i9i i.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 6oi 



entirely destroyed in 1909, as well as in the three earlier years. The 

 various dressings were applied in 1902-3. Quicklime was used in two 

 forms, (1) slaked as soon as it was brought from the kiln by pouring 

 water over it, and applied to the soil in autumn, and (2) slaked in the 

 ordinary way, by being left in heaps in the field, and then spread 

 before ploughing. Of the former kind one ton per acre had but slight 

 effect on the disease after the first year of application, two tons was 

 more effective, and four tons produced a marked improvement in the 

 crop, although even this dressing was insufficient to eradicate the disease 

 from a soil so thoroughly impregnated with it. Quicklime slaked in 

 the natural way was distinctly inferior to the other for the first few 

 years after application, but by 1909 there was little difference between 

 the two. Ground lime was only equal to the less effective of the two 

 forms of slaked lime, and was the most expensive. A dressing of 

 10 cwt. per acre of sulphate of copper applied along with the manures 

 in the spring of 1903 caused for the first three years a greater failure 

 of crop than the finger-and-toe, but in 1909 the crop on this plot was 

 among the best in the experiment, which appeared to show that some 

 effect had been ultimately produced. Kainit (10 cwt.) was to a certain 

 extent beneficial, though not in the first year after application. 



Potato Spraying (National Fruit and Cider Institute, Leaflet No. 5). 

 — Plots were sprayed once, twice, and three times respectively with 

 ordinary Bordeaux mixture and with " Woburn " Bordeaux mixture. 

 The attack of disease was severe and spraying was shown to be of 

 undoubted benefit by prolonging the period of growth. Two sprayings 

 were more effective than one, but no conclusions could be drawn as 

 to the relative merits of the two forms of Bordeaux mixture or the 

 value of a third spraying, owing to some of the plots being more open 

 to infection than others. 



Spraying of Potatoes (Univ. Coll. of N. Wales, Agric. Dept., 

 Bull. 5, 1910). — The spraying was carried out at nine centres in 1910, 

 the spray consisting of 24 lb. sulphate of copper, 30 lb. pure washing 

 soda, and 120 gallons of water per acre. 



The best results were obtained from spraying twice. 



Horticulture, Cider and Hops. 



Varieties of Apples for Cider-making, and Effect of a Wet Season 

 (Nat. Fruit and Cider Inst. Report, 1910). — Owing to the character of 

 the summer of 1909, difficulty was experienced in obtaining a suffi- 

 % cient supply of fruit to carry on elaborate experiments, and the cider- 

 making on a practical scale was mainly concerned with the investiga- 

 tion of the qualities of individual varieties. Details are given in this 

 Report of the character of eleven varieties of sharp cider, seven of sweet, 

 twelve of bitter-sweet, and one perry, all of which were made in bulk 

 in the cider-house. About 150 other varieties were made on a small 

 scale in the laboratory, and information respecting them may be ob- 

 tained from the Director of the Institute. 



The influence of the abnormal summer of 1909, with its lack of sun- 

 shine and excessive rainfall, was very interesting. The quality of the 

 fresh juices in nearly every case was considerably below the average. 

 The specific gravity was, as a rule, several points lower than the 

 normal for the varieties concerned, and the amount of sugar was thus 



