ANNUAL REPORT, 1939 83 



locations are randomized according to the latest ideas of such plantings. It is 

 laid out so as to permit some cultural or fertilizer test which will be started after 

 a period of uniform treatment to give more light on soil variations. A smaller 

 orchard of 55 trees was also set to replace one ruined by the hurricane. 



The clonal stock orchard set in 1937 grew well irrespective of the rootstock, 

 and some trees, mostly on the dwarfing stocks, bore a few apples. It promises 

 to produce more next year, the fourth year of growth. 



The older clonal stock orchard set in 1928 produced a large crop. The trees, 

 Mcintosh and Wealthy set 20 x 20, after eleven seasons' growth, are becoming 

 crowded and showing signs of inadequate nutrition. Three reports of results 

 from this orchard are included in the scientific contributions from this Station. 



Tree Characters of Fruit Varieties. (J. K. Shaw, A. P. French, O. C. Roberts, 

 and L. Southwick.) Practically the same nurseries as in recent years were visited 

 and trees examined for trueness to name. A slightly greater number of apple 

 trees was certified than in 1938. 



The stand of cherry buds in the nursery was again poor but at least a few buds 

 of most varieties grew and afforded an opportunity to learn their distinguishing 

 characteristics. The stocks on which the buds failed were cut back and shoots 

 allowed to grow up to four per plant and these budded usually to two buds each. 

 With this excess of inserted buds, it is hoped to get a satisfactory stand of all 

 varieties and collect data and photographs for a publication on cherry varieties. 

 It is believed that all these varieties that are really distinct can be identified as 

 nursery trees. 



The peach nursery of some 60 varieties grew well and afforded opportunity to 

 collect a considerable amount of data. Most varieties can be identified with 

 considerable certainty, but there are a few groups of varieties which are so nearly 

 alike as to make certain identification of individual varieties impossible. The 

 varieties have been budded on additional stocks for further study next year. 



Further observations of pear and plum varieties have indicated that there are 

 certain varieties of these fruits that require careful study, so a small nursery of 

 such varieties is planned for next year. 



The Genetic Composition of Peaches. (J. S. Bailey and A. P. French.) In the 

 spring of 1939 some crossing and selfing was done. Although they had been 

 recorded as free from X-disease in 1938, five of the nine trees used developed 

 X-disease before the summer was over. It is probable that the pits from these 

 diseased trees will not germinate. 



A campaign was started to eliminate all chokecherries from around the Station 

 and College orchards. Various concentrations of a chlorate weed killer were 

 used to find out how the work can be most effectively and cheaply done. 



In the fall of 1939 peach seedling block S^, M, N, and the budded seedlings 

 were removed since they were no longer needed for record purposes. The men of 

 the Experiment Station service developed a very rapid and effective method for 

 pushing the trees out of the ground and shaking the dirt from the roots by chain- 

 ing them to the bulldozer attachment of a caterpiller type tractor. 



Calculations on a second population of selfed Belle seedlings agree with pre- 

 vious results in that they show linkage in the coupling phase between the free- 

 cling and the melting-nonmelting genes. 



Comparison of Cultivation and Sod in a Bearing Orchard. (J. K. Shaw.) The 

 changes in fertilizer treatment made last year were continued in 1939. The 

 orchard bore a crop of nearly 1400 bushels or approximately 20 bushels per tree, 

 which was by far the largest thus far produced. The attempt to harrow in the 

 mulch applied last year to plot 3 was not very successful because the soil was 



