I.'l.^ Food for Plants. 



OiR' orc'lmrd, that of Mai-Dohald c^' Sons, is located in a 

 district that ])ractically csca])od frost damai»-e, and the 

 results obtain('(l indicated a niarkrd cro]) increase in 

 consequence of the sjjraying. The ( iitiic orchard, with 

 the exce])tion of a few trees, was sjjrayed with various 

 combinations of Nitrate of Soda and lye, and, while no 

 exact data on the production of the un sprayed trees as 

 compared with the rest of the orchard was o])tained, the 

 amount of fruit on the trees indicated tliat the spraying' 

 had produced a marked increase. This conclusion was 

 more reliably substantiated by comparing the total 

 orchard production this year with that of previous years. 



Sweet Cherries. 



Mr. A. W. Taite, of AVatsonville, 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 pomids to 200 gallons. 

 Unspraycd 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 

 bloom. In both cases there was an increase in the 

 foliage growth and a consequent improvement in the 

 appearance of the trees. No effect on crop production 

 could bi' noticed, though it is possible that treatment 

 in successive years may bring such results. 



Pears. 



For our observation on pears the writers are in- 

 debted chiefly to Mr. George Reed, of San Jose, who 

 carried out extensive tests in the orchards of the J. Z. 

 tl' (I. TT. Anderson Fruit Co. The spraying was done 

 about the 1st of February antl the following notes are 

 taken largely from Mr. Reed's observations: 



Clairgeau. — Four rows of about 4(» trees each were si)raye(l willi 

 eonuuereial lime-sulphur (SWA Baume) diluted 1 to 9. Ad.joiniuo: these 

 were four rows sprayed with lime-sulphur solution diluted 1 to H and 

 to which was added Nitrate of Soda at the rate of 1 pound t(» the gal- 

 lon of the diluted spray, 'i'lie rows sprayed witli the comhined solution 



