146 EXPERIMENT STATION BECORD. [Vol. 43 



aniotnit of nitrate of soda may supplement this praetic-e whenever trees l)egin 

 to laclv vigor. 



Where trees are lacking in vigor, because of insnfticient nitrogen, fruit does 

 not set well and the tendency toward alternate year-bearing is encouraged, but 

 when this element is furnished in sufficient quantity, either through the use of 

 shade crops or fertilizers, the percentage of blossoms setting fruit is greatly in- 

 creased and the tendency toward alternate-bearing apparently retarded. On 

 the heavier soils where green manurial crops, such as clover, are turned under, 

 the necessity of using nitrate of soda in addition the same year is greatly re- 

 duced or entirely eliminated, especially where the trees are making normal 

 growth. Both the Yellow Newtown and the Spitzenberg seem to be alternate 

 bearers, and even under some fertilizer treatments all remained so ; on the 

 other hand, certain of the treatments have resulted in three heavy successive 

 crops with both varieties. This result is attributed more to the probability 

 that all factors involved, such as tillage, irrigation, pruning, fertilizing, etc., 

 wefe working in harmony, rather than to the effect of the fertilizer alone. It 

 is suggested that experiments conducted along this line in which all the factors 

 are controlled, as they can not be in cooperative work, might sl:iow tliat both 

 the Yellow Newtown and the Spitzenberg can be made to be annual bearers. 



Pruning the apple, V. R. Gardner {Missouri Sta. Circ. 90 (1920), pp. 20, 

 flos. 11). — In this circular the author briefly discusses several phases of train- 

 ing fruit trees and gives practical instructions for pruning young apple trees, 

 trees that are just coming into bearing, and bearing trees. 



Spraying peaches, H. P. Stuckey and B. B. Higgins {Georgia Sta. Bui. 135 

 (1919), pp. 93-101). — Practical directions are given for spraying peaches, with 

 special reference to the control of scab, brown rot, leaf curl, curculio, San Jose 

 scale, and the peach-tree borer. 



The results are gi\-en of a test of the effect of varying strengths of lime- 

 sulphur on peach foliage. The densities used ranged from 1.003 to 1.008. Solu- 

 tions having densities of 1.003 and 1.004 did not injure the foliage at all, but 

 stronger solutions caused more or less injury. 



Strawberries in Nebraska, C. C. Wiggans (Nebraska Sta. Circ. 11 (1920), 

 PP- 7, fiffs. 2). — Practical instructions are given for growing strawberries, with 

 special reference to home plantings. 



Report of tlie cranberry substation from 1917-1919, II. ,J. Franklin 

 (Massachusetts Sta. Bui. 192 (1919), pp. 105-1^1).— The suI)station work dur- 

 ing 1917 was continued largely along lines previously reported (E. S. K., 39, 

 p. 47). The chief lines of work consisted of the storage tests, the work with 

 fungus diseases noted on page 155, and work with insects on page 157. In 1918, 

 the storage tests were largely .suspended, and special attention was given to frost 

 predicting, based on previous weather records, as noted on page 119, 



Among the results secured from the storage tests, it was found that in the 

 case of sprayed and unsprayed lots of cranberries stored at 0, 5, 15, and 20° C, 

 respectively, in all cases, the softening of the fruit was greater with the higher 

 temperatures. There appears to be no definite relation between air and humid- 

 ity and the rate of decay among the fruit. Berries kept as well in very moist 

 air as in drier air, unless they were actually wet. Two experiments conducted 

 in this connection show clearly the harmful effect of wetness among stored 

 cranberries. Lack of ventilation was again found to affect cranberry storage ad- 

 versely ; on the other hand, too much ventilation in cranberry crates leads to 

 serious shrinkage. In some tests of closed v. open crates, the average increase in 

 loss due to decay in the closed crates was less than one-half the average increase 

 in loss due to size shrinkage in the open ones. Ventilation is essential to the 



