136 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



adding it to the mulch. That simply means that in an orchard 

 that needs fertilization you can get greater gains from the 

 proper fertilizer than from any other scheme. Now that does 

 not apply to all orchards. There are some orchards in which a 

 tillage system seems to be of more influence than the fertiliza- 

 tion, and in young orchards, as I pointed out, uniform moisture 

 conservation is of more importance than any type of fertiliza- 

 tion. But the whole thing means that you must study your 

 orchard and adjust to it the thing that fits it best. In some 

 cases it will be a certain fertilizer. In other cases it may be 

 proper method of conserving moisture, with a mulch if you can 

 get it, and with proper tillage if you can get it. 



Prof. Wolff: I notice yields of 542 bushels and 637 bushels. 

 I feel sure there are not many that could come up anywhere 

 near to that average. I believe, if I remember rightly, that the 

 highest yielding acre in Massachusetts two years ago at the 

 exhibit at the New England Fruit Show was about 220 barrels, 

 to the acre. That was said to be the highest yielding acre in 

 Massachustts. If we could do something like this we should 

 be doing a big thing. 



Prof. Stewart: Of course that 220 barrels may have been 

 for just a single year, too. You see these are averages for four 

 years. We have had yields running as high as 1300 bushels per 

 acre in single years. 



Dr. Twitchell : Isn't that due to the fact that your trees make 

 much larger growth than ours ? 



Prof. Stewart: I suppose, undoubtedly, a good deal of it is, 

 but it shows the possibilities. Incidentally, that 1300 bushels 

 was grown on untilled trees receiving a nitrogen and phosphate 

 application. Right alongside of them, on both sides, were the 

 same varieties, same age of trees averaging jt^ bushels at the 

 same time, the only difference being that the 73 bushel trees 

 were not fertilized; the 1300 bushel trees were— there was not 

 even a mulch there, a proper fertilizer only. 



Ques. I would Hke to inquire whether this was assorted fruit 

 or the fruit as it run from the tree. 



Prof. Stewart: These were the total yields. 



