STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 163 



edly plowing under rye, clover and other green crops. After follow- 

 ing this plan for a nunil)er of years T would seed to clover, which 

 should be permitted to remain on the ground as a mulch, to prevent 

 evaporation and keep the ground moist during drouth." 



Another phase of climatic influence on apple trees, though not 

 connected with cold winters, may be mentioned here. Some time 

 the last of September a statement was made in one of our papers 

 that the apple trees about Centralia were shedding their leaves, but 

 the cause did not seem to be known. A visit was made to Centralia 

 October 2d. It was found that some trees, mostly Ben Davis in 

 variety, were affected in several orchards, but one plat forming 

 a square between two streets in the east part of town, belonging to 

 Mr. M. Meyers, was the worst so of any. The trees were all Ben 

 Davis, had borne heavily last year and this, but were now devoid of 

 both leaves and fruit. It was easy enough to account for the lack 

 of fruit on the trees, as a strong wind about the middle of August 

 had blown it nearly all off. another wind a few days before the visit 

 taking off the balance. But this did not account for the lack of 

 foliage. The ground was what would be called a dead level, with a 

 clay sub-soil. Instead of plowing towards the trees, so as to form a 

 ridge with a gradual slope to the middle of space between the rows, 

 a single shallow furrow had been run midway between the rows. 

 Along each street a furrow had been plowed, with numerous outlets 

 into the road, where there was a space lower than the field; and a 

 row of trees along each street, instead of being entirely leafless, had 

 perhaps half their leaves on, all the rest being leafless. 



From the.se data it did not seem to me a very difficult task to 

 find the cause. The ground, last spring, and as for that every spring, 

 would have water standing on it for a long time, as there were no 

 ditches to carry it off except the partial ditching of the space along 

 each street. This, in connection with the great amount of clay in 

 the soil, would fit the ground to bake, when dry weather did come, 

 like the bottom of a shallow pond. This great amount of moisture, 

 in the spring, would cause the trees to be filled with sap and a large 

 crop of leaves expand and a copious flowering and fruiting; but such 

 fruitage and leafage would call for a continued large supply of moist- 

 ure which the baked ground could not sui)ply. This seems to com- 

 bine some of the features of what is known as paralysis in vines in 

 some of the vineyards of Southern California and Southern Europe, 

 only that the trees do not seem to be killed; or more, perhaps, an- 

 other disease known as roiicjeot, where the affection is shown in the 

 leaves becoming discolored and finally dying. Both of these depend 

 upon lack of thorough draining and the after effects of hot, dry 

 weather. Of course, heavy bearing would help to forward such a 

 disease, as that would weaken the trees, and render them more sus- 

 ceptible to its influence. 



