STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 121 



SUMMARY. 



(a) Experiments in Orchards Recently Planted. 



( 1 ) In this group of experiments the untilled and mulched 

 apple trees have uniformly made a better growth during their 

 first five years than any of the trees receiving the usual orchard 

 tillage and cover crops. These results are similar to those 

 reported from the Ohio Station, in their Bulletin 171, page 207. 



(2) As compared with clean tillage alone, — followed by 

 weeds or other natural growth, — ^the addition of cover crops 

 has not yet resulted in any material gain. In certain cases, they 

 have even appeared to check the growth of the trees somewhat. 

 These and the results immediately following are similar to those 

 reported from the Nebraska Station in their Bulletins 79 and 92. 



(3) The addition of vegetables or other tilled intercrops, 

 when accompanied by proper fertilization, has not materially 

 reduced the growth of the trees, as compared with other tillage 

 methods. In one case the accompanying growth was slightly 

 better than that of the adjacent trees receiving tillage and the 

 usual midsummer cover crops. 



(4) Considerable variation has appeared in the value of 

 cover crops, as measured by their effects on tree growth. Thus 

 far. hairy vetch and crimson clover have proved best among the 

 leguminous covers, and millet, rape and buckwheat have been 

 best among the non-leguminous. Their influence on the mois- 

 ture supply, in both fall and spring, often seems to be more 

 important than their relations to humus and plant food. 



(5) Alfalfa for five years has proved very effective as a 

 mulch producer and as a permanent orchard cover, when its 

 growth is prevented from competing directly with the tree 

 roots. The exact effects of the latter competition and the 

 relative values of alfalfa and certain other plants as permanent 

 orchard covers have not yet been fully determined. 



(6) In general, moisture conservation appears to be more 

 important than applications of plant food in the case of young 

 trees, though the latter may also be of value sometimes. For 

 this reason, a good mulch of strawy manure, wherever avail- 

 able, is likely to be one of the best possible treatments for stim- 

 ulating growth and vigor in trees of this class. 



