heavy foilage, and it is 

 believed that extreme drought conditions caused an excessive evaporation from 

 these trees. 



Observations thus far made by C. C. Wiggans relative to the possibility of 

 forecasting bloom by examination of fruit buds during the winter indicate that 

 a fairly accurate prediction can be drawn from a count of the winter buds. 

 This work is to be continued. 



Division of horticulture. — Summary of results, 1914, W. T. Macoun et al. 

 (Canada Expt. Farms Bui. 82 (1915), pp. 88). — This comprises a summary of 

 results secured in 1914 in the breeding and cultural experiments with fruits, 

 vegetables, forest and ornamental trees, and herbaceous plants conducted at the 



