176 CROP ESTIMATES. 
The method I adopt, and confidently recommend, 
is to select, in each field, two or three branches, on 
different trees, fairly representing the average bear- 
ing branches of the field ; and to count the berries 
in each of these selected branches from time to 
time, beginning a month after the blossom and con- 
tinuing throughout the season to recount them every 
fortnight. Each selected branch should be marked 
and numbered, and a careful record should be kept 
of the result, which will indicate infallibly the loss 
by premature fall of fruit, and enable the manager 
to foresee the proportion of the whole which he is 
likely to harvest. The counting of the berries should 
be continued till near the end of crop, and should 
be done by the manager himself, or a very trust- 
worthy assistant, who, as crop begins to ripen, should 
always precede the pickers and gather from the 
selected branches all the ripe berries, taking due ac- 
count of the number gathered. Hach successive count- 
ing will tell its tale, and any serious failure of the 
fruit must become evident quite early in the season. 
I think it probable that the method of counting 
the berries on selected branches in each field might 
serve as a very useful means of forming original estim- 
ates of crop, but I have not tried it with that ob- 
ject. The ordinary method of estimating has been 
proved by long experience to be sufficiently accurate 
unless disturbed by an abnormal fall of fruit. I 
have therefore confined my attention to the method 
for this latter purpose only, and have found it effec- 
tual. How, indeed, could it be otherwise ?—Yours 
obediently, OLp PuANTER, March 1880. 
HOW TO BUY ARTIFICIAL MANURES : 
VOELCKER’S RULES. 
DEAR Strs,—It may perhaps be useful to proprietors 
and superintendents to know the following rules (given 
by Professor Voelcker) in order to guide them in the 
purchase of artificial manures : 
1, Raw or green bones, or bone dust, should be 
purchased as ‘‘pure” raw bones guaranteed to con- 
tain not less than 45 per cent of tribasic phosphate 
of lime, and to yield not less than 4 per cent of 
ammonia. 
2. Boiled bones should be purchased as ‘‘ pure” 
boiled bones guaranteed to contain not less than 48 per 
cent of tribasic phosphate of lime, and to yield not 
less than 1? per cent of ammonia. 
3. Dissolved bones are made of various qualities, 
and are sold at various prices per ton; therefore 
