HORTICULTURE. 43y 



then planted to millet, cultivated part of the season and then cropped witli oats, and 

 cultivated pait of the season and then allowed to run to weeds. 



An examination of the moisture content of the soil of the different plats was made 

 during the season and a table is given which shows the number of trees that failed to 

 start into growth and the number of trees that died after starting. The amount of 

 moisture in all the plats remained nearly uniform up to July 1, excepting in the case 

 of the plat cropped with oats for the entire season. On this plat the moisture con- 

 tent was much lower than on any other. On August 15 the plat cultivated t« corn 

 contained less moisture than any of the other plats, while the plats cultivated part 

 of the season and then sown to a cover crop contained slightly more moisture than 

 those cultivated throughout the entire season or planted to vegetables. More than 

 50 per cent of the trees on the plat cropped with oats throughout the entire season 

 failed to start or died after starting. The greatest loss on any other plat was about 

 20 per cent, and occurred on the plat given cultivation in the early part of the sea- 

 son and then allowed to grow up to weeds. 



The results, on the whole, indicate that the sapping of the moisture from the soil 

 in the latter part of the season, as was done by the corn and cover crops, did not 

 have nearly as serious an effect on the trees as did the withdrawal of the moisture 

 by the oat crop in the early part of the season. Another experiment in the cultiva- 

 tion of peach trees showed that cultivation throughout the entire season conduced to 

 more dead trees than cultivation part of the season followed by a cover crop. 



Orchard cover crops (Amer. Ayr. {mid. cd.), 69 {1902), No. 3, pp. 79, 100,ii<j. I). — 

 A discussion is given of the relative value of various leguminous cover crops for orch- 

 ards and of some cooperative experiments carried out by the New York Cornell 

 Station with orchardists in different parts of the State. Hairy vetch was one of the 

 most useful plants employed. It is stated that this plant analyzed over 200 lbs. of 

 nitrogen per acre fo»' a growing period of 3i months. This plant was not very vig- 

 orous in the early autumn where the shade was dense, but greatly improved later 

 when the leaves began to fall. One difficulty in connection with the use of this 

 plant is the scarcity of seed. It is stated, however, that if a small (juantity is secured 

 in the beginning, the orchardist can easily grow sufficient for his own use each year. 



String-fellow method of planting {RuralXew Yorker, 61 {1902), So. 2745, p. 606).— 

 A record is given of the growth of apples and grapes planted according to the String- 

 fellow method a year previous. Out of 132 apple trees planted on the land and 

 given no attention other than a manure mulch, 37 have died. The others have made 

 a i to i normal growth on the average. Check trees planted with whole roots show 

 75 per cent of normal growth. With the grapes, 64 out of 153 vines set have died. 

 The others have made from 25 to 40 per cent of a normal growth. A peach orchard 

 ot 160 trees planted in the same way is reported as looking thin ])ut most of the trees 

 are still alive. The ground occupied is very poor and difficult to cultivate. 



Locating' orchards in Washington, S. W. Fletcher ( Washington Sta. Bui. 51, 

 pp. 14, figs. 2). — A popular discui-sion of the fruit zones of Washington, with sugges- 

 tions regarding the locating of orchards. 



Planting orchards in Washington, S. W. Fletcher ( Washington Slu. Bui. 52, 

 pp. 29, figs. 7). — The best methods for planting orchards in Washington are popularly 

 discussed. In speaking of the Stringfellow system of planting, the author states that 

 the results of the station work in that State indicate no advantage for this method. 



Nursery stock for Washington orchards, S. W. Fletcher ( Washington Sta. 

 Bui. 53, pp. 31). — Popular suggestions to farmers regarding the propagation and buy- 

 ing of nursery stock. A list is appended of the nurseries licensed to sell fruit trees 

 in the State of Washington in 1902. 



The commercial apple area, W. A. Taylor {Amer. Gard., 23 {1902), No. 404, P- 

 610). — The author gives statistics from the Twelfth Census which indicate that more 

 than three-fifths of the total number of apple trees grown in this country are found 



