34. Drrecror’s Rrerort-or THE 
self-sterile varieties in deciding what varieties may be mingled 
with them to provide for cross-pollination. 
Ringing grapevines.— Conclusions drawn from results of ex- 
periments are as follows: in 
Vines should be vigorous and not be ringed too severely. 
A ringed vine cannot carry as large a crop of fruit to maturity 
as an ungirdled vine. 
Vines grown on renewal system should have all arms ringed and 
all fruit back of the ring should be removed. Fruit on unringed 
arm is inferior, while fruit back of a girdle is worthless. 
With many varieties, when properly done, ringing does not 
seriously injure the quality of the fruit. 
Not all varieties should be ringed. 
Too severe ringing will kill the vines. 
With some varieties and in some seasons girdling will hasten 
time of ripening 8 or 10 days and in some eases increase size of 
bunch and berry at least a half. 
~ 
DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY. 
Spraying expermments on cucumbers.— During the season of 
1898 co-operative spraying experiments on late cucumbers were 
conducted in four different localities on Long Island: Green Lawn, 
one and one-half acres; Smithtown Branch, two acres; Deer Park, 
two acres; and Mattituck, two acres. Owing to lack of fertility 
in the soil, the experiment at Mattituck was a failure. At the 
other three places the sprayed fields. remained practically free 
from the downy mildew or “ blight ” and gave an average yield 
of 86,000 marketable cucumbers per acre, while unsprayed fields 
in the same localities and under approximately parallel conditions 
yielded on the average about 35,000 per acre. ; 
From the results of experiments made during the past three 
seasons we are convinced that the spraying of late cucumbers on 
Long Island is a highly profitable practice. 

