HOBTICULTUBE. 24^ 



also believed to poinl out that trees seriously weakened by freezing Bhould not be 

 cut back close to i he main trunks. 



Horticultural department, ( '. I'.. Waldron North I><i/;<<i<i Sta. /,'/>'. 1904, pt. L 

 />/>. 171-178). — An outline is given of the work of tin- year- with vegetables, orchard 

 and .-mall fruits, t rees, etc 



Special attention is called to tin- value of mulching orchard fruits a- a means of 

 preventing winterkilling. It' a mulch is applied too early it induces a late fall growth. 

 If not a | -I 'lie I until the ground is frozen to some depth bul little good is accomplished. 

 For satisfactory results it Bhould be applied before the ground begins freezing. It 

 should be applied to a depth of about <i in. and to a distance of -i or •"> ft. from the 

 bee. Where mulching i- practiced .-ohm- precaution musl be taken to prevenl inju- 

 ries from mice. Wrapping the trees with burlap- or with tat- paper has given g 1 



results. Not only has mulching been efficient in preventing winter injury hut the 

 mulched trees also made 25 to :;n per cent more growth than unprotected trees. 



I observations on the I lessian fly indicate that it is two-brooded. Macaroni \\ heat 

 appears to he free from attacks of this insect. 



Report of the horticulturist, W. Stuart ( Vermont sin. Rpt. 1904, />/>■ U8 445, 

 fii/s. 6, dgms. 2).— A general review of the work of the year. 



The peculiar behavior in the spring of many apple trees in different sections of the 

 State is noted. These trees blossomed and partially or wholly leaved out, after which 

 growth was arrested ami the leaves wit hered and dried up. hater on most of the 

 trees pushed out many new shoots at the base of the scaffold limbs or on the trunk 

 just below their juncture with it. Careful examination i,f these trees by the author 

 led t<» the belief that the injury was due to root killing caused by the abnormally cold 

 winter of L903-4. The trees most seriously injured were 8-year-old Rhode Island 

 ( rreenings. 



In the winter forcing of tomatoes tests were made of the relative earliness and pro- 

 ductiveness of Sutton Best of All, NewStone, and Lorillard. Sutton Besl of All gave 

 a slightly heavier yield of ripe fruit for the first few pickings than New Stone, hut 

 over a period of 5 or 6 weeks the results were uniformly in favor of Now Stone. 

 "In one season's trial Lorillard proved superior in every respect to Sutton Best of 

 All. Lorillard is apparently the earliest and most prolific for forcing purposes of the 

 ."> varieties tested." 



Investigations were also made as to the relative value of chemical fertilizer- and 

 potted manure for tomatoes in winter- forcing. "The average weight of large fruits 

 for the 2 seasons was !»it.4 gin. from chemical fertilizers and { ^2 gm. from rotted 

 manure. On the same basis the average number of large fruits per plant from the 

 Chemical-fertilizer sections was 1 7.."> as against 18.:; from plants grown in rotted-manure 

 lections. This -hows an average gain in weight of fruit per plant of nearly s percent 

 in favor of the rotted-manure sections." The great e-t number of large fruits early in 

 the season was also secured from the section which had been fertilized with rotted 

 manure. 



The studies in indoor lettuce culture involved a comparis f different forms of 



Chemical fertilizers and of chemicals and rotted manure for lettuce. The average 



yield of fruit per plant was as follows: Plat < l i fertilized with acid phosphate, nitrate 



ot Boda, and muriate of potash, 133 gm.; (2) acid phosphate, dried hi I. ami muriate 



of potash, 131 gm. (the comparison in these 2 instances being made between nitrate 

 of Boda and dried blood); (3) dissolved boneblack, nitrate of soda, and muriate of 

 DOtash, 137 gm.; and (4) raw hone meal, nit rate of soda, and muriate of potash, 1">."'» 

 pn. Plats ."> and 4 are to be compared with plat L mentioned above, and with each 



other. 



The results show that there is very little choice between dried Hood and nitrate of 



soda as a fertilizer for this crop, while raw hone meal produced a decided increase iii 

 9177— No. 3—05 4 



