7-iG EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOED. 



vetch on uninoculated soil was at the rate of 12,750 lbs. of green fodder per hectare. 

 "When the soil was inoculated Avith pure cultures mixed with sand and harrowed 

 deep into the soil the yield was at the rate of 15,286 lbs. per hectare. When the 

 seed wa.'^ inoculated before sowing the yield averaged 14.644 lbs. per hectare. 



Memoranda of the Rothamsted experiments, 1900, J. H. Gilbert {Report 

 to the Luwes A(jr. Trust Committee, 1900, pp. 119, ficjs. 2, dgms. 3). — This report adds the 

 data secured in 1900 to that obtained during the pi'eceding 56 years and summarizes 

 the whole. This work has been previously noted (E. S. R., 11, p. 842). 



HORTICULTURE. 



The horticultural division, F. W. Card and G. E. Adams {Itliode 

 Island St a. Bj>f. 1899, x>l>. 127-138, figs. 2).—A.n outline is given of the 

 work done during the season with orchard fruits and in the pot cul- 

 ture of lettuce. 



An experiment has been undertaken to see if one of the typical neg- 

 lected and unprohtable orchards of the State can not be regenerated 

 and put on a paying basis by ordinary attention to sprajdng, manur- 

 ing, and cultivation. Under this treatment the trees have taken on a 

 new lease of life and the indications are that the orchard can be made 

 to yield good returns in the future. 



A record is being kept of the blossoming period of all fruit trees at 

 the station. Wild Goose plums blossomed too late to be cross fer- 

 tilized, and hence produced no fruit. 



In experiments in crossing sweet and sour varieties of cherries for 

 the purpose of increasing the vigor of the sweet varieties and the 

 qualit}" of the fruit of the sour varieties, the pollen of the sour cher- 

 ries failed to fructifj' the sweet varieties, though the fruit developed 

 to a considerable size and formed stones, but these contained no 

 embryo. Better results were obtained when the sour clierries were 

 crossed by the sweet varieties. The following crosses residtedin per- 

 fect fruit: Early Richmond by Florence, Earh^ Richmond by Black 

 Eagle, Montmorency by Empress Eugenia. Montmorency l\v Florence, 

 and Montmorenc}' by Black Eagle. 



Some experiments were undertaken to determine whether commer- 

 cial fertilizers could be profitably substituted for barnyard manure in 

 forcing lettuce. The experiments were made in pots with light, sand}', 

 lettuce soil obtained from Auburn and with the somewhat heavier soils 

 of the station. Manure, sand, muck, chopped-clover haj', and moss 

 were used with the commercial fertilizers to lighten the station soil. 



The result of this one test seems to indicate that as good lettuce can 

 be grown with chemical fertilizers as with stalile manures "provided 

 something is used to lighten the soil and give it as good ph3'sical con- 

 dition as is given by the use of stable manure." The chopped-clover 

 hay used in the experiment did not have the desired effect in lightening 

 the soil. Rotted peat and sphagnum moss, however, seemed to be 

 verv effective for this purpose. 



