ANNUAL REPORT, 1943-44 5S 



DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE 

 R. A. Van Meter in Charge 



Factors Influencing the Rapidity of Growth of Nursery Stock. (C. J. Gilgut, 

 Waltham.) 



Evergreens. Carolina hemlock and Canada hemlock grew better when given 

 light applications of complete fertilizer than when given heavy applications. 

 More new growth was obtained from 1/3 to 1/2 ton per acre of 5-8-7 broadcast 

 among the plants than from one ton or more used in the same way. The heavier 

 application, in many cases, actually injured the plants and injury was in the 

 nature of stunting, poor growth, or dead tops. Mixed fertilizers such as 10-8-7 

 which contain a high percentage of nitrogen produced no more growth than did 

 the 5-8-7 when used at the same rate, and sodium nitrate at 300 pounds per 

 acre caused some injury, indicating that hemlocks do not need much nitrogen. 



Deciduous Shrubs. Rooted cuttings of the hybrid lilac Ludwig Spaeth lined 

 out in the field and given fertilizer treatments grew to salable size by the end of 

 the second season as did those which received no fertilizer. There was no sig- 

 nificant difference in growth and thriftiness of the plants which received fertilizer 

 and those which did not. Fertilizing lilacs in the nursery- to speed up growth is 

 not advisable, especially when they are grown in a fairly good soil. 



Factors Influencing the Hardiness of Evergreens. (C. J. Gilgut, Waltham.) 

 Conditions favorable to winter injury of ornamental woody plants were present 

 in the winters of 1942-43 and 1943-44 and offered a fine opportunity to deter- 

 mine the effect of cultural and fertilizing practices on winter hardiness of Taxus 

 cuspidata, Taxus canadensis striata, and Taxus baccata repandens. 



The winter of 1942-43 provided the low temperatures which are considered 

 one of the causes of winter injury. Several times the temperature went down to 

 — 15°F. and in addition there were prolonged periods of cold. During most of 

 the winter there was a good cover of snow. 



The winter of 1943-44 was quite different in that it was much milder and there 

 was very little snow. The temperature went down to — 3°F. only twice and even 

 then for only a few hours. Most of the time it was well above zero, and from 

 February on there were warm'spells with strong drying winds — a condition which 

 causes much winter drying, especially of evergreens. 



During both winters the amount of injury was slight on the plants in the 

 experiment. There was as much injury on plants which grew slowly and pro- 

 duced hard growth as on those which were stimulated with nitrates and fertilizers 

 and produced soft growth. 



Study of Herbaceous Perennial Material. (C. J. Gilgut, Waltham.) The 

 herbaceous perennial test garden continues to be popular with visitors some of 

 whom visit regularly, as often as twice a week throughout the summer. To the 

 plants of recognized garden value and easy culture, new introductions and rein- 

 troductions of older plants little known to the general public are constantly being 

 added. During the past summer 78 such new acquisitions were placed in the 

 garden to determine their cultural requirements, habits of growth, garden value, 

 and hardiness under the climatic conditions of this region. The collection now 

 consists of about 1680 plants. Reports of the behavior of these plants are avail- 

 able to nurserymen and plantsmen, and are of assistance to them in deciding 

 whether a new introduction is worth disseminating and what plants can best be 

 dropped from catalogues. 



