fi 1 8 Report of the Department of Horticulture of the 



western fruit though seldom as beautifully colored as the same 

 variety from near-by sodded trees. 



maturity and keeping quality of the fruit. 



As stated in the last paragraph the fruit on the plats in sod ripens 

 a little earlier, the difference being from a few days to two weeks, 

 depending upon the season and the variety. In a wet, cool autumn 

 there is but little difference in time of ripening, but if the weather 

 be dry and warm the difference is considerable. The earlier-ripen- 

 ing Alexander and Wealthy mature more nearly at the same time 

 in the two sections than the later-ripening Fameuse and Spy. 



Little can be said of the keeping quality in common storage of 

 the apples in this experiment. None of the varieties are late keep- 

 ers and in the tests we were able to make, the quantities were so 

 small and the disturbing factors so many — such as lack of data 

 as to picking, sample sent selected for exhibition purposes, quantity 

 not sufficient for a fair test — that we are not warranted in making 

 definite statements. Mr. Hitchings reports that with him " the 

 apples from the sod plats hold up much better than from those under 

 tillage." 



TREE GROWTH. 



What effect have the two methods had on the growth of trees? 

 In a ten-year period it would be expected that the method under 

 which most fruit was produced would give greatest growth in trees. 

 Yet such is not the case, from the figures we have to present. For, 

 whereas our figures show the sodded trees to have yielded some- 

 what larger crops of fruit the data show the trees to have made 

 much the same growth under the two treatments in the bearing 

 orchard and a much larger growth under tillage with the young 

 trees. 



Thus, we find from a consideration of Table II, giving diameters, 

 that in Plat A the Rhode Island Greenings and the Suttons average 

 more than one inch each greater diameter than the trees in sod, a very 

 considerable greater growth for trees but eleven years set. In Plat 

 B the Alexanders in sod have made a gain of a little over an inch 

 in diameter more than those under tillage, but this evidence should 

 be ruled out because eight of the original thirteen tilled trees died 

 and some of the remaining five were badly cut back because of 

 blight. The Fameuse and Wealthy trees in this plat are almost 



