Arizona republican., 1901-05-08

cred with thin tin held firmly in place by weights with flap that may be raised when necessary for the weekly test. Each week a six foot core Is talk en through this aperture and weighed for loss of moisture. This will give the amount of moisture consumed by the roots as the tin and other covering practically prevents evaporation. That concludes the three tests. each a check on the other, and the results obtained next fall will no doubt be valuable.
 There Is still another place in the or chard far removed from trees and roots on which samples are taken for evap- oration alone
 ny means of boring apparatus sam pies are taken to water level at the distance of every foot every month in the year. designed to show the amount of moisture in the ground and the rais- in gand lowering of the water level.
 The system of meteorological tests is also interesting. In addition to the government thermometers and appa- ratus at the farm Prof. McClatchie has instituted some novel tests of his own. First as to temperature. He has two self registering thermometers placed at t..e surface of the earth. two at the height of five feet and two at the height of ten feet above ground. One each at each place registers the maximum and the other the minimum temperature. The difference is sometimes remarkable, showing that when man reports the temperature of the day a difference of ten feet in the altitude at which his thermometer hangs may make a differ ence of several degrees, anywhere from two degrees to ten degrees at this sea- son of the year. This Is something to remember in connection with that other fact of the difference whether the ther- mometer hangs on brick wall or out in a tree.
 A square tank is alco seen in which evaporation tests are carried on with water. The tank is filled each week and, as with the thermometers, and in fact all temperature and moisture tests. inspection is made both morning and evening, and results recorded in books kept for the purpose
 Another soil evaporation test is car ried on by means of three pails set in Jackets similar to the orchard test. Each pail Is foot deep and foot in diameter. These are weighed morning and evening and results and calcula- tions follow. One pail is just as. the soil was put In and is never stirred. be- ing handled as carefully as though filled with poison Another is irrigated in the same way and on the same pro- portions as a field would be, and cul- tivated with the fingers as we'll An other is simply cultivated with the fin gers and not irrigated
 Similar tests, and as check on this test, are made with three small cylin- ders set in the ground.
 There is also an accurate rain gauge and when it rains the proper deduction Is made with regard to the open tank used for evaporation test.
 These are really the most interesting things seen, for the reason that they are the things the public know the least about and are the most important and further that the public for the most part do not know are being tested As Tor the tests of a general nature there are hundreds of them and they are too huniSaous lo recount.
 In nearly everything that is grown tests are made with regard to variety. best time to plant and application of water to the crop. With every experi- ment there are from three to a half dozen things to be sought for in the way of information. They can be re- ferred to in the following lines but cursorily.
 One of the experiments to which Prof. McClatchie is devoting great deal of attention is the raising of different va rieties of the Eucalyptus tree. This is grown extensively in California where he had great deal of experience with it. There are many varieties and many good ones. The tree is valuable for nearly everything from fire wood to ship building and is besides a beauti- ful ornamental tree. Experiments have been made with nearly all varieties and while 1t has been found that most of the kinds in California are not a success in this climate there are others which give decidedly happy results. The farmers or this valley are now planting many or them and the day is not far distant when they will become the most popu- lar tree of that nature grown here.
 Among other things that will make Arizona famous some day are the date trees. IA the farm there are a number or specimens of the seeding dates raised in this valley, also a few trees of imported Egyptian dates that have attained bearing age and a small orchard of suckers taken from the AL gerian dates. This in connection with the big orchard experiment near Tempe unGer the supervision of Prof. Forbes is bound to give satisfying results. There are at the orchard samples of dates in two pound. one pound and half pound b1xes, the first ever grown and packed in the United States which have been held here for the inspection of the president and which will now be gent to the Buffalo exposition.
 There k. an excellent almond and olive orchard which is almost breaking the trees with fruit and nearly every = thing else in greater or less profuson in the horticultural line. In the vege- table line and smaller fruits there are interesting experiments in strawberries, blackberries. tomatoes, potatoes, melons and all manner of garden truck.
 In the matter of experiments with grain and field crops, there are equally as important showlngs as above related ha1 .nf, ,,yl,1