A New Strawberry Variety. 



A strawberry seedling resulting from a cross made between New Hamp- 

 shire No. 94 (Simcoe x Pathfinder) and New Hampshire No. 77 (Tupper 

 x Fairfax) has been named Blaze. This seedling was selected as outstanding 

 for its high yield, very attractive lively-red color, good flavor, and vigor. In 

 season Blaze is five to seven days later than Howard 17 and is recommended 

 for the home garden and local markets. 



L. P. Latimer 



Sawdust Added to Soil Has Not Increased Yields. 



A three-year test to determine the effect of sawdust on the yields of some 

 small fruits and vegetables has indicated that sawdust, even when large 

 amount of additional manure and nitrogen are added, does not increase yields 

 of beans, corn, tomatoes, melons, carrots, peas, squash, strawberries, and 

 raspberries. Over a period of three years more than twice as much manure 

 and fertilizer was used on soil plots to which three inches of sawdust had 

 been added. In most cases, yields were depressed on these plots compared 

 with those from soil plots that received only manure and fertilizer. Acidity 

 of the soil was not affected by the sawdust. 



R. Eggert 



Mowing Orchard Cover Conserves Moisture. 



A group of five uniform grass plots, each 10 feet square, were repli- 

 cated five times in different parts of the orchard at the Horticulture Farm 

 near Durham. All plots were fertilized uniformly with ammonium nitrate. 

 One plot was not mowed, two were mowed once, and two were mowed twice. 

 Mulch was removed after each mowing from one of each of the latter two 

 groups. A careful check of the percentage of available moisture from May to 

 November was made by means of the Bouyoucos Bridge and plaster of paris 

 resistance blocks. Results show that the greatest amount of available moisture 

 was present at 12 inches and at 30 inches deep in soil of the plots which 

 were mowed twice and on which mulch was permitted to lie. Unmowed plots 

 nearly reached the wilting point at the time grass was in bloom at both 12 

 and 30 inches. Moisture, supply was not replenished until heavy rains in 

 September. 



R. Eggert 



Deer Damage. 



Controlled experiments have shown that the deer prefers apple tree foli- 

 age to that of other trees at certain times of the year. They have, also shown 

 that certain sprays have made the foliage more palatable. Apparently the 

 deer was after salt in the sprays, because when a salt lick was supplied, it 

 browsed less on the trees. It seemed to browse the trees in the. following 

 order: (1) all the terminal leaves, (2) the older leaves of the terminal shoots, 

 and (3) the terminal twigs. 



W. W. Smith 



Durham Raspberry Culture. 



The potentialities of Durham raspberry culture and the best way to grow 

 them are being investigated. Clean cultivation has given the earliest fall 



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