112 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



back where it naturally would be hitched. That has given us 

 remarkably good results and has lessened the cost of the orchard 

 operations by saving one extra tool. 



Xo. 26. To what extent should we force our young trees until 

 they come into bearing? 



Mr. Bragdon : I have done all that I could do to force my 

 trees — that is, I have, moderately. The first year I used two 

 ounces nitrate of soda, with wood ashes ; the second year four 

 ounces, and the third year following that I used about four 

 pounds of 4-7-7 — something like that. So you see my trees got 

 quite a lot of fertilization. And I have pruned, whenever I 

 have been near a tree. I have done most of it in the winter. 

 My opinion is that you cannot push a tree much too hard to get 

 it into bearing early. Those who have seen my trees — they are 

 larger I think than any in the neighborhood, and most people 

 are surprised to think they ever bore any fruit considering they 

 grow so fast. And there are a lot of my trees I got two bushels 

 of apples from this last fall — perhaps a hundred of them. The 

 block that was in the Gregory competition that took fourth, we 

 got almost five bushels of apples from ; trees planted in 1910, 

 one-year-old whips. I would like to hear the experience of 

 some of the others in regard to that. 



Mr. Gardner : That was with practically the mulch system 

 all the way through, was it not ? 



Mr. Bragdon : Oh, yes. I might state that the orchard 

 that scored highest — I have one block in my name, and that 

 one that scored highest was in my wife's name. Of course 

 I acted under her instructions, — they have been mulched very 

 heavily, whereas mine were grown pretty much clean cultiva- 

 tion. The block grown under clean cultivation score eighth 

 in that competition. Those entered in my wife's name were 

 mulched heavily, in heavy sod — scored fourth. Those trees 

 were looking very fine. They have grown very regularly. In 

 fact they are putting on more growth now than any trees I 

 have. This year they look much better than last year, in 

 comparison with other trees I have. I am trying another 

 block planted this spring under the mulch system, and one 

 under clean cultivation, to see if I can satisfy myself that 

 the mulch is the best in that locality. Those trees that I put 

 into clean cultivation this year were put into a piece of land 



