626 



Experiments in Fruit Growing. [Jan., 



and the artificials had least effect at the end of the period of the 

 experiment. (2) The dunged plots were much superior to the 

 others as regards size and quality of fruit and growth of bushes. 

 (3) Heavier dressings of dung increased the crops and the size 

 of the bushes considerably ; heavier dressings of artificials 

 increased the size of the bushes slightly and had but little effect 

 on the crops. 



Raspberries. — (1) Moderate dressings of dung and artificials 

 increased the crop by about 30 per cent. The dung may have 

 had only a small effect on the crops .during the first year or two, 

 but circumstances prevented this from being ascertained ; the 

 artificials had considerably less action than dung during the 

 later years. (2) The dunged plots were superior to the others 

 as regards size and quality of fruit. (3) Heavier dressings 

 materially increased the crop in the case of dung, but decreased 

 it in the case of artificials. (4) The effect of the dressings on 

 the growth of the canes was not determined. 



Apples. — Neither moderate nor heavy dressings of dung or 

 artificials, nor of both combined, had any appreciable effect on 

 any feature of the trees, nor on the crops from them. The total 

 effect did not amount to 5 per cent., and even that effect was 

 very doubtful. The only exception was in the case of nitrate 

 applied in the early or late summer, which in several seasons 

 produced a good effect. In a lighter and poorer soil the results 

 obtained indicate that manures will there have a more positive 

 action. 



Thus the crops were increased by moderate dressings of 

 dung in every case except that of apples, and were increased by 

 artificials in every case except that of apples and gooseberries. 

 The growth was increased by dung except in the case of apples, 

 and in a lesser degree by artificials. Heavier dressings, especially 

 of dung, nearly always increased the growth, but increased the 

 crops in the case of currants and raspberries only ; in the case 

 of strawberries and raspberries, when the dressing consisted of 

 artificials, the increase of manure diminished the crops. Dung 

 had a marked effect on the size and quality of the fruit in every 

 case except that of apples ; with apples there were slight indi- 

 cations of a similar action. 



That the absence of effect of manures on apple trees may, to 



