410 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



As showing the value of some kind of a mulch as a ^^dnte^ protec- 

 tion, the station reports that in one instance the ground froze to a 

 depth of 18 inches on bare soil, while under a thin covering of grass 

 and weeds it froze to a depth of only about S inches. On the bare 

 soils the trees the following spring started into growth slowly, and 

 many of them were seriously injured, while the trees in sod suffered 

 no apparent injury, all making a healthy, uniform growth. 



In orchards which had been given clean cultivation throughout the 

 season the injury was much greater than where cover crops were 

 plowed under each year. Trees which had received even a light dress- 

 ing of stable manure within a year or two suffered noticeably less from 

 the cold. In one instance a grower was able to protect his trees by 

 banking a few fork fulls of either manure, peat, or earth around the 

 base of the trees, while the trees left without this simple treatment 

 died almost to a tree. 



In order, then, to avoid to the greatest extent winter injur}^ the 

 investigations of the station brought out clearly the necessity of such 

 continuous and thorough cultural practices in the orchard as shall 

 maintain the trees at all times in a vigorous, healthy condition. The 

 fertility and vegetable matter of the soil must be maintained by the 

 addition of manure or the growing of cover crops; and spraying to 

 control insect pests and fungus diseases must be thorough and 

 unremittent. 



TREATMENT OF WINTER-INJURED TREES. 



A number of stations have carried on experiments in the treatment 

 of winter-injured peach trees wdth the hope of saving them and bring- 

 ing them into normal bearing again. 



At the New York State Station" an attempt was made to distin- 

 guish between the trees which were fatally injured hy cold and those 

 which miglit be ex])ected to recover. It was thought at hrst that the 

 amount of discoloration of tlie wood of the tree would indicate the 

 extent of the injury, but this was found not to hold true. In one 

 instance, wood of pcacli trees below the snow line when examined in 

 March was sound and of nornud color, but above this line the bark 

 though tight on all portions of the tree was very (h\rk brown all 

 through and the trunk wood was black. On the limbs, the bark and 

 wood was discolored as high up as a man could reach. These trees 

 comj)letely recovered and made a good growth of wood during the 

 season, though none of them bore fruit . The next season every tree 

 was in good condition and bore a good crop of fruit. 



In another orchard of old peach trees the bark on the trunks of the 

 trees coidd be easily peeled off th(> wood, iind these trees were thought 

 to be (.lead beyond all cjuestion by all w ho examined tiiem. For the 



oNew York State Sta. 15ul. li()9. 



