June, 1V4U] AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN N. H. 39 



of basal and terminal cutting-s showed no difference in the per cent 

 rooted but the basal ones made more growth as did also heavy cut- 

 tings as compared to light ones taken from the same portions of 

 the plants. Hormones g"ave no beneficial results in rooting. Trans- 

 jiarent cellulose film gave g'ood results as a frame cover, but it was 

 found that the frame requires sloping so that the water will run off, 

 (itherwise the wet film stretches. Used burlap as a shade for prop- 

 agating frames, proved insutffcient to prevent burning. Hence it 

 was found necessary to add an extra layer of burlap. A variety test 

 was planted with the rows running- through soil of varying moisture 

 content. Wild blueberries were successfully transplanted to this 

 field for observation. 



There is increasing evidence tliat blueberries do better on light, 

 sandy soil than where there is some clay, reports W. W. Smith. 

 Early freezing of the tips may be the cause of much of the injury 

 attrilnited in the past to exposure to low temperatures above the 

 snow line in the late winter. 



Seed germination studies with the low bush blueberry were start- 

 ed to determine the practicability of field seeding. Gypsy moth was 

 a serious problem. (Hatch Fund) 



Rootstock Project 



The propagation of stock for later study occupied most of the 

 time in this project, reports W. W. Smith. Buds set in August, 1938 

 made a satisfactory growth. A considerable amount of ring graft- 

 ing was done by placing a ring of bark of a stock such as Mailing- 

 No. 9 on Virginia Crab seedlings. This was done to determine inter- 

 stock effects. Notes were taken on a planting at Gilford where vari- 

 ous Mailing stocks were used. These trees are not 3'et in bearing. 

 There was a noticeable looseness of trees on the very dwarfing stock 

 Mailing No. 4. (Bankhcad-Joncs Fund) 



Winter Injury 



Late fall nitrogen applications are conducive to winter injury. 

 Some trees lose all of their bark and on others frost rings are evi- 

 dent. These are more frequently found on the north side of the 

 tree than on the south. A paper on this subject is being published 

 in the 1939 report of the American Society for Horticultural Science 

 under the title "Frost Rings in Fall Fertilized Mcintosh Apple Trees" 

 by W. W. Smith and M. A. Tingley. (Adams Fund) 



Vegetable Project 



Seed stocks of the New Hampshire Hybrid eggplant are being- 

 maintained. This variety has made an excellent record in eastern 

 United States. Continued inbred selections are being made. 



From a cross between the Gage bean, a shell variety with much 

 color on the seed but no pod color, and French Horticultural, a vari- 

 ety having highly colored pods with light colored seed, the F^ and 

 F- generations have been produced. It is evidently possible to com- 

 bine the high color of the Gage seed with the high color of the 

 French Horticultural pod. This was the object of the cross. A large 



