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different agencies and services is as follows: 



That the total rainfall in Amherst during the first five months 

 of 1941 was 8.6 inches below normal? The number of inches each month up to 

 June v/as as follows: 2.21, 1.59, 1.63, ,55, and 2.87. June brought a 

 rainfall of 6.13 inches. Tiie normal for these months amounts to 3.61, 3.19, 

 5.70, 3.35, 3.60, and 3.75. 



That Bro\vn Rot in peaches is closely related to the circulation of 

 air in the orchard? Quoting from New Jersey Hort. Fews , "Brovm Rot of the 

 peach is favored by too closely planted trees, by a site v;here air circu- 

 lation is poor, because of dense hedge rov;s or woods too close to the or- 

 chard, by an air pocket fonned by higher surrounding land, and by a tall 

 growth of weeds during the growing season." 



That coal, air and v/ater have '-aQ^-rx converted into a shatter proof 

 plastic from v;hich a transparent, keen-edged fruit and cake knife is made? 

 It can be used for cutting citrus fruits w ithout fear of corrosion. Blade 

 and handle are moulded in one piece. 



That the Stamp Plan started experimentally in Rochester, New York 

 in May, 1939 had been extended by late 1940 to some 275 areas throughout the 

 United States and was reaching several million persons in needy families? 

 It is said that if every family in the country making less than ilOO a month 

 ate as much as families which do make $100 a month, it vrould add two billion 

 dollars a year to the Nation's food bill. Thirty to thirty five million 

 acres of land v;ould be required to produce tliat extra food. That's an area 

 f^bout the size of the state of Iowa, 



That largo amounts of available potash are being found under a 

 hoavT,- mulch even to a depth of two or three feet? Quoting from a recent 

 Potash News Letter, "Recent experiments show that favorable response of 

 fruit plants under heavy mulch is due to improved moisture relations, better 

 supply of nutrients, and of equal Importance, a better supply of readily 

 available potash. Studies on raspberry plants at Bcltsville, Md. by Darrow 

 and Llagness showed a much greater cane grov^th and five times as large yields 

 under the mulch as in the cultivated plots. Determinations of the potash 

 content of leaves from mulch and cultivated plants shovred 2,39/d and ^Q&'^o 

 respectively." 



That there may be onl;- onc-fil'tu as many blueberries of certain 

 cultivated varieties in a quart as there are of vv-ild blueberries? In a re- 

 cent federal publication (Circ. 583), "Atlantic, Pomberton ajid Burlington 

 Blueberries", mention is made of a sample of wild high bush blueberries 

 bought from a roadside stand v.iiich had 384 berries to a \ pint cup. The same 

 cup held 184 berries of the Rubel variety, 100 of Jersey (largest variety 

 v/idely grown), 82 of Pemborton and 73 of Atlantic. 



That v^estern New York growers are talcing steps to prevent un- 

 necessary bruising of apples? A coimnittec on harvesting and packing practices 



