310 



EXPERIMENTAL FAEMiS 



5-6 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 



Plot No. ^. — The ground of tliis plot was in strawberries in 1902-03 and '04. The 

 ground was well worked up with the disc and springtooth harrows on May 16, 1905. It 

 was again harrowed on May 23 with the springtooth harrow. On June 6 and 15 this 

 ground was again harrowed, and on the latter date crimson clover at the rate of 30 

 pounds per acre was drilled in with the seeder. This made a quick start and soon 

 covered the ground. The growth averaged about 13 inches by the middle of August. 

 Very little growth was made after that date, the ground being practically dried out. 



Plot No. 5. — The ground of this plot was previously treated as plot No. 4, it hav- 

 ing been in strawberries and was ploughed early last fall. In 1905 this ground was 

 cultivated in the same manner as plot No. 4, during-the first part of the season, viz., 

 until June 20, when it was thoroughly worked up with a land grubber to a depth of 5 

 inches. The soil was again worked with the springtooth harrow on July 4 and 20, and 

 at the latter date crimson clover at the rate of 25 lbs. per acre was sown broadcast and 

 harrowed in with the springtooth harrow. The clover started rather slowly, but has 

 made a thick grovd;h of about six inches, which thoroughly covers tlie ground at this 

 date, October 30. 



Plot No. 6. — The ground on this plot was treated as plot No. 5 in every respect, 

 except that no cover crop was sown, and the land was left without any cultivation 

 Avhatever after July 20. A few weeds started up on this ground, otherwise no plants 

 werc growing on it. 



The moisture contents of these differently treated plots is given in the following 

 table : — 



Percentage op Moisture in Plots. 



Date when Samples 

 were taken. 



May 15 



June 1 



,. 16 



„ 29 



July 17 



August 2. . . 



II 15. . . 



30... 



September 18 



October 3 . . . 



18... 



Plot No. 1. 



Per cent. 



17-40 



10-37 



15-54 



16-30 



11 02 



5 03 



5-17 



5-01 



12-66 



11-22 



9-34 



Plot No. 3. 



Per cent. 



17 

 13 

 15 

 18 

 11 



7 



5 



4 

 12 

 10 



Plot No. 4. 



Per cent. 



50 

 25 

 19 

 50 

 89 

 73 

 87 

 26 

 47 

 24 

 69 



Plot No. 5. 



Per cent. 

 -28 



16 

 16 

 15 

 17 

 15 

 15 

 14 



9 

 14 

 12 



9 



97 

 78 

 97 

 65 

 50 

 11 

 97 

 68 

 67 

 44 



Plot No. 6. 



Per cent. 



17 

 14 

 18 

 17 

 14 

 15 

 14 

 14 

 16 

 13 

 11 



-76 

 -74 

 -02 

 •92 

 -59 

 -02 

 -03 

 -3G 

 -31 

 06 

 -34 



The object of this investigation was to learn to what extent the failure of fruit 

 trees to grow properly in soils cropped with grains and grasses is due to a lack of 

 moisture. It is a well known fact that trees growing in soil having an abundant sup- 

 ply of plant food may not in some seasons produce well or make satisfactory growth 

 if grass or grain crops occupy the orchard soil at the same time. These latter crops 

 are especially exhaustive of soil moisture, large quantities of which are used in their 

 development, consequently the soil is, as these experiments show, rendered too dry for 

 the proper development of trees which require the whole season for their growth. 



Plot No. 4 was seeded to crimson clover to determine whether sufficient moisture 

 would be conserved by cultivating only to the middle of June and then seeding to a 

 cover crop in place of following the usual practice of cultivating to the middle of July 

 and sowing a cover crop. It was also desired to ascertain if the crop of crimson clover 



