44 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



Winter Injury. When growers realize the absolute neces- 

 sity of checking the growth of the tree early in July and al- 

 lowing the new growth sufficient opportunity to ripen and 

 mature, and when they realize the importance of an early and 

 ipid start in the spring, then we may hope for a small per- 

 centage of winter-kill. Of course it is a pleasant sight to have 

 the trees growing rapidly throughout the summer months and 

 to note in the fall two, three and four feet of new wood, but 

 in such a system where is the advantage if much of this new 

 growth and some of the old and in some cases the entire tree 

 is lost by excessive drying out of the tissues? It was especially 

 noticeable in the recent Gregory Orchard Contest that the 

 trees making phenomenal growth the first two years failed to 

 continue this rapid development, while those making a normal 

 growth each year were far superior at the end of the contest. 

 With the cultivation system, a cover crop should be applied 

 some time in the early part of July for bearing trees and at 

 least by August for young trees. The cracking of the bark on 

 the trunk of the tree is a different matter and due primarily to 

 rapid changes in temperature, but there is little danger of 

 losing a tree in this way if the grower attends to them and 

 sees to it that they are given every opportunity to heal. 



Canker. This disease has been cussed and discussed so 

 many times that there seems to be but little to add concerning 

 it. The process of elimination and control where the infection 

 is heavy is a slow one. The condition of the tree must be 

 noted at frequent intervals and it is well to keep saw and 

 knife sharp at all times. More careful attention to the spray 

 materials and to the machinery is necessary for it is only by the 

 most conscientious attention to detail that success in control 

 will be realized. It seems safe to say that the condition of the 

 average orchard at the present time is more satisfactory than 

 for several seasons past, but the time is still distant when we 

 can point to the trees and say that they are absolutely free 

 from this disease. The infection has been due to several fac- 

 tors, many of which are under the direct control of the grower. 

 Probably in the past the pruning-saw has been as potent a 

 factor in disseminating canker as any we have had to conten^l 

 with. Carelessness in going from an infected tree to a non- 

 infected tree without disinfecting the saw has resulted in an 



