500 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



Off. Doc. 



per cent, larffer yield than those iu sod the same period. This tabula- 

 tion gives too favorable a showing for the sod orchard, for some of 

 the diseased ones thrown out w^^re diseased because of the sod 

 treatment. The real difference lies between the differences shown 

 bv the two columns. 



Does it Pay to Till? — The complete report of the work is given in 

 Cornell bulletins 226 and 229. It shows the same differences for 

 each of the years and for each of the parts of the counties. Only 

 the summaries are given here. These tables are not theory — they 

 are facts. However we try to explain away the results, we must ac- 

 cept the fact that for some reason the average sod orchard in these 

 counties gives only a little over half as much fruit as the tilled ones. 



The difference in income shown by Table III, are even more strik- 

 ing than the differences iu yields — a difference that will pay for till- 

 ing the orchard, for the loss of pasture and still have a very wide 

 margin of profit. If there is a method of sod treatment that equals 

 tillage we must admit that the average grower has not yet found it. 



These tables do not show that every sod orchard should be tilled, 

 but they do show that it would pay to till the average one. If a sod 

 orchard is giving good yields, and if the trees are making sufficient 

 growth to keep up their vitality it may be desirable to keep it in sod. 

 A few sod orchards are as good as the average of the tilled ones, but 

 very few indeed are among the best orchards. By the liberal use of 

 barnyard manure an orchard may be kept in good condition without 

 tillage. But this is usually too expensive a practice. The same 

 results may be accomplished with much less manure if the orchard 

 is tilled. If an orchard is in sod and is not yielding well, or if the 

 trees are losing their vitality, even if the yield is still good, it will 

 ^probably pay well to till. One of the greatest differences between 

 tilled and sod orchards is in the length of time that the trees keep 

 their vitality. Whatever the best method of treating an old orchard, 

 there is no doubt about the advisability of tilling young trees. 



Methods of Rod Treatment. — Of the various methods of sod treat- 

 ment, pasturing with hogs or sheep gave the best results, as shown 

 by Table IV. One reason why the results with bogs shows up so 

 well is that many of the orchards so treated were really tilled 

 orchards — tilled by hogs. Another reason is that hogs receive much 

 of their food from outside of the orchards, so that there is a con- 

 stant addition of plant food to the soil. We hear considerable 

 about the so-called sod-mulch method of cutting the grass and throw- 

 ing it around the trees. But there are few nature orchards in which 



enough grass can be 



grown 



to furnish efficient mulch, even if 



the method is otherwise desirable. 



TABLE IV. 

 Yields per Acre of Orchards Receiving Different Kinds of Sod Treatment. 



Wayne 

 County 1902. 



Orleans Coun- 

 ty, Three- 

 Average 

 1902-1904. 



Tilled 5 years or more 



Sod, hog pasture, 



Sod, sheep pasture, .. 



Sod, not pastured 



Sod, cattle pasture, ... 



317 bushels, 

 271 bushels, 

 216 bushels, 

 185 bushels, 

 159 bushels, 



350 bushels. 

 312 bushels. 

 308 bushels. 

 217 bushels. 

 153 bushels. 



