phasizes the difference between the results from spray- p^ t g 0r 



ing and the ordinary results from the application of 



fertilizer. Caustic-soda solution alone applied as a l8 3 

 spray has no effect on the time of blooming or the crop 

 production. 



Experiments of Growers in 1913 

 Yellow Bellflower Apples 



During the past season a number of growers made 

 more or less extensive tests of the spraying with Nitrate 

 of Soda. An aggregate of several hundred acres of 

 Yellow Bellflower apples was sprayed with Nitrate of 

 of Soda plus caustic soda, but practically all of this 

 acreage was in the same district in which the writer's 

 experiments were conducted, so the crop was lost by 

 frost. It was noticeable during the past summer, 

 however, that the foliage in such orchards as received 

 very thorough winter Nitrate sprayings had a better 

 appearance than in years past, due apparently to the 

 effect of the Nitrate. One orchard, that of MacDonald 

 & Sons, is located in a district that practically escaped 

 frost damage, and the results obtained indicated a 

 marked crop increase in consequence of the spraying. 

 The entire orchard, with the exception of a few trees, 

 was sprayed with various combinations of Nitrate of 

 Soda and lye, and, while no exact data on the produc- 

 tion of the unsprayed trees as compared with the rest 

 of the orchard was obtained, the amount of fruit on the 

 trees indicated that the spraying had produced a 

 marked increase. This conclusion was more reliably 

 substantiated by comparing the total orchard produc- 

 tion this year with that of previous years. 



Sweet Cherries 



Mr. A. W. Taite, of Watsonville, sprayed portions 

 of two blocks of Napoleon (Royal Ann) cherries with 

 Nitrate of Soda, 1 pound to the gallon, to which caustic 

 soda was added at the rate of 25 pounds to 200 gallons. 

 Unsprayed rows adjoining the sprayed ones were left 

 in each block. In one case the sprayed trees were dis- 

 tinctly advanced over the check trees in coming into 



