March, 1936] Agricultural Research in N. H. 17 



Leaf area measurements, made on June 27, July 5, 17, and August 9, 

 indicate no significant increase in the leaf area per fruit spur resulting from 

 the thinning treatment. (G. F. Potter — Adams Fund.) 



Apple Pollination Study 



In view of the fact that field observation has seemed to indicate a better 

 set on Mcintosh trees adjacent to Astrachan trees, even though the blossom- 

 ing season of the Astrachan precedes that of the Mcintosh, a test was car- 

 ried out to determine whether bees might retain pollen over a period of days. 

 Bees placed in an orchard where Red Astrachan and other varieties were in 

 bloom were transferred to similar caged Mcintosh trees — in one case imme- 

 diately, and in others after storage. 



The results seem to indicate that the pollen is injured in the hive or else 

 the bees remove it all from their bodies very quickly. Bees removed from 

 pollenizers only over night doubled the set of .fruit, and reduced the number 

 of lop-sided apples by 25% as compared to self-pollination. Yet even this 

 cannot be considered good cross-pollination. The seed content was only 

 slightly better than with self-pollination and less than half that of open 

 pollinated apples. (G. F. Potter, L. P. Latimer — Purnell Fund.) 



Fertilizer on Strawberries 



Since the application of sodium nitrate has definitely caused injury to 

 strawberries on the experimental farm and other nitrogen carriers have not, 

 it was felt that the sodium might be the causal agent. Various chemicals, 

 which included different combinations of sodium, calcium and ammonia with 

 nitrogen, were applied each to a series of 36 replicate plots. Taking the yield 

 of the check plot to which no chemicals were applied as 100% the yield of 

 those to which different salts of ammonia were applied was 99, those re- 

 ceiving calcium salts 94, and those receiving compounds of sodium 72>%. 

 There seems to be a very distinct reduction in yield whenever sodium is used. 

 (L. P. Latimer — Hatch Fund.) 



Variety Tests of Fruits 



In new varieties of apples, dark red sports of standard sorts and seed- 

 lings of the Mcintosh are attracting the greatest interest. Again this season 

 it was possible because of better color development to harvest Starking, a 

 red sport of Delicious, earlier than the parent, but the difference was not 

 so striking as in 1934. Many persons consider the Starking of better flavor 

 than Delicious, possibly because Delicious may be left too long on the tree in 

 the hope of acquiring more attractive color. The 1935 average yield per tree 

 for Starking set in 1926 was 1.1 bushels. 



Red Spy and Red Gravenstein diff'er considerably in appearance from 

 their respective parents. This will be a disadvantage commercially. There 

 will be better color and fewer culls. 



For an early season variety. Early Mcintosh appears to be generally 

 accepted as being superior to Astrachan, which is of the same ripening sea- 

 son. On the Station farm, the Canadian Mcintosh seedling "Melba" has 

 been found to ripen about two weeks earlier than Early Mcintosh. 

 It is of good quality and attractive appearance, and appears worthy of 

 trial for use early in the season for roadside stand or other retail trade. 



