92 . STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



It is a large, late-keeping variety of a dark red color. The flesh is crisp and 

 juicy and of very good quality. 



All of the trees in the station orchards were sprayed three or four times 

 with Bordeaux mixture and an arsenite tkiring the season, except that 

 from fifteen to thirty trees of each class of fruit were used for a comparative 

 test of dust versus liquid applications. Seven applications of the dust 

 spray were made, but in all cases the results were in favor of the liquid 

 applications. This was especially noticeable so far as the codling moth 

 of the apple and the curculio of the plum are concerned, ^'ery little scab 

 was noticed on either the a]jples or pears but, as all of the trees had received 

 two applications of Bordeaux mixture in the spring before the apphcations 

 of the dust spray were made, the result could not be entirely ascribed to it. 



THE SOUTH HAVEX SUB-STATIOX. 



The work at South Hav^n has continued in charge of Mr. T. A. Farrand 

 and has been conducted along much the same lines as in previous years. 

 The results so far as complete have been published in the annual report 

 of the sub-station as Special Bulletin Xo. 30. 



Considerable injury was done to the trees by the severe winter of 1903-04. 

 especially to the peach trees that had come tlirough the freeze of 1898-9!K 

 Most of them blossomed and started into "growth in the spring and the full 

 extent of the injury was not realized until later in the season. The loss 

 was quite small in the cultivated orchards of the station as compared witii 

 many others in tiie vicinity that had received less care, especially if upon 

 high or rolling land where the snow blew away so as to expose the roots. 



Most of the trees in the older peach, plum and cherry orchards have pro- 

 duced several crops of fruit and have thus given some idea of the value 

 of the different varieties. The apple and pear orchards planted from 1890 

 to 1895 are just beginning to produce full crops of fruit, although of course 

 some of the varieties that natural!}' bear young have fruited for several 

 years. In order to economize room the trees were planted one rod apart 

 each way. By keeping the trees well headed back, this has answered fairly- 

 well up to the present time for all except the older aj)ple trees. Most oi 

 these were planted so that it is possible to remove every other tree and 

 still have at least one tree of a variety. The work of removing the dupli- 

 cate trees where they are crowding badly was commenced last year in two 

 of the apple blocks, but in the third block in which the trees are from twelve 

 to fourteen years old, the experiment is being tried of growing the trees 

 as dwarf standards by heading back the ends of the main branches during 

 the month of June. This prevents the forcing out of water sprouts, but 

 it at the same time promotes the development of fruit spurs and the results 

 thus far have been quite satisfactory. While it is probable that one-hall' 

 of the trees will have to be removed in the course of ten years, they will 

 by that time be from twenty to twenty-five years old anil will have pro- 

 duced quite a number of crops. As there are four trees upon the grountl 

 that would be occupied by one if the orchard was planted tW(vrods apart 

 and nearly six times as many as when the trees are forty feet sipiare, there 

 should be a considerable increase in the yield obtained. 



The experiment with cover crops was continued last year but no new 

 results were secured. The plots, however, were examined with much inter- 

 est by the many visitors, and as most of them made a very satisfactory 

 growth a considerable amount of humus was provided by all of them, as 



