Food von Plants. 1')^' 



of Nitrate of Soda and iinie-sulplmr canu' into bloom about a week 

 ahead of those tliat received the lime-sulphur solution alone. The 

 development of the fmit on these Nitrate-lime-sulphur solution rows 

 contiiuu'd to show an advancement of about a week throughout half 

 the growing season, and at picking time the fruit was greener and hung 

 on better than that of the plain lime-sulphur-solution rows. Both 

 plats bore a full crop, so there was no opportunity for observing any 

 effect on i)roduction. The Clairgeau variety blooms early, and the 

 further advancement due to Nitrate spraying might result in frost 

 injui'v in some localities. The fruit ordinarily lias a habit of dropping 

 oil during the latter part of the growing season. This difficulty, how- 

 ever, was largely eliminated on the Nitrate-sjjrayed rows. 



CoMiCE. — The major portion of the block was sprayed with a plain 

 water solution of Nitrate of Soda at the rate of 1 i)ound to the gallon. 

 A small portion was sprayed with commercial lime sulphur solution, 

 diluted 1 to 9, with Nitrate of Soda added at the rate of 1 pound to the 

 gallon of diluted spray. Through a misunderstanding the men doing 

 the spraying left no check rows in this block, so that crop data could 

 not be obtained. However, Mr. Reed's exact knowledge of the previous 

 production of this block as a whole indicates that the marked increased 

 production this last season was more than probably due to the Nitrate 

 spraying. The Comice is a relatively shy bearer, and a valuable i)ear 

 connnercially, so that any increased i)roduction that could he obtained 

 by Nitrate spraying would be much appreciated by the grower. One 

 portion of the block that regularly produces less than the remainder 

 gave a good crop this year, and it apiieared that the addition of the 

 lime-sulphur solution augmented the effect of the Nitrate of Soda just 

 as the addition of lye has done in the experiments of the writers. 



Glout Morceau. — A block of Glout Morceau i)ears was sprayed 

 with the combination of lime-sulphur solution, diluted 1 to 9, plus 

 Nitrate of Soda 1 i)ound to the g-allon of diluted spray. This block 

 had never produced a full crop, and while no unsprayed checks were 

 left, the increased i)roduction would appear to 1)0 due to the Nitrate 

 spraying. 



WiXTER Nelis. — A block of Winter Nelis pears was sprayed with a 

 solution of Nitrate of Soda 1 pound to the gallon of water. No lime- 

 sulphur solution was added in this case. No check rows were left, and 

 a frost destroyed a large i)ercentap:e of the fruit after it had set. How 

 ever, at that time the tives were carrying the lai-gest crop they had ever 

 produced, and again it would a])pear that the Nitrate spraying had had. 

 a beneficial effect. The trees came into lilooni altout 10 days alidad of 

 normal o])eiiing period. 



Discussion on Results and Summary. 



It 18 not the writers' iiiteiitioii t(v convey the im- 

 pression that dormant sprayiiiii,' with Nitrate solutions 

 will solve the problem of shy bearing- of fruit trees nor 



