28o AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



ORCHARD CONDITIONS. 



Through the data secured the orchard has been studied under 

 all conditions of location ; slope of land ; wind protection ; kind 

 of soil ; drainage ; cultivated and uncultivated ; fertilized and 

 unfertilized ; old orchards ; young orchards ; etc., etc. In fact, 

 under all stages and conditions. Some of the orchards that 

 were badly winter-killed, bore heavily the previous season; 

 others had a very light crop or none at all. In all cases where 

 the loss was heavy the conditions were the same, namely, ground 

 not frozen to any extent ; a covering of snow to prevent further 

 freezing; a thaw that started the sap, followed suddenly by a 

 drop in temperature to 20 below zero in many places. At the 

 approach of spring the bark lost its healthy appearance and an 

 examination showed a discoloration wherever injury had 

 occurred. 



Limb injury is the killing back of the new growth of the year 

 before. This takes place during almost every winter, especially 

 where the trees make a good growth the previous season, and 

 the climatic conditions in the fall are such as to keep the trees 

 growing until late, the new wood not having time to ripen. 

 There is a difference in the varieties regarding their suscep- 

 tibility to injury. 



We will cite one orchard in each county. 



Somerset County. 



In Somerset county one orchard of 700 trees having an east 

 cant, lost 250 Baldwins. This orchard had good care, was 

 pruned, cultivated and fertilized. Another located on a south- 

 ern slope containing 1,000 trees, lost one-half or 50%, mostly 

 Baldwins and Spys. This orchard had had some cultivation, 

 was pastured with hogs and pruned; phosphate and ashes had 

 been used to some extent. 



Piscataquis County. 



One of the largest orchards in the county, numbering 2,000 

 trees, situated on rather level land, had 150 trees killed, mostly 

 Ben Davis and Stark. This orchard is under the constant care 

 of its owner, and has been pruned, cultivated, and some ashes 

 used. The dead and injured trees are located in a slight sag 

 nmning through the orchard. In this orchard the injury is 



