"3- 



ened efrect of e boron application on a limed soil. Calcium also 

 neutrE.lizes acids v/ithin the plr.nt and precipitates them out as 

 insoJ.uble cclciura salts. A calcium deficiency is manifest by a 

 flaccid condition of the cell walls with sometimes a bending dovm- 

 ward 01 the leaf tips. Legumes are regarded as conservers of ni- 

 tro[_,en but they also remove large quantities of calcium from t?ie 

 soil. 



Calcium is the one element most often lacking in the 

 animal diet. And sirice a glass of milk contains more calcium than 

 a similar volume of saturated lime v/ater, calcium must be an im- 

 portant item in the animal diet. This element is therefore of 

 great importance for both plants and animals. 



They're V/orking On It 



In the January issue of the Experiment Station Record 

 we find brief abstracts of investigations in pomolo,^;' &s f ollov/s : 



(1) Leaves grov.'ing on a vigorous 25-year-old Mcintosh 

 tree are found by E. P. Christopher of R. I. to differ but slightly 

 in their rate of CO2 assimilation \mether growing on "thick" or 

 "thin" branches. V/hen a leaf growing on a thin branch was so placed 

 as to receive more light Lhan the corresponding leaf on a thick 

 branch, it sliowed a marked gain in assimilation. Thus it appears 

 that the inefficiency of the slender shaded branch is due not so 

 much to fruity conduction as to a lack of light on its leaves. 



(2) The effect on pollination of c copper lime dust ap- 

 plied at blossoming time for fire blight control is being studied 

 by MacDaniels & Ili.ldebrand of Ilev; York State. Paired blooms on 25- 

 year-old Northern ,Spy trees pollinated with Delicious and then 

 dusted, failed to show detrimental effects of the copper on fruit 

 set. But the application of the dust 24- hours prior to pollination 

 was detrimental. This suggests that copper compoionds may be applied 

 to apple blooms, if necessary for blight control, v/ithout seriously 

 reducing the set. 



(3) Thinning of Wealthy blossom buds at the pink stage 

 to a distance of 10 to 12 inches apart is found "oy Bobb & Black 

 of New Jersey to have a marked influence on annual bearing in 19- 

 yecT-old trees. The immediate result of blossom, thinning was to 

 stimulate leaf development on all spurs and to encourage blossom 

 bud formation for the succeeding year. 



(4) Observations on 3 apple varieties in 1936, 2 in 1937 

 and 1 in 1938, by Ellenwood Ik Gourley of Ohio, showed tliat the most 

 serious source of mechanical injuries v;as in the grader. The man- 

 ner of emptying the picking container into the crate was also im- 

 portant. The human factor wc s important with much viu-iation re- 

 corded among pickers. It is suggested that sponge rubber or other 

 padding should be used in the bins and tables of the grading machine. 



(5) Supplemental irrigation of apple trees growing on a 

 deep, porous soil which received 22.7 inches of rainfall was found 



