BORTICULTURE. 1067 



The best results with strawberries have been secured with the Klondyke variety. 

 The most effective fertilizer was a mixture made up of 200 lbs. of cotton-seed meal, 

 400 lhs. of acid phosphate, and LOO lbs. of kainit. The yield with this fertilizer was 

 at the rate of 191.6 crates per acre. These results with berries, as with all the other 

 crops experimented^with, showed thai the soil is lacking in phosphoric acid. ( >n 

 account of the scarcity of labor and poor shipping c >n< lit i< .n^- tin- northern limit of 

 successful marketing was Birmingham and Chattanooga. Thebesl shipping package 

 was a 24-qt. ventilated crate. The returns from 275 24-qt. cases netted a Little less 

 than $500. 



Asparagus was marketed most profitably in Chicago. Twenty J-bu. boxes gave a 

 net return of $30. When commercial fertilizers wen- used on cabbage, the increase 

 over unfertilized plats was 223 per cent, ami 299 per cent on soil that had been 

 parked with cattle. The normal fertilizer used on this crop was L30 lbs. of cotton- 

 seed meal, 420 lbs. of acid phosphate, ami 200 lbs. of kainit. When either the cot- 

 ton-seed meal oc acid phosphate was decreased the crop was lessened, but when the 

 kainit was decreased the yield remained practically the same. 



Wardwell Kidney Wax beans averaged L20.8 bu. per acre, and Improved Valen- 

 tine l-l.o lim, counting 30 lbs. to the bushel. The use of kainit was without effect 

 in increasing the yield of this crop, hut both nitrogenous fertilizers and phosphates 

 gave marked increased yields. The unfertilized soil yielded 66 bu. per acre. When 

 fertilized with a mixture containing 209 lbs. of cotton-seed meal, 114 lbs. of dried 

 blood, 455 lbs. of acid phosphate, and 213 lbs. of kainit the yield was L50 bu. per 

 acre. One-half of this fertilizer mixture gave a yield of L21.5 bu. per acre. When 

 the nitrogen was left out of the mixture the yield was sl» bu. per acre. Acid phos- 

 phate alone produced a yield of lot. 5 bu. per acre. The net returns from shipping 

 1' acres of beans to northern markets was -^ 1 7.".. L'H. The bushel hamper was a much 

 more desirable package for this crop than the bushel box. 



Burbank was the heaviest yielding variety of potato grown, producing L82.5 bu. 

 per acre. Native seed produced but 70.6 bu. per acre, while with at least 5 varieties 

 from other sources the yield was in no instance less than 126.8 bu. per acre. The 

 net returns from 2 acres of potatoes were $1 1l\ 



A test was made with different sized <i'{'d pieces, varying from 1 eye to whole 

 medium sized tubers. The yield with one-eye pieces was 68.9 bu. per acre, and this 

 was gradually increased to 107.9 bu. when whole potatoes the size of a guinea egg 

 were used. Among other vegetables grown were onions, beets, radishes, kohl-rabi, 

 turnips, ruta-bagas, eggplants, and peppers. The only ones profitably marketed were 

 beets, ruta-bagas, and turnips. 



Further studies in lettuce culture, W . Stuart ( Vermont Sta. Rpl. !!">■', pp. 

 \6,pl. J). — In an earlier report (E. S. R., 17. p. 249), an account was given of 

 an experiment to determine the comparative value of different forms of chemical 

 fertilizers, the relative value of chemical fertilizers and rotted manure, and the rela- 

 tive influence of surface v. subwatering tor lettuce. In the present instance a report 

 is made <>n flat-grown v. bench-grown plants; and combination indoor and outdoor 

 lettuce culture. 



In the first experiment plants were grown in Hats until ready for market. The 

 tlats were 12 by 10 by 3.5 in. One dozen plants were grown in each. Similar 

 plants were grown in benches at a distance <»t s by 8 in. apart. The bottom of the 

 Hats was tilled to a depth of 1.5 m. with well- rotted manure. Thirty-four square 

 feet of space were given to each method of culture. 



The plants in the flats were ready tor market a week in advance of those in the 

 bench. Their average weight was 86 gm., while those in the bench averaged 210 

 gm. each. The flat-grown plants presented a good appearance and sold for 40 cts. pet- 

 dozen, while the bench-grown plants commanded but 50 cts. per dozen. From the 



33747— No. 11—00 4 



