140 Food fou Pi. an is. 



offer a iiiort' advisable method of applying nitrogen 

 fertilizer. The purpose of this paper is simply to 

 present the results as they now stand. 



It is evident that, at least under certain conditions, 

 some varieties of ai)ples and pears that are more or less 

 self -sterile may have their crop production materially 

 increased by dormant spraying with solutions of Nitrate 

 of Soda plus lye. The combination of a solution of 

 Nitrate of Soda and lime-sulphur is apparently capable 

 of bringing similar results. 



Actual quantitative data on increased production 

 I'rom spraying with a solution of Nitrate of Soda are 

 available from only one source, that of the lirst experi- 

 ment on Yellow Bellflower apples in 1912. No pro- 

 duction records were obtainable from the various tests 

 made by growers during the season of 1913 but the 

 one test on Yellow^ Bellflower apples and several others 

 on pears indicate that such an increase had undoubtedly 

 been brought about. It is considered that the growers' 

 knowledge of the crops of the previous years as com- 

 pared with that of this year furnishes a basis for con- 

 clusions that are at least corroborative. 



That Nitrate spraying of dormant trees will bring- 

 about an earlier blooming of certain varieties of fruit 

 is a satisfactorily established fact, which has been dem- 

 onstrated on Yellow Bellflower apples at Watsonville, 

 (^al, and on various varieties of pears at San Jose, San 

 Juan, and Suisun, Cal., during the past season. How 

 generally this statement will apply to other varieties 

 of apples and pears and in other localities remains to 

 be determined. Results on stone fruits have not been 

 as striking as those on pears and apples, but it is pos- 

 sible that stronger solutions, earlier spraying, or a 

 repetition of the spraying in successive years may bring- 

 about such results. 



The greater danger of injury from frost that 

 might result from forcing trees into bloom earlier than 

 normal would have to be taken into consideration in 

 making practical use of Niti'ate s]n-aying in winter. 



