HOETICULTURE. 541 



orchards are planted either on the square or rectangular plan at a typical dis- 

 tance of 33 by 33 ft. Less than 24 per cent of the orchards were well pruned. 

 The chief method of pruning is to thin out the trees a little every year. The 

 chief soil types are the gravelly and sandy loams, the highest yield being pro- 

 duced on the latter. Sixty-four per cent of the orchards were either wholly or 

 partly tile drained. Natural drainage gave the highest yield and income. 

 Orchards in sod were the general rule but the highest yield was produced by 

 orchards tilled 5 years or more. As a rule sod orchards were not pastured, 

 but those pastured with hogs and sheep gave the highest returns. 



Stable manure was used by 76 per cent of the growers, either alone or in 

 combination with commercial fertilizer or cover crops. The latter were not 

 very generally used. Stable manure applied at the rate of from 10 to 15 loads 

 per acre every year or from 15 to 20 loads every other year resulted in high 

 yields and incomes of about $147 per acre, as compared with an income of 

 $71.54 per acre for unfertilized orchards. 



The chief orchard pest reported was the blister mite which was found in 

 305 orchards. The codling and tussock moths were the chief chewing insects. 

 Of plant diseases canker and twig blight were the most troublesome. Practi- 

 cally half of the orchards were essentially unsprayed. Bordeaux was the chief 

 spray mixture used, less than one-third of the orchardists using arsenical poisons 

 and only about 6 per cent using such sprays as lime and sulphur to combat suck- 

 ing or scale insects. The unsprayed orchards gave a 4-year average income of 

 $67.66 and the orchards sprayed 3 times gave an average income of $140.26 

 per acre. 



As summarized in the preface by J. Craig, under whose direction the sur- 

 veys have been conducted, the results as a whole prove that profits are secured 

 largely in proportion to the application of intelligent, up-to-date methods. 

 Spraying, fertilizing, and cultivation appear to be indispensable to the fullest 

 returns. 



Vermont, an apple growing State (Vt. Agr. Bill. 11, 1911, pp. 31, pis. 4). — 

 This is a popular bulletin, prepared by M. B. Cummings, relative to apple 

 growing in A'erniont. The apple districts of the State are described and con- 

 sideration is given to varieties, planting operations, pruning, tillage, cover crops, 

 orchard enemies, orchard renovation, educational factors, and the future of the 

 industry. 



[The Ray peach] (New England Homestead, 63 {1911), No. 25, p. 565, fig. 

 1). — This peach, which was fruited in Connecticut for the first time in 1911, is 

 here illustrated and described. 



Small fruits and berries (Mass. [Bd.] Agr. Bui. 4, 1910, pp. 113, pis. 2, figs. 

 2). — This comprises a compilation of a number of articles dealing with the 

 culture of orchard and small fruits, which have previously appeared in bulletins 

 of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. 



The cost of producing oranges in California, G. H. Powell (Citrus Protec. 

 League, Cal., tables 5). — Tabular data are given showing the detailed cultural 

 cost of producing oranges in California in 1910 for 271 groves, comprising 

 8,095.9 acres. The data do not include depreciation or interest on the invest- 

 ment. Superintending and administration are included only when actually 

 paid for. 



The average results show an expenditure of $136.06 per acre from the begin- 

 ning of the season until harvesting. Of this amount $83.24 was expended for 

 materials and $52.82 for labor. The average yield for the 5-year iieriod, 1906-7 

 to 1910-11, was 157.6 packed boxes per acre. The cultural cost was 86.33 cts. 

 per box and the cost of picking, hauling, and packing was 43.04 cts. per box. 



