238 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



During the past season the soil management systems varied greatly in ability 

 to conserve moisture. On one fairly porous soil tillage conserved the moisture 

 much better than a 3-ton per acre sod mulch, and was superior to sod even 

 when the latter was kept closely cropped and the grass left on the ground. 

 Under the above conditions, the sticking qualities of Baldwin apples on the 

 tillage plats were 52 per cent greater than on the sod-mulch plats. Northern 

 Spies, however, showed no material differences in this respect. 



[Report of the experimental liorticulturist], J. P. Stewart (Pennsylvania 

 8ta. Rpt. 1908, pp. 192-198, pis. //). — An outline is given of experiments being 

 conducted by the department of experimental horticulture in connection with a 

 study of the causes which affect the yield and quality in apples. The results 

 of these experiments for 1907-8 are abstracted above. 



Whole V. piece root grafting', J. P. Stewart {Pennsylvania 8ta. Rpt. 1908, 

 pp. 198-200). — An experiment was started at the station in 1897 to test the 

 relative merits of grafting apple trees on whole roots and on piece roots. Ten 

 varieties of Hungarian apples of 6 trees each were received from the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture. Two trees of each variety were grafted on whole 

 root, 2 on a top-piece root, and 2 on a bottom-piece root. The trees were 

 measured in 1908, 11 years after planting, and the measurements and differ- 

 ences are shown in tabular form. 



The advantage is slightly in favor of the top-piece root method of grafting 

 with the whole-root method second. This is shown to be contrary to the results 

 of similar work reported by the Alabama Station (E, S. R., 10, p. 1042) in 

 which the advantage was slightly in favor of trees grafted on the lower half 

 of the root with those made on the whole root third. 



A comparison of tillag'e and sod mulch in an apple orchard, U. P. Hedrick 

 (New York State Sta. Bill. 31',, pp. 17-1.32, pis. 8, dgm. 1). — An account with 

 the results secured to 1908 inclusive is given of a ten-year experiment started 

 in 1903 and being conducted by the station to determine the relative values of 

 tillage and sod mulch in orchard management. The experimental orchard con- 

 sists of about 95 acres of Baldwins set out in 1877. The results secured to 1907 

 inclusive have been previously noted from another source (E. S. R., 20. p. 337). 



As indicated by the yields, the tilled trees are yearly increasing their bearing 

 capacity, whereas the sod-mulch trees are decreasing in fruitfulness. The aver- 

 age annual yield per acre on the sod plat for the past 5 years was 72.9 bbls., 

 and for the tilled plat 109.2 bbls. The fruit from the sod plat is much more 

 highly colored, and matures from 1 to 3 weeks earlier than that on the tilled 

 plat. The fruit from the tilled plat is larger, more juicy, crisper, and of better 

 flavor. It keeps 4 weeks longer in common storage than that from the sod plat, 

 but there appears to be no difference in the keeping quality of the two classes 

 of fruit in cold storage. Tillage exerted a favorable influence on the uniformity 

 of trees and crops, the trees grown in sod showing abnormalities in foliage, 

 branches, and roots, as well as in fruit bearing and in fruit characters. 



The sod-grown trees made an average annual gain in trunk diameter of 1.1 

 in. as compared with 2.1 in. with tillage grown trees. The leaves on the tilled 

 trees were better in color, larger, more numerous, heavier, 3 or 4 days earlier 

 in coming out, and a week or 10 days later in falling than the leaves on the sod- 

 grown trees. Sodded trees made aa average annual branch growth of 1.9 in. 

 as compared with 4.4 in. for tilled trees, with about twice as many laterals per 

 branch on the tilled trees. During the dormant season the new wood on the 

 tilled trees was plumper and brighter in color, indicating better health, and 

 there was less dead wood than on the sod-mulch trees. 



