144 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.43 



found more satisfactory. Persian walnuts suffer from bliglit, winter injury, 

 and bud worm. Tlie indications are tliat the greatest promise for tlie nut 

 industry in Maryland lies with the native black walnuts and the Japanese 

 walnuts. 



In connection with variety tests of vegetables, some disease-resistant varieties 

 of cabbage, celery, lettuce, and melons have been discovered. In a study of the 

 plant food requirements of asparagus, certain of the plats received stable 

 manui'e at the rate of 10 tons per acre, and others an amount of commercial 

 fertilizer costing as much as the application of manure. Larger yields have 

 been noted from the plats receiving the commercial fertilizer. The yield is 

 greater when the fertilizer has been applied early in the spring. In a similar 

 study conducted with several other vegetables, applications of manure at the 

 rate of 4, 8, and 12 tons per acre were compared with financially equivalent 

 amounts of fertilizers. Generally speaking, the manure and fertilizers have 

 both greatly increased the yield, the manure giving slightly greater yields than 

 the financially equivalent amounts of connnercial fertilizer. Plats receiving 

 fertilizers alone were slightly better than those receiving a combination of 

 manure and fertilizer. 



Observations have been made for a number of years relative to the possible 

 variatictn in plants l)y growing them for successive generations in soil treated 

 with large amounts of plant food. The most striking variation was that of 

 the cherry tomato on soil treated with large amounts of dried blood (E. S. R.. 

 29, p. 339). Generally speaking, during the 12 years various plants have been 

 under treatment they have not changed. The work, as a whole, shows that 

 vigorous seeds and plants come from parents that are grov^n under food condi- 

 tions that promote vigorous plant growth. 



As a re.sult of the breeding work with vegetables, some good varieties of 

 tomatoes have bQpn produced especially with refei-ence to size and solidity. 

 Less progress has been made in producing varieties especially adapted to Mary- 

 land conditions. Two promising varieties of late cabbage have also been l)red. 



Handling- spinach (U. S. Dcot. Agr., Market Ept., I (1920), No. 16, p. 246).— 

 At the request of various shippers and transportation agents, investigations 

 have been conducted by the Bureau of Markets in cooperation with the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry to determine the factors involved in the safe transportation 

 of spinach and other winter vegetables. Based on this investigation, directions 

 are given for handling spinach, with special reference to the prevention of decay, 

 wilt, and overheating in long-distance shipments. 



Grades for tomatoes {U. S. Dcpf. Ayr., Market Rpt., 1 {1920), No. 16, pp. 

 2.'il, 2//7). — This article contains grade specifications proposed by the Bureau 

 of Slarkets tentatively for use in marketing tomatoes. These gi'ades are Itased 

 on observations and investigations made in most of the important producing 

 sections and large markets. They represent the best commercial practice. 



[Report on horticultural work at the San Antonio experiment farm in 

 1918], C. R. Letteer (U. 8. Dept. Agr., Dept. Circ. 73 (1920), pp. 29-32).— 

 The results for 191S of variety tests at San Antonio, Tex., of peaches, plums, 

 apricots, almonds, grapes, and miscellaneous fruits are briefly noted. 



Orchard survey of Fremont County, E. P. Sandsten and C. M. Tompkins 

 (Colorado Sta. Bui. 25^ (1920), pp. 3-28, figs. .^).— Results are given of a sta- 

 tistical survey of the apple, cherry, plum, prune, peach, apincot, and pear orchards 

 of Fremont County, Colo., with reference to their distribution, acreage, number 

 of trees, age, and condition. General information is also given relative to the 

 soils and climatology and the general condition of the orchards and crops grown 

 in the orchards, together with some historical data on fruit growing in the 

 county. 



