352 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



there is an orchard of 1.200 trees, Mr. Hitcheus', who is worlcing out the 

 problem that he had to contend, with according to his own condition, goes 

 riglit in the face of all the public advice given, and is keeping the orchard 

 in sod. He does not trim a tree when he sets it, but sets it just as it comes 

 from the nursery— digs a hole in the sod and__ plants without trimming. 

 Trees are young, although he has in one corner, trees one hundred years 

 old. and they had a good crop of fruit, Baldwin, Greening and some old- 

 time favorites. He mulches about six inches deep and does not cultivate. 

 Mows with mowing machine and rakes the stuff up and puts it around the 

 trees, spreading it out, and he is getting wonderful results. He had 

 Northern Spy tre&s six and seven years old with good crops of fruit. Has 

 trees planted eleven years that have borne every year for the last five 

 years. He has 1,200 trees, but some are not in bearing yet. He sold 

 .$1,200 worth of fruit. I believe fruit will become higher colored in sod. 

 Mr. Hitchens is located on northern slope. His method would not apply 

 throughout Western NeAV York. I would advise very shallow plowing 

 at first in an old orchard, and working the surface. I believe for most of 

 our people, cultivation will give more fruit year after year than without. 

 Northern Spy on cultivated land, the same tree set at the same time, the 

 fruit will not be as highly colored as on sod. Professor Caul has lieen 

 studying when the fruit buds are formed. He takes the buds all along 

 during the summer and makes microscopic investigation of them to see 

 when the blossom buds start for next year's crop. With the apple as 

 early as the first of .July he gets the first signs of development of the 

 fruit bud during the season. It seems we can theorize from that that if 

 the fruit bud is forming the latter part of June, and then develops 

 through August, it is wise to keep the tree in good growing condition. 

 That is the way I account for more fruit under cultivation, because we 

 keep a good supply of plant food there to fill up those buds during the 

 growing season. 



Mr. Stevens: What kind of sod is in this orchard, and is there any 

 artificial fertilization, or are the trees cultivated around them? 



Professor Beach: No, they keep enough mulch there to nearly kill 

 out sod. The sod is ordinary June grass, Kentucky blue grass, anything 

 that will grow there. They keep the mulch around them and^as the tree 

 grows larger they spread the mulch to suit. They are now trying to 

 grow mulch on other parts of the farm. On some trees they used coarse 

 manure, but not very much. 



Mr. Shoemaker: How far apart are the trees? 



Professor Beach: On the slope you will find little ridges, and he likes 

 to put the trees in the hollows as much as possible, as there is more 

 moisture and he will get the benefit of it. He runs the rows at a certain 



