Page:Report of the Puerto Rico Experiment Station (IA CAT31294391015).pdf/26

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REPORT OF FEDERAL EXPERIMENT STATION IN PUERTO RICO, 1949

at 4½ feet should easily justify the cost of three extra cuttings over a 4-year period.[1]

Fertilizing Bay Trees. A. J. Loustalot

Fertilizer treatments were applied to bay trees and 16 months later records of yield of leaves, oil, and phenol were obtained. The data showed that ammonium sulfate, alone or in combination with potassium or phosphorus, significantly increased the yield of fresh vegetative growth. Muriate of potash or superphosphate, alone or combined, did not increase the yields of vegetative material significantly, nor did potassium and phosphorus when applied with ammonium sulfate. There was no statistically significant difference in the percentages of oil or phenol among any of the treatments. Fertilizing bay trees with ammonium sulfate, as in this experiment, was uneconomical at present prices. The value of the additional oil obtained from trees treated with ammonium sulfate amounted to about half the cost of the fertilizer.[2]

Bambood Distributions. R. Ferrer Delgado

The Insular Forest Service has continued to cooperate with the sta- tion in the planting of newly introduced bamboos, in connection with the watershed-protection program. During the year 1,666 clump di- visions of Bambusa tulda Roxb., 500 B. longispiculata Gamble ex Brandis, 636 B. tuldoides Munro, 300 B. textilis McClure, 275 Gigantochloa apus (Roem. & Schult.) Kurz ex Munro, 225 Sinocalamus oldhami (Munro) McClure, and 200 Dendrocalamus strictus (Roxb.) Nees were supplied to the Forest Service. In cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, the station has supplied 1,832 clump divisions of B. tulda and other species to private individuals.

Rooting Side-Branch Cuttings. R. Ferrer Delgado

An experiment was initiated in an attempt to root bamboo by side-branch cuttings, using several rooting media and two plant growth regulators, alphanaphthylacetamide and indolebutyric acid, and two degrees of light. Riverbank soil and sand proved to be the most satisfactory rooting media. Other media such as vermiculite and peat plus sand were as good, but riverbank soil has the advantage of being cheaper and more easily obtainable. The hormone treatments had no significant effect on rooting. Cuttings planted under shade rooted better than those planted under direct sunlight.

Crops Following Bamboo. R. Ferrer Delgado

Four crops, representing the grasses, legumes, roots, and fruits, were tested on land on which bamboo had previously grown. The results obtained to date and the general appearance of all crops planted indicated that successful cropping practices may be followed immediately in areas previously planted to bamboo.


  1. Loustalot, A. J. and Fernández Pol. THE EFFECT OF HARVESTING CITRONELLA AND LEMONGRASS AT THREE HEIGHTS ON YIELD AND OIL CONTENT. Amer. Soc. Agr. Jour. 41. [In press.] 1949.
  2. LOustalot, A. J. THE EFFECT OF FERTILIZER TREATMENTS ON YIELD OF BAY LEAVES, OIL, AND PHENOL. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 53:517-519. 1949.