44 EXPEEIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.41 



that they were less able to withstand the destructive influences of weathe' 

 and parasites. Clean cultivation, without the use of cover crops, has proved 

 to be a successful method in the reclamation of a run-down orchard, increasing 

 the yield nearly 100 per cent and increasing the growth and general vigor of 

 the trees. At the end of the 10-year period, however, the trees were not 

 making as good an average growth as at the end of the 5-year period, indicating 

 that this treatment could not be continued over a longer period of time. 



Tillage with cover crops every other year resulted in decided benefit to the 

 trees, but was less satisfactory than annual tillage either with or without 

 cover crops. Annual tillage with cover crops has proved to be a slightly 

 better system to follow than clean tillage, and has given practically as good 

 results as any treatment followed. The cover crops, however, show decided 

 evidence of the need of additional fertility, and the trees in this plat are 

 somewhat less vigorous than during the earlier years of the experiment. 

 Commercially the annual tillage on the cover crop plat has been the most profit- 

 able plat in the orchard, and this system is recommended for the run-down 

 orchards throughout the State. 



The fertilized plats have failed to respond to either treatment in yield of 

 fruit, as they have made very slight gains. They have responded better in 

 growth, which was not distinguishable, however, until after the sixth year 

 when the larger size of trees was noticeable, and also the darker green color 

 of the foliage. There was no preponderent difference in favor of any of the 

 combinations of complete fertilizer used in the different plats. The combina- 

 tion richest in potash has given the largest apples throughout the experiment, 

 the general quality of the apples being perhaps somewhat better than in the 

 fertilizer plats. Lime has had no obvious effect upon this orchard. 



The experiment, as a whole, shows in a most emphatic way the importance 

 of selecting a proper site for an orchard, since the losses from frosts and freezes 

 in a poorly located orchard are disastrous. This experiment indicates that an 

 apple orchard receiving a good system of cultivation responds slowly to the use 

 of chemical fertilizers. In other soils and under other conditions the response 

 might be more marked. It is pointed out that other experiments which will 

 shortly be reported upon show that it is usually necessary to fertilize an apple 

 orchard which is not being cultivated, and that returns are almost immediate 

 in that case. The author recommends that the orchardi.sts of the State apply 

 fertilizers at about the following rate per acre as a trial before they make gen- 

 eral use of them : 150 lbs. nitrate of soda, from 200 to 300 lbs. acid phosphate, 

 and from 50 to 100 lbs. sulphate or muriate of potash. 



Fertilizer tests for strawberries. — Summary of results of experiments, ex- 

 tending over three years, on a red-shot Parkdale loam, G. G. Bkown {Ore- 

 gon Sta. Bui. 159 {1919), pp. 15, figs. 3). — A series of fertilizer tests were con- 

 ducted during the seasons 191&-1918, inclusive, in which nitrate of soda, super- 

 phosphate, and sulphate of potash were applied, both alone and in combination. 

 The applications were made chiefly in the spring. A late summer application 

 was made in 1917 to determine its value as compared with spring applications. 



The results of the test, as a whole, indicate that for the particular soil in- 

 volved nitrogen was more beneficial than either phosphoric acid or potash. At 

 the same time plants receiving large quantities of nitrate during 1917 and 

 1918, when the weather was extremely warm during a large part of the picking 

 season, produced berries which were inclined to be soft. Plants receiving ap- 

 plications of sulphate of potash produced somewhat firmer, but not more attrac- 

 tive berries. During 1916 when a long, cool picking season prevailed there was 

 practically no difference between the firmness, size, or appearance of fruit from 

 any of the plats. 



