440 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. I, No. s 
potash and phosphoric acid, might have when applied as sprays, and 
finally, what results might be obtained from a similar application of other 
substances not ordinarily considered as having any particular fertilizer 
value. 
Experiments intended to answer these and a number of other more 
or less important questions were started in February, 1913, in the same 
orchard in which the previous year's work was done. Eleven 13-year- 
old trees were used in each plat. A frost occurred at the time the fruit 
was setting which ruined the crop and made it impossible to obtain 
results in crop production. Data were obtained, however, on the effect 
of the various sprays on the blossoming of the trees in the spring, and 
the notes taken may be summarized as follows: 
The plats sprayed with nitrate of soda at the rate of 1 pound to the 
gallon came into bloom earlier than the check trees, just as they had done 
in 1912. This effect was more marked in the cases in which lye was 
added to the nitrate solution than when the plain water solution was 
used—that is, the addition of lye in the proportion of 16 pounds of caus¬ 
tic soda in 100 gallons of spray solution increased the action of the nitrate 
of soda in bringing the trees out earlier. Caustic soda appeared to be 
just as effective as caustic potash. Nitrate of soda used at the rate of 
half a pound to the gallon, either with or without the addition of lye, was 
not nearly so effective as a solution of 1 pound to the gallon. A solution 
of one-fourth of a pound to the gallon, with lye added, had practically no 
effect. Nitrate of soda, at the rate of 1 pound to the gallon, to which 
oxalic acid was added in the proportion of 50 pounds to 125 gallons of 
solution, produced results similar to nitrate of soda plus lye, so far as the 
effect of hastening the blooming period is concerned. Lime nitrate, 130 
pounds in 100 gallons of water, and lime cyanamid, 92 pounds in 100 gal¬ 
lons of water, stimulated an earlier blooming of the trees, and subsequent 
experiments will probably put these substances in a class with nitrate of 
soda. Normal Yellow Bellflower apple blossoms have considerable pink 
color, and it was interesting to note that when the trees sprayed with the 
lime cyanamid came into bloom the flowers were nearly white. The 
effects from sulphate of ammonia were not nearly so marked as those 
from nitrate of soda. These various nitrogen-bearing fertilizer sub¬ 
stances were used in such strengths as to carry relatively the same quan¬ 
tities of nitrogen per gallon. Sulphate of potash had some effect in stimu¬ 
lating an early blooming, but double superphosphate did not. Of a num¬ 
ber of other substances tried, common salt used at the rate of 68 pounds 
to 100 gallons of water produced a distinct effect. 
It will be borne in mind that the above remarks apply simply to the 
effects of the various sprays in causing an earlier blooming of the trees, 
but since this early blooming was a striking characteristic of the nitrate- 
sprayed trees of 1912, which showed a fourfold increase in production, it 
seems permissible to conclude that this effect on the fruit buds is some 
criterion of what might have been expected in the way of crop increase 
had not the fruit been lost by frost. 
The row of seven trees used in the nitrate experiment of 1912 was left 
unsprayed this last season for the purpose of determining whether the 
nitrate effect would continue to the second year. It was noticed that the 
fruit buds on these trees were particularly large and plump, and some¬ 
what unexpectedly at blossoming time these trees came into bloom several 
days ahead of the check rows. The bloom came out very uniformly all 
over the trees, whereas ordinarily it is considerably delayed on the wind- 
