404 



State Horticultural Society. 



the rate of growth of trees cultivated and unctdtivated, of which the 

 following: tahlc is a sumniar\ : 



TABLE SHOWING INFLUENCE OF CULTIVATION AND CARE UPON THE GROWTH OF 



APPLE TREES. 



No. 



Variety. 





Growth in inclies. 



1895 1896 1897 1898 



Kind of cultivation. 



Ben Davis 



Ben Davis 



Ben Davis 



Jonatlian 



Jonatiian 



Genet 



Genet 



Genet 



Miscellaneous 

 varieties 



Clean cultivation throughout each growing 



season. 

 Clean cultivation until 1895; since then clean 



cultivation until June, when cover crop 



of cow peas or clover was sown. 

 Clean cultivation until 1895; then seeded to 



clover, clover giving away to bluegrass in 



1898. 

 Cultivated with corn between trees until 



1895. In clover since 1893; space cultivated 



under each tree throughout each summer. 

 Clean cultivation until 1895. Since then 



clean cultivation until June, when crop 



of cow peas or clover was sown. 

 In bluegrass and clover: some cultivation 



around each tree. 

 In bluegrass pasture. 

 In clover; no cultivation since 1895. 



Plowed each spring, cultivated, seeded 

 summer to cow peas, rye or wheat. 



in 



It will be noted that in every instance the growth was materially 

 larger wherever the orchards received good cultivation. Of more im- 

 portance, it is shown that the trees under cultivation made a more 

 uniform growth than did those that were in sod. 



EFFECT OF FERTILIZERS IN OVERCOMING UNFAVORABLE CONDITIONS. 



In the case of such disastrous drouths as in 1901, it is always the 

 neglected and underfed orchard that sufifers most. It is likewise true 

 that underfed trees fall a victim to the attacks of borers, aphis, root rot, 

 etc., much more readily than those that are well nourished. As in the 

 animal kingdom, it is the starved animal that carries all the parasites 

 known to the kingdom, whereas, sleek, fat, well fed animals escape their 

 ravages. 



When an unfavorable season finds an orchard well set with fruit 

 the fact as to whether it has been well cultivated and is well nourished 

 or not, in other words, as to whether there is present a reasonable sup- 

 ply of available plant food in the soil, exerts a profound influence upon 

 the efifect of this unfavorable season upon the crop and upon the life and 

 vitality of the trees. This is well shown in an experiment recently re- 

 ported from the New Jersey Experiment Station with peaches.* 



*Voorhees' "Fertilizers." Page 295. 



