New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 21 
from the ringed plants. The average loss in weight per plant due 
to the ringing was about 14 per ct. The roots of ringed plants 
were less well developed, fewer in number and smaller in size. 
The foliage was more or less abnormal. 
With the chrysanthemum, ringing decreased the height of the 
plant, produced abnormal foliage and stems; the first ringing hin- 
dered the opening of the buds, but the second ringing, two weeks 
later, slightly hastened the maturity of the buds. The size of the 
blossoms of all varieties was greatly reduced; the earlier the ring- 
ing the greater the injury. 
These two plants were chosen because they seemed to be typical 
~of a great number of herbaceous plants. From the experiments 
conducted with them, it seems to be very doubtful if ringing can 
be made beneficial to herbaceous plants. The loss to the plant is 
great, and there seems to be little or no compensating gain. 
The etfect of wood ashes and acid phosphate on the yield and 
color of apples.—An experiment was begun in 1893 to ascertain the 
effects of potash, phosphoric acid and lime as found in wood ashes 
and acid phosphate on the yield and color of apples. This test con- 
_ tinued for twelve years, being completed in 1904. The seat of the ~ 
experiment is a 55-year old. orchard on the Station grounds, lo- 
cated on a medium heavy clay soil. Throughout the experiment 
the orchard was given clean cultivation until August Ist and was 
then seeded to a cover crop of oats, barley or clover. There were 
ninety-four trees in the test representing five varieties. The 
orchard was divided into eight plats, four treated and four un- 
treated. 
Wood ashes were applied to the treated plats at the rate of 100 
pounds per tree ; acid phosphate at the rate of 8% and lime at 32 
pounds per tree. Analyses showed that 169 pounds per acre of 
actual potash were applied each year; 129 pounds of phosphoric 
acid; and 1,536 pounds of lime. These amounts are excessive for 
all three of the fertilizers. . 
From da financial standpoint the results were negative. The es- 
timated increase in value of crop on the treated plants for a hypo- 
thetical five acres is $99 and the estimated value of the fertilizers 
for the above area is $74.50. This gives a difference of $24.50 
which does not pay for handling the fertilizers. 
Results as to color of fruit lack uniformity and were not de- 
cided enough in a sufficient number of the twelve seasons to enable 
the experimenters to state that the fertilizers applied improved the 
