REPORT OF THE EORTICULTURTST 95 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



split and two made out of one. Building paper is cheap and effective also for this 

 purpose. 



SEEDLING APPLE OKCnARDS. 



Last year 494 seedlings of some of the best varieties of apples were planted, and 

 this year 894 more were set out, making a total of 1,388 trees. Those planted this year 

 were put in the standard orchard and are 10 by 15 feet apart. There were 54 varieties 

 fruited in the Russian seedling orchard this season, 17 of which had not fruited before. 

 The trees in this orchard were getting so thick that they Avere thinned out this season, 

 and there are now 245 left. Few of these seedlings are of value and none of them have 

 been found worthy of general introduction, though they may prove useful in Manitoba 

 and the North-west. A few of the best of them have been propagated for test at the 

 Experimental Farms at Brandon and Indian Head. 



TOP GRAFTING. 



1 



The top grafting of the best winter apples on hardy stocks was continued this year, 

 and the results will soon become interesting. Northern Spy does well here top grafted, 

 and it is hoped that other kinds will be successfully grown also. 



ORCHARD CULTURE. 



Tlie orchard culture adopted at the Experimental Farm has been described in pre- 

 vious reports. Briefly, the method adopted is to keep the orchard in clover for part of 

 one year and the whole of the next, then plough and re-seed as soon as possible. The 

 clover is cut several times during the season and left to rot on the ground. In 1898 it 

 was found that about 25 tons of green clover were thus left to rot during the season. 

 The clover was weighed again this year in the same orchard, and following are the 

 results. 



Two plots, each 4 by 4 feet, were taken at each cutting and the average of these is 

 given : — 



Clover. 



. Tons. Lbs. 



1st cutting, June 4, 1902, average height 16^ inches, yield 



per acre green clover 5 1,783 



A very few flower buds beginning to show. 

 2nd cutting, June 27, average height 14 inches, yield per acre 



green clover , 3 721 



A moderate number of flowers in bloom. 

 3rd cutting, July 21, average height 13^ inches, yield per 



acre green clover 4 1,826 



4th cutting, August 29, average height 13| inches, yield per 



acre green clover 4 1,103 



Total yield per acre, green clover 18 1,433 



Although this is a less yield than that which was obtained in 1898, the clover is 

 not noticeably less vigorous than at that time. Where the weights were taken the 

 clover was not as good a stand as in the Russian orchard, where five cuttings were made, 

 but the crop was not weighed there. 



This system of culture is varied when thought necessary. This year, for instance, 

 that part of the orchard planted with seedlings was kept cultivated in order to get the 

 young trees weU estabUshed. 



