MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION IQII 29I 



periments in Orchard Culture." During the period referred 

 to the study of Russian varieties of apples and their adaptabil- 

 ity to Northern Maine conditions, as well as a study of seed- 

 ling apples of Maine origin also received attention. 



The unusually severe winter of 1906-1907, which was so 

 destructive to apple trees in the southern counties of the State, 

 inflicted such severe and permanent injury to the orchard where 

 the Station was conducting its experiments that their continua- 

 tion was impracticable. This fact, coupled with the resignation 

 of Dr. Munson in 1907, put an end, temporarily, to pomological 

 investigations. 



Dr. Munson's last bulletin issued by this Station* was a 

 summary of the results obtained in the orchard management 

 experiments. Under that general head had been conducted the 

 following investigations : 



The elTect of culture and fertilization vs. mulch without 



cultivation. 

 The effects of diff'erent potash salts upon the functions 



of the tree. 

 The effect of fertilizers of high nitrogen content. 

 The comparative effect of organic manure and chemical 



fertilizers. 

 Spraying for the control of insect and fungous parasites. 

 Orchard renovation. 

 The results of the work are here summarized by quotation 

 from the bulletin. 



"The work in this orchard has clearly shown that it is wholly 

 practicable to take an old, unprofitable, rapidly degenerating 

 apple orchard and, in spite of three unusually severe winters, 

 at close intervals, (i) to bring that orchard into a profitable 

 bearing condition; (2) to force Baldwin trees, by proper feed- 

 ing, to produce fruit every year, instead of on alternate years; 

 (3) to produce profitable crops of fruit by the aid of "chemi- 

 cals" only, in connection with intelligent culture, {Druning anrl 

 spraying. It has further been shown, (4"! that upon the partic- 

 ular soil involved, all expenditures for fertilizers, unless these 

 fertilizers contain some nitrogen, is an absolute waste of 



* Munson, W. AI. '•Orchard Notes, 1907." Bui. 155, Me. Apt. Exp. 

 Sta. 



