EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 5S9 



Value of Crop iu Catchiug Leaves and Preventing them from Blowiuj 



Away. 



o 



Baldwin apple tree of bearing age and normal size produced. . 80 lbs. 



Rhode Island Greening 81 lbs. 



Champion Peach 4G lbs. 



Elberta 38 lbs. 



Hills Chili 53 lbs. 



Kieffer Pear ^ 38 lbs. 



Italian Prune 191/2 lbs. 



Such a mass of organic matter produced annually from a tree should 

 be conserved and returned to the soil. 



Cover crops are advantageous, also, in covering the soil in winter to 

 hold the snow, preventing deep freezing, and preventing soil erosion. All 

 of these factors are of great importance in managing an orchard and 

 emphasize the desirability, of good cover-crops. 



SUMMARY STATEMENT.* 



Cover-cropping is the most available means of the fruit grower in 

 maintaining or increasing the organic content of the soil. 



This organic matter is necessary to maintain its physical condition, to 

 increase the water-holding capacity of the soil, and to act on the mineral 

 elements in making them soluble in soil moisture and thereby available 

 to the plants. 



Leguminous cover crops have the further advantage of adding nitrogen 

 to the soil. 



The degree of benefit derived from their use is measured by the amount 

 of organic matter and nitrogen in the crop returned to the soil; by the 

 time the crops are sown ; the time when they are turned under ; and by 

 the adaptation of the crop to the soil and orchard conditions. 



The annual production of Michigan apple orchards could be greatly 

 increased by combining an intelligent use of commercial fertilizcis, 

 judicious annual pruning, and efficient cover-cropping and tillage.* 



*For further details on cnver ctodr, efind for Special Bulletin No. 18. 



♦Detailed directions of spraying orchards may be found in the Spray Bulletin which may 

 be obtained upon request to Dir. R. S. Shaw, East Lansing, Mich. 



