ANNUAL REPORT, 1936 91 



Soil Testing Service. (Robert E. Young, Harold E. White, and Paul W. 

 Dempsey.) The total number of samples of soil submitted for testing was 

 almost double that of last year. With the better understanding of the impor- 

 tance of the minor elements, an increasing number of commercial growers are 

 requesting that in addition to the regular tests for acidity, nitrogen, and phos- 

 phorus, further determinations be made for potassium, calcium, magnesium, 

 aluminum, manganese, and other elements. 



Summary of Soil Tests 

 Greenhouse : 



Flower 462 



Vegetable 239 



Market Gardeners 450 



Miscellaneous* 1,553 



Total soils 2,704 



Total determinations 8,975 



♦Includes amateur gardeners, golf courses, landscape gardeners, Metropolitan District Com- 

 mission, and W.P.A. engineers. 



Vegetable Variety Trials. (Paul W. Dempsey.) The sweet corn variety 

 test again included a number of the new hybrid varieties together with most of 

 the old and new standard varieties. On account of the absence of Stewart's 

 Disease, it was impossible to obtain resistance records. The hybrid varieties 

 are being adopted rather slowly by corn growers in this State. With the intro- 

 duction of earlier maturing hybrid varieties, our growers will undoubtedly, 

 become more interested. 



Outdoor tomatoes have always been an important crop in our market gardens. 

 During the past five years the method of growing the greater proportion of this 

 crop has changed from flat culture to trellis culture. No change in the cultural 

 methods of growing a vegetable crop in this State has taken place so quickly or 

 with so much satisfaction to grower, seller, and consumer. Because of this 

 change, we are concentrating our variety trials on strains which may be of 

 value for growing by the trellis method. Our own development, the Field 

 Station Comet (Waltham Forcing Tomato) has been outstanding in these trials 

 for several years (see Department of Olericulture, Vegetable Breeding for Im- 

 provement of Quality.) 



The Plant House. (Paul W. Dempsey.) Interest in the two plant houses 

 at the Field Station and in the plans available for distribution has been main- 

 tained at about the same level during the past few years. Fuel costs for operat- 

 ing the houses during the past three severe winters have remained close to the 

 original estimate of $75.00 for each house. 



Electricity as a Source of Heat in the Hotbed and Propagating Bench. 



(Paul W. Dempsey.) Very little interest in electrical heat has been evidenced 

 by either commercial or amateur growers. Current costs arp high throughout 

 this State. 



Interest in an electrical soil sterilizer is increasing as growers of annual and 

 perennial plants have suffered considerable loss from soil organisms. The 

 rural development representative of the local power company has recently 

 designed a simple sterilizer, one of which he has placed at the Field Station for 

 trial. 



