80 Agricultural Experiment Station^ Ithaca, N. Y. 



as it was before tlie establisliinent of the general experiment 

 stations, the experiment attracted little attention. There is nothing 

 unusual in the experiment, and it is inserted here chiefly for the 

 purpose of illustrating the fact that treatment for the renovating of 

 an old orchard must be continued three or four years before great 

 increase in the crop is to be expected. 



" The college apple orchard, originally comprising about nine 

 acres, was set in 1858. The original plantings were mostly Northern 

 Spy, Baldwin, Talman Sweet and Seek-no-further. The soil is a 

 strong sandy loam, in some parts inclining to be cold and wet. The 

 orchard has received various treatments. For nearly ten years, 

 beginning about 1873, careful and valuable experiments in culture 

 were carried on by Dr. W. J. Beal. In recent years the orchard 

 has received less attention, being allowed to stand in sod. It has 

 borne very few good crops, even from the first. In 1885, when the 

 immediate control of the orchard passed into the hands of the 

 writer, the trees presented a discouraging appearance. The pre- 

 vious hard winter had destroyed many of the largest trees on the 

 lower land. Most of these trees were Baldwins, Greenings and Fall 

 Jennettings. In fact, there is only one Baldwin left in the orchard 

 and but two or three Greenings and Jennettings, and all are feeble. 

 Many or all of these trees had been injured by a hard winter some 

 ten or twelve years before. The remaining trees of the orchard 

 apparently from neglect in culture, were feeble during the year, the 

 leaves presenting a yellow and sickly appearance. Many of them 

 appeared to be dying. All the trees were very much stunted, there 

 not being enough last year's wood on most of them to furnish even 

 a few good scions. Many of the main limbs had died back from the 

 ends and the dead portions were conspicuous in every direction. 

 The trunks were often mossy and rough. The tops for the most 

 part very thick and low, so that no attempt at thorough culture 

 could be made. Most of the orchard lay in a dense June grass turf. 

 In short, the orchard was in so poor condition that several careful 

 farmers recommended that it be cut down. 



" The first work of renovation was to prune the trees. This was 

 done vigorously in May, 1885, the tops being made high enough in 

 every instance to allow the passage of a horse in harness. All limbs, 

 irrespective of size, which would interfere seriously with plowing 



