1010 AnrirvUural Jour no I of Vicfarin. 



The Establishment of Experimental Fields. 



To secure reliability of results in the experimeutal mauuring- of 

 fruit trees on tlie many different kinds of soil, numerous points require 

 to be seriously considered. Owing to the great individual differences 

 in the trees themselves, the number included in each plot should be as 

 large as possible. The ground must be of a uniform character 

 both in soil and subsoil, and to off'er facts of wide applicability should 

 be typical of the great bulk of land in the district. It should in no 

 part suffer fi'om defective drainage conditions. The trees naturally 

 require to be of the same variety, of the same age, and as uniform in 

 growth as possible. The same system of pruning must be adopted 

 right through the field, and a uniform system of treatment prevail 

 throughout. Under such conditions results of relinbility might be 

 obtained. But operative eff'ects will, judging by my observations, not 

 follow the first year, probably not the second year, and may only 

 assume definiteness allowing of the expression of opinions at a period 

 even beyond this time. I should not advocate the Government co- 

 operating in investigations of this kind without some guarantee on 

 the part of the grower that the work would continue over at least 

 six years. I do not even then believe that a marked effect will be 

 observable in orchards in early bearing except on the poorest soils. 

 The root range of the tree is so great that for many years manures 

 will not, 1 think, be regarded as a pressing necessity on a wide range 

 of soils. Successive crops over a number of years naturally suggest 

 other possibilities. These remarks apply only to actual yields. But 

 the quality of the fruit, its period of ripening, the resistant ])0wer of 

 the tree to disease, and other matters may perhaps be regarded as 

 showing a more immediate influence to the action of manures than the 

 actual yielding capacity. In my opinion field experiment and labor- 

 atory investigation should go hand in hand in work of this kind. 

 The soils and subsoils of experimental areas should be analysed both 

 chemically and mechanically. Information on the adaptabilities of 

 these and similar areas for different kinds of fruit, or different 

 varieties of the one kind might be gathered, rainfall and temperatui-e 

 conditions recorded, fruits analysed, and a mass of facts elaborated 

 and tabulated which might serve as a basis for the specialization of 

 crops'and a valuable guide for prospective growers. 



The Cost of Such Work. 



Such work would naturally involve a certain expenditure, but if 

 you as a body are seized with the importance of these investigations 

 it is for you, and not for me, to ask that provision should be made for 

 the expenditure. I should be acting dishonestly if I were to pretend 

 I could give* definite advice as to the manurial treatment of your 

 orchards. It is a mistaken view to think in our present state of 

 knowledge a chemical analysis alone of the soil. will enable us to do 

 this. We must get answers first fi'om the plant. Data permitting of 

 the expression of such opinions must be first obtained by actual 



