HORTICULTURE. 539 



tilizer was used was $73, as compared with $8.3 with barnyard manure. $S2 with 

 commercial fertilizers, $75 with straw mulch, and $78 with cover crop treat- 

 ment. About 51 per cent of the orchards were tilled for 5 or more years and 

 29 per cent were in sod for the same period. Tlie 5-year averages show a larger 

 yield and greater income for tilled than untilled orchards. Of the sod orchards 

 those not pastured gave the largest average yields. It appears that the unpas- 

 tured sod orchards received better care as to i^runing, spraying, etc.. and were 

 generally younger than the pastured sod orchards. Spraying was practiced in 

 about four-tifths of the orchards, although very few of the scale infested 

 orchards have been treated with scale killing mixtures. Paris green with Bor- 

 deaux mixture was most, generally used. Taken as a whole the greatest yield, 

 577 bu. per acre and the largest income. $171 per acre, was secured with 3 

 sprayings as compared with an average yield of 261 bu. per acre and an average 

 income of $45 per acre from unsprayed orchards. 



The character of the pruning was gooil or fair in 66.7 per cent of the 

 orchards. The trees in 47 per cent of the orchards were planted too close, the 

 fiverage distance between trees being 33.8 ft. Only 13.3 per cent of the orchards 

 were held by tenants. During the previous 6 years the 'San Jose scale and the 

 codling moth were the worst enemies of the apple. Collar rot was bad only in 

 sections, generally on jworly drained land. The author calls attention to the 

 need of better spraying and pruning and gives brief suggestions thereon. 



The introduction by J. Craig, under whose direction the surveys are being car- 

 ried on, contains a general outline of the work and historical notes on fruit 

 growing in Niagara County. 



Dwarf apples, IT. P. Hedrick (New York Sfntr 8t(i. Cire. 12, pp. S).— With 

 a view to determining the commercial possibilities of dwarf apples 3 orchards 

 were located in different sections of the State in 1902 and 1903 by the station 

 in cooperation with the State Fruit Growers' Association, the Eastern New 

 York Horticultural Society, and the Western New York Horticultural Society. 

 This circular outlines the work under way and states the results secured 

 through the season of 1909. 



A large number of varieties on Paradise, or true dwarf stock, Doucin, or 

 half dwarf, and standard stocks are being- compared. The fifth year from set- 

 ting the 602 Paradise trees bore an average of 12.7 apples per tree; the 444 

 Doucins bore a fraction less than 6 apples i)er tree, and the 114 standards pro- 

 duced a half apple per tree. Only in one orchard, however, have the Paradise 

 trees come in bearing appreciably earlier than the varieties on the other 2 

 stocks. In this case the crop was not large enough to be of any financial value 

 until the fifth season from setting when the average for 165 trees was about 

 one-third of a bushel. Thus far the claim as to greater size, higher color, and 

 better flavor for the fruit of dwarf trees has not been borne out. 



The increased difficulty of cultivation and the increased amount of jn-uning 

 required api^ear to offset the greater ease with which dwiirf trees may be 

 sprayed and the fruit thinned. When standard and Paradise trees were com- 

 pared the shallow rooted Paradise trees blew over more often from gales than 

 low headed standards. It appears that the usually recommended planting dis- 

 tances of from 6 to 12 ft. apart for Paradise stock and 8 to 16 ft. apart for 

 Doucin stock will need to be doubled under the methods of treatment usually 

 given orchards in New York State. 



Although the experiment has still some time to run the results as a whole 

 thus far indicate that dwarf apples will not take the place of standard apples 

 in commercial orchards, although a few sorts may be used in limited numbers 

 for a commercial orchard of dwarfs. 

 60863°— No. 6—10 4 



