934 Popular Editions of Station Bulletins of the 



a cover crop was sown, usually during the last week in July. During 

 all but the last year of the past five-year period the cover crop has 

 been medium or mammoth red clover, but in 1913 oats were sown. 

 On the sod-mulch plats the orehard grass and blue grass were cut 

 once, sometimes twice, and the crop allowed to lie where it fell. 

 In all other respects except the application of fertilizers in certain 

 sub-sections, the treatment of the plats has been alike and such as 

 prevails in the best commercial orchards. 



During the first five years of the experiment 



Experimental the orchard was divided into east and west halves 



conditions for the cultural operations and during the last 



and results. five years into north and south halves. In this 



way, at the close of the ten years the northeast 



quarter of the orchard has been tilled ten years, the northwest 



quarter in sod five years and then tilled five years, the southwest 



quarter in sod ten years and the southeast quarter cultivated five 



years and then in sod five years. About one-half of the area in 



sod during the last half of the test — a section through the middle 



of the area — received annual applications of nitrate of soda in an 



effort to overcome the unfavorable influence of the grass. 



In considering results, of course yield comes first, since orcharding 

 is a commercial proposition and upon the amount of fruit harvested 

 must largely depend the income; but in comparing systems wnere 

 production cost differs as greatly as in sod-mulch and tillage methods 

 of soil management, it is essential to associate these costs with the 

 yields. 



The average yield on the plat left in sod for ten years was 69.16 

 barrels per acre, on the plat tilled for ten years 116.8 barrels, a 

 difference in favor of the tilled plat of 47.64 barrels per acre. These 

 apples were sold at varying prices but averaged $2.60 for barreled 

 stock and 72 cents for evaporator and cider stock, from which sales 

 there was secured an average annual return of $126.04 per acre 

 for the apples grown on sod and of $224.15 from those under tillage. 

 The average acre-cost of growing the apples on sod was $51.73 and 

 under tillage $83.48. Subtracting these figures from the gross 

 return we have a " balance " per acre for the sodded plats of $74.31 

 and for the tilled plats of $140.67, an increase in favor of tillage of 

 $66.36. For every dollar taken from the sodded trees, after 

 deducting growing and harvesting expenses, the tilled trees gave 

 one dollar and eighty-nine cents. 



In general quality, also, the fruit from the trees under tillage was 

 much better, being crisper, juicier and of better flavor; and it 

 kept from two to four weeks longer than the fruit from trees in 

 sod. In color, however, the apples grown on sod were superior to 

 those from tilled trees, and they matured from one to three weeks 

 earlier. 



The difference in the effect of the two systems on the trees was 



