42 



remarked 011 the great difference in flavor and acidity, 

 the unfertilized fruit being even at that early date in- 

 siped and inclined to be stale, While the fertilized fruit 

 was of good flavor but decidedly acid, indicating that 

 it lacked 4 to 8 weeks in being ripe. 



In 1910 part of a five hundred acre grove at Ceballos, 

 Cuba, was fertilized with a regular fruit fertilizer 3% 

 Nitrogen 1% Phosphoric Acid and 12% Potash and the 

 results were noted in January 1911 by the writer in. com- 

 pany with Mr. Gustschow, the manager of the grove. At 

 that time nearly all the fruit had been picked from the 

 unfertilized part and what was left was over ripe, while 

 on the fertilized part the fruit was still hanging on the 

 trees and not tO'O ripe for hanging 3 to 4 weeks longer. 



In April 1910 an experiment was started in the grove 

 of the Cuban Development Co., Victoria de las Tunas, 

 Cuba, and the result noted January 1911. There were 

 several plots with various fertilizer combinations from 

 which the results were not very clear cut, but the dif- 

 ference in flavor and acidity due to different stages of 

 ripeness was observed to be as in the above mentioned 

 experiments although less pronounced. 



In Porto Rico t'he same results w-ere obtained in the 

 Southern Cross grove one year, but: it was seemingly 

 not duplicated the next year. From Dr. H. C. Leonhardt's 

 grove, Bayamon, Porto Rico, ten boxes of fruit from plats 

 fertilized with different combinations of fertilizer were 

 shipped to New York and from there to Havana in Jan- 

 uary 1911. This fruit was carefully noted and showed 

 great variation in flavor and shipping quality due to 

 fertilizing. 



More observations might be given but this will serve 



