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That in Colonial times 90 out of every 100 people in this country- 

 had to work on farms to grow enough food? Today the ratio is just reversed. 

 Then one man could take care of about five acres of corn. Now he can handle 

 100 acres. In 1909 it required 12.7 man hours to grow an acre of wheat. 

 Today it takes 3.3 man hours. Despite this progress many farmers are still 

 under equipped for the 1945 job. To say that some fruit grov;ers are working 

 under the handicap of ajitiquated equipment is a mild understatement. 



That a fertilizer application may show an effect for at least 8 years? 

 in Missouri a section of a prairie meadow was fertilized in 1936 by top dress» 

 ing with various commercial fertilizers in amounts up to 600 pounds per acre. 

 Each year since that time the hay from the fertilized areaa and from an un- 

 fertilized check area has been cut ani stacked separately. Cows have been 

 allowed to feed on those stacks which were most attractive. Up to 1944 they 

 invariably fed on the hay from fertilized areas and even after that date 

 they chose to visit the fertilized areas v/here they found the pasturage more 

 attractive. In an orchard there is reason to believe that the grass result- 

 ing from a broadcast application of a complete fertilizer exerts an in- 

 direct benefit on the trees over a period of at least 10 years. 



That two fruit crops unknown in this country 40 years ago were con- 

 sumed in large quantities in 1944? An avocado crop of 23,200 tons from 

 Florida and California, and a grapefruit crop of 56,020,000 boxes v/ere in- 

 cluded in the nation's diet. David Fairchild, veteraji plant explorer, in 

 looking back over his 40 years of studying and introducing fruits and veg- 

 etables from all parts of the world, recalls clearly the early prejudice 

 and resistance against these fmiits at the time of their introduction. 



That 200 tons of citrus pomace will be put up this year at a plant 

 in Florida? Apple growers supplying the pomace market may expect real compe- 

 tition from citrus fruits after the war. The citrus product seems to be 

 especially suitable for msiking marmalades, jellies and gelatin desserts. 



That the light set of Delicious, commonly reported by apple growers, 

 may be due in some cases to a peculiarity in the structure of the Delicious 

 blossoms. R. H. Roberts, Vifisconsin Horticulturist, says, "It was observed 

 that a peculiarity of the Delicious blossom structure permits honeybees to 

 extract the nectar without pollinating the blossoms. This was true in ap- 

 proximately 80^ of the bee visits this season." His observations seem to 

 indicate that honeybees are able to obtain the nectar without actually con- 

 tacting the anthers and stigmas. 



That the light crop of apples throughout the Northeast is due as much 

 if not more to faulty pollination as to frost injury in the blossoms? A. B. 

 Burrell, New York State plant Pathologist, reporting from Essex County, says, 

 "\'/hi 3e freezing injury to blossom buds v;as severe, pollination appears to have 

 been a still more important factor in limiting the set. In many cases, the 

 favorable effect of the trees of a suitable pollinizer variety, is restrict- 

 ed largely to adjacent Mcintosh trees, the second tree away beiiig conspic- 

 uously light. It is the first time we .have seen this extreme localization 

 of pollination," 



