16 UNIV. OF N. H. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 250 



age of spurs forming blossom buds. In the split application one-half is 

 applied in the early spring and the balance in mid-summer. 



Time of Formation 



An extensive study of the period during which flower primordia are 

 initiated in the Baldwin and Mcintosh apple, by E. J. Rasmussen, shows 

 quite definitely that in 1928 blossoms were initiated in the Mcintosh 

 variety during a period of two or three weeks, commencing about the third 

 week in July. The Baldwin flower buds made their appearance over a 

 similar period, commencing the first week in August. This indicates that 

 while previous investigators have shown that the earliest flower buds may 

 be detected in early July, the bulk of the differentiation of these two 

 varieties occurs later. (Adams Fund.) 



PRUNING APPLE TREES 



At ten years of age there appears to be no significant differences in sizes 

 of fruit or crop, and no difference in the amount of breakage occurring, 

 among the vase, semi-leader, and full-leader forms of pruned trees. The 

 average diameter of the trunk of the semi-leader form is 5.46 inches; of the 

 full-leader, 5.33 inches; and of the vase form, 5.27 inches. In the same 

 order the pounds yield from each form of tree are: 210.6; 202.5; and 190.4. 

 The variety of the trees is Mcintosh. (Hatch Fund.) 



TESTING VARIETIES OF FRUITS 



About twenty trees of the Cortland variety planted in 1923 in the fruit 

 variety test blocks bore a first crop in 1929. The yield was not large, 

 although it was probably as great as might be expected of Mcintosh trees 

 of similar age and, accordingly, much more than would be expected from 

 the Baldwin variety. The fruit did not attain an especially attractive 

 shade of color, but on the whole contained more red pigment than the 

 Baldwin. The Cortland appears worthy of further trial as a late variety 

 to be used in place of Baldwin, since the market value of the latter appears 

 to be steadily declining. 



The sod test orchard, planted in 1923 to compare Golden Delicious, 

 Wealthy, Red Delicious, and Baldwin varieties, bore a few scattered 

 fruits in 1929. Wealthy, Golden Delicious, and Delicious trees are all 

 making a splendid growth under this system of culture. The Baldwin 

 made the least satisfactory growth of the four. 



In the peach orchards the Hale produced the heaviest crop per tree of 

 the four varieties under test. Usually this variety is considered a scant 

 producer. The crop of Elberta, after the relatively mild winter of 1928- 

 29, was larger than that of Carman, which is very unusual under New 

 Hampshire climatic conditions. (Hatch Fund.) 



PHOSPHORUS FAILS TO AFFECT POTATO YIELDS 



No distinct differences in yield were noticeable in potato plots which 

 received eight separate treatments of phosphorus fertilizers. Northern 

 grown certified Green Mountain seed was used. The total amount of 

 stem growth in inches was measured on fifteen representative plants in 



