1917.] PUBLIC DOCmiENT — No. 31. 37a 



ment of a pruning orchard containing some 700 trees in which 

 investigations will be conducted with especial reference to head 

 formation. 



The department of pomology of the division, under the 

 leadership of Professor Sears, is carrying on a number of experi- 

 ments in practical orcharding. Among these, the following may 

 be referred to : — 



Observations on the results of the use of miscible oil as a 

 dormant spray, with a view to determining whether, and if so, 

 under what conditions, it proves injurious. 



Late spraying with lime sulfur to determine the limits of 

 safety as regards leaf injury and its relation to later injury 

 from the aphis. It appears to be entirely safe to defer the 

 application of lime sulfur until the buds begin to start, and 

 doing so considerably reduces the injury from aphis. The 

 latest stage in spring development at which lime sulfur has 

 been applied was the date when the blossom buds had begun to 

 show pink. 



A very large number of varieties of all our fruits are under 

 careful observation and comparison. Dwarf apple trees have 

 been extensively tested, and results convince Professor Sears 

 that the larger dwarfs on doucin stock have a distinct value in 

 commercial orcharding as fillers, and that they are especially 

 suited to home plantations. The investigations in progress 

 indicate considerable variation in the adaptation of different 

 varieties to dwarfing; the Jonathan and Mcintosh have done 

 particularly well. Six trees of the latter variety, at the age of 

 eight years, produced 30 boxes of fine fruit. 



Experiments in very close planting of some of the smaller 

 growing and relatively short-lived varieties, such as Wealthy, 

 Wagener and Oldenburg, are in progress. 



One of the most interesting practical experiments has been 

 connected with the renovation of an old orchard begun in 1910. 

 This has been very successful; and the orchard now, except for 

 the large trunks and the scars where branches have been re- 

 moved, has the general appearance of an orchard in full vigor, 

 and is giving large yields of fine fruit. 



Dextrogerm, a product which the originator believed destined 

 to produce remarkably beneficial results, has been tried under 



