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That 275 carloads of apples were recently packed in 35 freight cars? 

 The explanation is that the apples were dried. They were forced under pres- 

 sure into No. 10 tin cans. Thirty two pounds of apples, dried until they 

 v.'eigh only 4 pounds, go into one of these cans. A total of 200,000 boxes 

 •or 275 carloads of fresh apples (7,680,000 lbs.) were transformed into just 

 under a million pounds of dried apples which were packed tightly into 

 240,000 cans. This made 40,000 cases. 



That a close approximation of the date at Vifhich a given variety of 

 fruit will mature can be made at the tine of full bloom? After a three-year 

 study, M. A» Haller of the U.S.D.A. has concluded that the number of days 

 from full bloom to maturity is a more reliable index of maturity than pres- 

 sure test, ground color, seed color, or starch test. The average number of 

 days between bloom and harvest for a few varieties are as follows: Olden- 

 burg apple, 98; llclntosh, 127; Rhode Island Greening, 155; Llontmorency 

 cherry, 62; Bartlett pear, 121; Elberta peach, 128. 



That there are approximately 4000 acres of cultivated blueberries 

 in the U. S. with a crop value of nearly Cl»000,000? The raspberry acre- 

 age amounts to about 59,000 acres with a crop value of more than v7»000,000. 

 Blackberries and dewberries total nearly 35,000 acres with a crop value of 

 $3,700,000. 



That the total capacity for the manufacture of synthetic nitrogen 

 in the United States after the war will be more than tv/ice as great as this 

 country's maximum annual pre-war consumption of nitrogen for all purposes? 

 The amount of nitrogen v;hich can be supplied to farmers from this expanded 

 industry will greatly affect crop production after the war. The problem of 

 utilizing this unprecedented tonnage of nitrogen is to be studied by a re- 

 cently organized committee of which R. II. Salter, Chief of the U.S. Bureau 

 of Plant Industry, is chairman. 



That soils of Massachusetts are by nature predominantly acid? Many 

 cultivated plants or crops grov/ poorly on an acid soil v;hile certain others 

 may fail utterly unless lime in some forra is used to correct this condition. 

 More than 50,000 tons of liming material are used annually to increase crop 

 yields in Massachusetts. For full details concerning this subject, see 

 Mass. State College Leafl^jt No. 134, "Liming Soils." 



That crganic matter performs at least four important functions in the 

 soil? (1) It gives the soil a good structure and improves its tilth. (2) It 

 provides food for bacteria. (3) It keeps plant food available so the plants 

 can use them. (4) It serves as a storehouse of nitrogen, available phos- 

 phorus, potash and other plant foods. 



