xt7h9w08ww13 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7h9w08ww13/data/mets.xml Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station 1893 Title from cover.
Imprint varies. journals English Frankfort, Ky. : Capital Office, E. Polk Johnson, 1890-1948. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Annual report. 1893 text Annual report. 1893 1893 2011 true xt7h9w08ww13 section xt7h9w08ww13 nEi>onT or AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 9_ ·
V— Results of the work done under Fertilizer Control are given in
the main in Bulletin No. 46. A considerable portion of the
time of the chemists has been occupied in this work.
19 The work on pests of shade and ornamental trees and an
experiment on plum rot is given in Bulletin No. 47. T .
P, From April to Novembermost of the time of the Director ,
was given to the Dairy Tests 'by the World’s Columbian Expo-
S, sition at Chicago. .
These Tests of Dairy breeds of cattle have been a subject of
` much interest to all interested in Dairy work, and especially
S. to the Stations, but the question of how to get a sutlicient num- ,
31 · ber of representative cows of the different breeds together in
an experiment without entailing an expense altogether beyond
1 the resources of any Experiment Station, has prevented any
systematic work in this line by our Experiment Stations, ex-
at cept in a few instances where but from 2 to 4 cows of each breed
70* were used. In all such cases results must be necessarily un-
ka satisfactory. Through the eifortsof Chief Buchanan, Depart-
ment of Agriculture, VVorld’s Columbian Exposition, the
BS Exposition authorities inaugurated a· breed test of Dai-ry cattle
S9 on a very extended scale. .
In order to conduct the test, Mr. Buchanan called to his
Of assistance the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and
YB Experiment Stations. This Association appointed a committee
Of to conduct the tests. As a member of that committee, I gave
most of my time from April to May. The results obtained at a
h` cost of about $70,000 will soon be available to the Stations, and
thus the test has furnished opportunity for the study of dairy
iy problems such as only could have been secured under the an-
d' n spices of such an organization as the \Vorld’s Columbian Expo-
sition. The tests are very full and complete. Nothing in the
ts dairy line has heretofore approached these tests in number of
cows under test, in length of time the tests cover, or in the
Of completeness of the records.
in _ ]’Ul§LlC.\'l`IONS. ·
Four Bulletins have been published and are incorporated in
BS, this report. Some 11,000 copies of each ot these Bulletins have
VS been distributed in the State. _` '
M. A. Scoviztn, Detector.

 REPORT OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 13 »
Dd_ Analysis of the Air-Dried Material.
_ Srivriox NUMBER. 2130 2131 2276 2277
_— _ ` Per Ct. Per Ct. Per Ct. Per Ct. .
_ I Nitrogen , ...........r . . it . . . 0.108 0.067 0,200 0.515 .
. Potash . ...... . ..... ‘. .... .532 .515 Trace. .015
3 I Phosphoric Acid . ..... .   .... { . . .096 .080 .592 .423
7 . Lime ................... .198 .175 .... l ....
Insoluble Residue . . . ._ .......... 86,446 82.486 I .... I .... .
L__An_..,__L;___l_
_ 2114. Ashes of hickory wood, sent by Mr. A. P. Farnsley,
l Louisville, Kentucky. "
D; 2233. Nitrate of potush, purchased of Messrs. H. J. Baker
_ & Bro., for use in fertilizer experiments.
_? STA*1*1ox Niimsrm. . 2114 * 2233
Lime .................. V 36.86 Per Cont ..........
· Phosphoric Acid, . . . . ...... ” 1.15 " .........
Potush ..,....... . . .   4.50 " 46.08 Per Cent.
Nitrogen ........... ‘ ....   . Y ....... l 12.70 =·
rh, [AY M  We   .... . -~i,T A`.A_A_A—.
’“· K 2083, Phosphutic limestone from the soil near the surface, on
as the farm of Dr. R. J. Spurr, near Greendzile, Fayette county,
Kentucky. (See previous reports).
81* A soft, porous rock, in thin pieces, chalky in zippeuranoe and
Bn feel, mul brownish in color. Qualitative tests showed the pres-
  ence ol liuorides, butonly traces of carbonate of lime,
I S*1·.x‘1‘1oN Nrmucx. i 52083
76,   . . .-11.   1 A   .. ..
Hg 1’hosp1ror1c Aoirl. ..................... , :a<;,1oRT OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 27 ‘I
W 15. Og/rtcpizg/ZZu.s ccmcavus, Harris. The common Katydid
is moderately common locally throughout the State.
ls 16. Amblycoryp/td 0bZmzgU'0Z1Ta, DeGeer. Occasional. Taken
only at East Hickman, Lexington and Nortonville.
ln l 17. Amblycorypim 0*0t2mcZMoZrz`et, Scudder. Frequently ob- `
BS served about Lexington towards fall on weedsand grasses under
trees in woodland pastures- '
is 18. Jlficrocenlwum Zrmriofinzzyt, Linn. Common everywhere
V9 on black locust and other trees. Known from its peculiar note,
which resembles the sound made by striking two pebbles to-
Y· gether. ·
UB 19. Scudcieria, cumzbrrurirt, DeGeer. A common species in
open fields and meadows. East Hickman, Lexington, Norton-
IY - ville, Glasgow Junction. ` .
?€· 20. Scuddevict fzzrcala, Brunner. A smaller and less com-
- mon species than the preceding., Taken only at Bryant and
on , Lexington.
21. OO7t0€6])7Z(LZ't{.\‘ sy). A singleimmature representative of
re- this genus is in the Station collection, Nortonville.
22. ry}-[?]L?l(Zi’l(’/L _]°”CLSOJ·(6['ZL77l, DeGee1·. Very common, espe-
cially so on hemp, and on weeds in stubble.
23. Xz`phz'd`//xm 72.67720/`CLZC, Scndder. Rather more common
Su- even than the preceding. Examples brought in by Mr. Jordan,
GS, oi the Station, September 1-1, 1893, were placing their eggs In
~ the tender stems of rose bushes.
_ 24. .\'1lg27tz`z/mm,cnsiferzmzt, Scudder. Not rare. Lexington,
In Bryant. »
T6` 25. ,XV}`[?///·(Z/`2L’772/ yZ(Lb€}"7`f’i}2’(l7}}, Scudd. Very common every-
mg where.
OW 26. .\`//»//.zTdz`u»m vz.z`g7`zj>e.s·, Soudder. Frequent. Lexington,
uw Georgetown, Nortonville.
md . 27. .‘{/p7tz`cZz'vmz. com·/xm.mn, Scudder. Not common, two
examples, Lexington.
:ies 28. yl//tf/7`€OlL(}[’/LS ;>ae·/z.gz;1»zw‘uts·, Burnt. A single example is
OH in the colletetion from Tyrone On the Kentucky river. Mammoth
my Cave, (Scudder).
me A 6tl{;\SSllOl’l’EliS t,)F.~\\Ill,Y :X(.'llIl>ll),l·j).
16- 29. ]’cz0leMi;r gmc/Zia, Bruner. Occcasional. Lexington,
East Hickman, Providence.

       ,_ “ .
iO’·;_ii_;,_I L l " 30 nnronr or AGRICULTURAL nxrnnrrrnur STATION.
t;Q~,T.g._··>·is gi
    60. Amfsomorphrr buprestoides, Stall. In a list of Illinois
  ji} · Ortho tera Bulletin Illinois State Laborator of Natural His- `
;;_.,_2j‘;gEs;ej   p _ _
    tory, 1, p. 60) Dr. C. Thomas states that this Sp€O1€S has been
   "§ _ _ _ _
i.e;i~;i;;:<‘··i;;,s sl observed 1n Kentuck . I have m self collected It 1n J ohnson
i*»"r@t·Ff¥i·  
  iii county, Southern Illinois, and have no doubt but that it occurs
    .
    also in Western Kentucky.
>·¤*‘*i€:»   ei
  »..V  V; PRAYING l\IAN*rrDr:s (FAMILY MANTIDAIE).
 _  61. Smgmomaxmfis carolrirm, Linn. Not very common in
fri`; ,é}’§*¤·:·V§3  .' . . `
  Eastern Kentucky. Abundant in parts of VVestern Kentucky. ,
  Noted as especially common at East Cairo. »
    Roacnns (FAMILY BLArrrn.ia).
  62. Blotter ermamcrz, Fab. I er abundant in dwellm s.
  _ _ _ _ rn
it-‘ j_> . .; 63, Eoziobm _/Zcwoczrzctct Scudder. One example, Lexington. fc
  64. Pariplzzrteta orierzzfctlisg Linn. Common. I SC
 Fa? 65. Iscimopzicra permsylmmicct. DeGeer. Common.
  wa.·..+ v;g   ‘ .
  66. Or tocercus yzmctulttius, Scudder. A sinvle exam yle . .
    _  .. yp ¤ I fr
  of this singular species was taken at Maysville, June, 1892, by - C(
  Prof. C. W. Mathews. ‘
    . R
.-:5%% #5** ri; I (
  ».-i   DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE. _ ·
{_      `
  M. A. Scov1:LL, Director .·
    .; _ _ _
 r;?.¤*iF »> t‘.—· it-xl DEAR Sm: In accordance with our re nest, I submit here- »
  .-_ ,  i with the report of the Hortivultnral Division for the past year,
?‘”=*i£L·~;ik¢Qé5:iI . . . . , .
   " The work of this division has been greatly aided since my last
    report by the employment of an assistant, Mr. A. T. Jordan,
    who commenced his duties in April, and has proved himself a
  _-,— Y   faithful and efficient worker.
  i Varietal tests of vegetables have as heretofore occupied a con-
  i_`O   —’_t T";. 4 i siderable portion of our time during the past season. Consid-
  ‘`·— f Q   , ei-able additions have been made to our collection of small fruits
   ., _  ‘ i·  I »s-. Q  during the year, especially of strawberries, and it is expeoted
 

   [M5, " 32 nnponr or AGRICULTURAL nxrnnrrrnnr smrron, ,—
  J
    a‘
    BULLETIN No. 44. in
    ff
    BORDEA UX MLXTURE FOR APPLE PESTS. tk
  l  
  BY rr. cnruvrrm, mvrorrorocrsr Ann nernivrsr.
  APPLE ROT. _ H
  Probably no enemy of the orchardist destroys more fruit, al
  and is the occasion of more loss in Kentucky, than the rot- ’ p
  fungus, known to botansts as Glcrosporium oersicolor. It is no in
  uncommon thing for three—fourths of all the fruit on a tree to · I‘<
  ’  be rendered worthless by its attacks. In the latter part of sum- P
  mer, we {ind in many orchards the ground covered with well- P
  grown apples, suitable for marketing as far as size and maturity 0
  are concerned, yet not worth gathering up because er the rot n
 sj:  with which they are wholly or in part affected. · Vi
  These fallen apples are, as a rule, not windfalls which have IY
  been invaded after they were blown down, but, in most cases, S
  began rotting on the trees. Very many invaded apples can, U
—       during much of the summer, be found clinging to the branches, Y
  the rot forming a deep brown patch about the calyx end, or else 0
 j starting from a break in the skin, due to the thrashing of the 3
  ,-`   twigs or the gnawings of insects; more rarely starting at the t
  stem end of an apple, and gradually widening from this until
   5 the opposite pole is reached. Hundreds of dollars are lost each 6
      year from this destructive work on the fruit, and farmers known C
  ’   to me do not get enough apples for their own use, where in early t
  _,   days they secured splendid crops of excellent fruit. The rot- 2
    ting is not confined to particular varieties, though some are ?
   `il much more liable to it than are others. It takes fruit at any i
      stage of growth, from the time it is about three-quarters of an I
 Vx   inch in diameter until it is ripe. Damp weather appears t0 {
py`; 

 s REPORT 014* AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 33 *
I accelerate its injuries, but it is -not dependent on this, and dur-
ing the dryest months of the dryest summers may be found
among growing fruit. ·
I have already called attention to this rot in one of the Station
reports. The pest is so abundant`and widespread in the State l
that it has seemed best to devote considerable attention to it, ,
and I have undertaken a series of experiments with a view to
learning whatwill save apples from its attacks.
· THE souncic OF APPLE RoT.
It is sometimes assumed that this decaying of apples is a V
spontaneous breaking down and giving way to unfavorable in-
fluences of the atmosphere, of poor soil, deficient nourishment L
putt, and the likefjust as a piece of meat becomes putrid when ex- ‘
mt- · posed to the air during warm weather. The decomposition of
S HO meat under such circumstances, while apparently a spontaneous
6 to . return to the earth and air of the substance of which it is com-
,um_ posed, is really not strictly spontaneous at all, and if it were
WGH protected from the attacks of certain small fungi (the bacteria
U-ity or microbes of current literature}, it would not rot. This pro-
, I-Ot tection is what we afford to meat when we " can " it ; it is what
we do for fruit when we "put it up." In these cases, though
have the operator is often ignorant of the··reason why his work, to be
mes, successful, must be done according to definite methods, the
Can, treatment is for no other purpose than to keep these commodi-
Chgsa ties from the fioating micro organisms of the air. Expose such
F else canned meats or fruits to the air and they will, in the course of
f the a few hours, be found teeming with this minute life, and if left
t the to themselves are speedily rendered unfit for use.
umn The rotting of apples on the trees is a very similar case, but the
leach decay is much more evidently not spontaneous. It is just as
UOWH certain that the apple rot will not attack fruit on the trees, if
early the spores of the fungus of which the technical name is given
B mp above does not get access to them, as it is that potatoes will not
B me grow in a field in which no potatoes have been planted. The
,6 any fungus causing this rot is a plant of rather complicated struct-
Of an ure and life-history, which is, as far as we know, dependent upon
Us to apples for its sustenance. The apple then does not become dis-
3—6 E. s. ·

 E?   fe    ¤=; ti I rdf 
;{t.,‘?.:i`E;;:. A5 ta
  V.»·'   " 34 REPORT OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT sTA’rI0“N, L
  _.1`-l _ » _
  organized by the effect of heat, moistureror poor nourrshment, m
  tl but is destro ed b a ve etable arasite of relativel large size, O1
  »g-··:·s.·»;e acs! y ·
    being discernible when only slightly enlarged by the microscope, p
*"€¢é·€3Y  *'§ . . . . .
  gl and in some of 1ts cond1t1ons even erce tible to the naked e s, J
   sl . . . p
  it g I dwell u yon these things because there is a tendenc to consider
    1 ¤
  ‘f`él such diseases as this rot beyond our control, a tendency which EL
;$*%~=i§‘     . . . . .
   "l often leads to a neglect of Jrecautions which might easil be ·
  1  ¤ B.
  taken, and which would tend greatly towards remedying the O;
  J:  . . . . . ` . _ _
  ev1l done by the parasite. VVhen It is impressed upon the mind cy
l'Y:· ` `*"¢=· ··l . . .
  of the fruit-grower that this rot 1S not due to the weather, but tg]
Lat ,,     , , .
   a t to a arasite I feel sure he will be yrom .t to take u J the matter . ‘ ;
  of stamping 1t out. ‘ at
W" ·£$r.` · `€‘ . .
 {;  Doubtless most farmers have observed during the winter num- H
  bers of dried and shriveled a i iles clinging to the twigs of a le ,
{_  ,,,_. ._sp , e ¤ . ¤ c
    trees. These are generally the remains of fruit which rotted on fl
¥’=‘ 2.-;;::%%   . .
  the trees durmg receding summers and from some cause re- ,
·¢     J": P1 C) ’ C
  mained adherin to the twigs instead of falling to the round.
tw .s··:;;j•m, . .¤· . U ¤ H
    It has been suggested and believed that these mummined apples g
 ?l  bear the spores of the fungus which attacks growing fruit, but ,3
  I am not aware that any one has hitherto tested the truth of this H
 il? surmise b attem ting to conve the rot to sound a les. In
‘   ¥· .;. h ` - S
  preparing for the experiments here reported an examination of F
 =¤Y___T;1..;j.}»jf;§_· _ ‘ -
  =;, the orchard on the Experiment Farm was made early last O
  - spring before the leaves were out. It was found that most of 5
· 1=*‘~a:iE2¥. » . . .
    the trees retainel these withered apples. From a pint to a quart 0
 Ei-? of them could have been taken from most of the trees. They g
 .S€32F;i*;:f°   . ‘ _ . . . .
e  *.52   varied from .24 to Lab 1l'1Cl1 in diameter, the smaller ones being C
·. \=, t~  _ » U
s$¤S~e:4€?;=l~, much the more common vrobabl because the weight of the t
I  4;;.::   i ’ D
,é=*§i*5:%·2;£f`éti§—` larger fruit invaded b rot tends to iull it from its attachment. A O
5`é;f;2•‘gf. .‘;··-» _ n
  `»»,.· "l`»l;e A large >ro iortion of the smaller exam iles stood unrirht on gt
...;.4. ·».—· tit => l l f= .
 *5tt their stems, and it is apparent therefore that they were the re- E
  T§" mains of immature fruit. The tenacit 7 with which these small s
W.  _ _ { 5
  ._»· fg; ,_``   ones adhere leads me to think they remain for several years on i
,g`€;YQ;}?»   the trees. Of course it is not probable that all of these mum- f
§€{g·;—$Q;¢jg _   milied apple< were destroyed by rot`, but an examination of a r
 _Q‘2.—jC;_ F l considerable number of examples shows that most of them bear
  V   ` ; the sp >res of the fungus. ln fact I have not thus far found a (
      srngle example that did not bear some. Contrary to my expec· 5
··’  f`   _ .  tation, they were more abundent as a rule on the smaller mum-
 _ ~ ;.  1;.;
 

     ·
> REPORT OF AGRHVULTURAL EXPEl2IMENT STATION. 35 ·
ent, T mies. On specimens of an ash-gray color, the result of a lifting
ize, V of the cuticle, they were especially abundant, the ruptured
pe, pustules beneath the cuticle still apparently containing a large
=ye. part of the spores which developed there.
der Thousands of the microscopic spores were thus embedded in ¥
Nh a single one of these dried dup apples, and as was proved by .
‘ be experiment they needed only to be introduced into the substance
the of sound apples to germinate and produce the characteristic
ind change known as rotting. Again and again spores taken from
bill? the old fruit which remained on the trees during the winter of T
WBT V ' 189l—92, and possibly longer, were seen to produce the disease V
` and eventually to yield the black fruiting pustules containing
¤m· new spores, when introduced into sound fruit taken from the
)Dl9 cellar or obtained f`rom the market. To test the matter still
l OH further some of the spores were sowed upon sterilized gelatine
Y€· containing an infusion of apple, and here the result was very
md- much like that obtained by planting them on the apples. The
13195 gelatine, where invaded by the growing threads, became of a
but dark color, finally of a sooty black, and eventually small black
this nodules appeared at the surface containing the characteristic
IH _ spores. These winter spores are very much larger than those
1 of produced during the summer, and are developed in the midst
last of the nodules instead of on the outside. Under the microscope
.t of they look not unlike a rather large elliptical seed. They are
_uart covered by a thick brownish outer coat, and contain a coarse
Dhey granular material, in some instances with one or several round
teing clear spaces. The latter become larger and more evident when
’ the they are placed in water or apple juice for germination. Those
rent. t obtained from rotting apples are considerably smaller, on an
.t on 4 average, than those grown on gelatine, as would be expected .
te re- from the diderence in the media. Examples from an apple de-
tmall stroyed by an artificially induced rot measured .027 mm (.0011
rs on inch) in length and .0l2 mm (.0005 inch) in width. Other spores
num- from a culture of the fungus made on gelatine measured .037
of a mm (.0015 inch) in length and .0l5`mm (.0006 inch) in width.
b€iU` It will be seen by these measurements that the spores which
md it convey the disease to fruit. are very small, much too small to be
XDGW seen with the naked eye, and yet they are as evidently the
num-

   IIȴ =;. L; .Q=_j  
¤·>**’—·`>‘ FZ .  
  * jill · 36 REPORT or Ae1<1oULTUaAL EXPERIMENT STATION.  3;;
 it  ‘ . L  
  I source of the rot which takes the apples as melon seeds are the  
    I _. source of melons which grow in our fields.   g
    ’ It is so evident from the most superficial study of the subject gi
lt€?re‘;~L“’¥z`§ kit . . . i'
  3;; that the removal of the dr1ed·u a les from the trees in winter i A
F1=¥J·¤._;r;,;,;   P ·‘ u
    would remove the source of contamination to growing fruit,  
    I that it seems strange that some practical man has not hit upon   b
   if it as a means of reventin the mischief. Certainl thousands ii
¤¥%=?`a‘R4r¥e;*»   p g - — .
   gi of minute s ores ca able each one of destro in an a le and   ·
F%Ie§%·‘i~">q§;,;‘; sj P ’ p ’ '  
  ‘i  then of generating new spores sufficient to take a crop, would ' t
   if i . . p
¥5¥€%=~;é¢5£% i} be removed from the trees b this rocess. An ex eriment re-
i»·Z`_~@l“-~`§;C‘ 1 • y S
 Q  ported below seems to justify all that has bee11 claimed for the V
  procedure on general principles. In experiment 442 every one A 3
  of these mummified apples. amounting to about a quart-, was
  removed from the tree, and I believe it was during the summer {
lg .  r.»§·;f>Z>Z» } , , ,
  the cleanest and most thrifty tree of any in the orchard, and in _ t
Vw-  »%l'?$. §  . . . . _
{j x-    August 1t yielded the best fruit taken from any of the treated » {
  trees.   » t
     
  · nxianamririvrs 442 AND 443. w
  Early in the spring of 1892, before the leaves were out, every
’=  ‘“*‘ $5% ` . ’ . .
  shriveled apple was removed from a tree in the Experiment I
  372:, 1 . . .
  · Farm orchard, and 1t was then sprayed with Bordeaux mixture I
  until the branches and trunk were gray. The tree selected for   1
  this treatment was one of two of the same variety, standing   ‘
  side b side. The name of the variet I am unable to ive. It I
‘e ¥·‘va:$*€E. g l
  ..o. ifi? is said to be a `anet, and the fruit agrees in color sha ne and to E i
» p·cr¤·;?;J.· ‘- Q_ ' ’ I I .
  some extent in iiavor, with the janets commonly used for winter   ·
  keeping; but it is a fall apple, and averages larger than the {
¤€· TQ2;1.·»§§' 3;;.; L5 _ _ _ .
  late-keeping janets grown in the same orchard. These trees
=" *2ir¤.·f=·<   _ . . i
  were selected for ex Jeriment because of the tendenc of their .
 =:€$5$‘i`:*iéd·· . . y
    fruit to rot and fall off. In 1891 no apples of consequence were
  obtained from either tree because of the destructive work of I
..!§§}“2—;·€·   · _
;;;,,,_g ·.»_   the rot-fungus. The treated tree was given the number 442 and ,
  .,,· dg the check tree was numbered 443. They appear to be of the .
    same age, but No. 443 is somewhat the larger, Il2l.V1Hg thus a
  _   possible advantage in bearing power,
  *_    After the apples had "set," later in the spring, the whole
  jj? `_  ` orchard was sprayed for codling-moth, these trees receiving
  li their share of the poison. This codling-moth work was done
·· ”   _.   .;= ,; from May 16 to May 18, inclusive. ·
my

   REPORT OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT sT.ATtoN. 37 _ `._
19 ii On May 23 No. 442 was sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, two '
  gallons of the preparation being used. ~ ,
Ol? if June 6 the free was sprayed again, about three gallons of the
BY . mixture being employed. . it
lt, " July 6 it received a third and final application, four gallons " .
UH   being used this time. · ` ·
dS Q The tree received no othergtreatment during the season, but `y
Hd the lime and copper could be seen on the leaves and trunk at all nl-4 ·
ld A times until cold weather set in. Between sprayings it was to l it
*€· I some extent washed from leaves most exposed to rains, but yl
UB would probably have been evident in the fall if only the first "
H9 application had been made.
'3·S I The effect on the leaves of the spraying was very marked I
l€I` k from the beginning. The tree bore a more thrifty appearance, p l
in . the leaves were ol’ a better color, and were actually larger than I p
Gd l _ those of the unsprayed check tree. As the season progressed .
  » the dideren