I06 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



to get all the conditions as uniform as desired. Such irregu- 

 larities as are present, however, have been corrected in our 

 calculations so far as possible. Owing to some serious attacks 

 of "collar-rot" and other diseases also, one of these experi- 

 ments. No. 217, was terminated in 1912 and a similar one was 

 started in another section of the orchard. 



The results thus far obtained from these three experiments 

 on the yield, growth, average size and color of apples are shown 

 in Tables V, VI, VII, and VIII, respectively. The yields, color 

 and average size are given for the five-year period from 1908 

 to 1912, inclusive, thus omitting the yields of 1907, which natu- 

 rally were affected but slightly, if at all, by the treatments of 

 the first year. In growth, however, the averages are given for 

 the entire six-year period beginning with 1907. The yields are 

 obtained by weighing and recording all the fruit from each tree, 

 and the growth is determined by measuring all the trees practi- 

 cally annually at definite points on their trunks. 



The data on average size and color are obtained by the ran- 

 dom sample method. This means that as the fruit is picked and 

 weighed, a sample is taken at random from each basket, the 

 samples being of sufficient size to make at least two bushels of 

 fruit of each variety from each plat. This sample is weighed, 

 counted and carefully examined for amount of color, and the 

 average weight and the per cent of color shown by the fruit in 

 each sample are calculated from the data thus obtained. The 

 averages for each year on all characters except growth are 

 brought together and averaged to obtain the present data on 

 each experiment. These mean values in turn are averaged in 

 each of the present tables to obtain the various "table" aver- 

 ages shown in them. In the growth tables, the figures given are 

 the average increases in trunk girth for the whole period cov- 

 ered. The results secured are shown in the following tables. 



