HORTICULTUEE. 337 



Tillage v. sod-mulch, U. P. Hedrick {West. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Proc, 53 

 (190S), pp. 20-32). — The New York State Station is conducting two experiments 

 to determine whether an apple orchard will thrive and fruit better under tillage 

 or in sod with the grass used as a mulch. This paper contains an account of 

 one of these experiments, together with the results secured during the seasons 

 from 1904 to 1007, inclusive. Introductory discussions are given of the objects 

 of tillage and the philosophy of the sod-mulch. 



In this experiment, which is to be conducted for a period of 10 years, the 

 tilled plat was plowed in the spring and cultivated from 4 to 6 times, cultivation 

 ending about August 1, when a cover croi* of barley, oats, or clover was sown. 

 On the sod-mulch plats the grass was cut once or twice during the season and 

 allowed to lie where cut and decay into a mulch. 



The results for the 4 years show an average yield per acre on the sod plats 

 of 66.G bbls., and of 91.3 bbls. on the tillage plats. The average expense per 

 acre for the 4-year period was $15.78 for the sod and $22.18 for the tillage. 

 Although no measurements were taken of the leaf area, inspection of the orchard 

 showed that there were more and larger leaves on the tilled plat and the foliage 

 was a darker and richer green. The mulched trees dropped their foliage about 

 a week or 10 days earlier and the new wood produced was less than half that 

 produced on the tilled trees and was less satisfactory in color. The size of the 

 fruit averaged considerably larger on the tilled plats, while the number of fruits 

 under both forms of culture appeared to be about the same. The mulched plats 

 produced much more highly colored fruits, although the difference was not sufh- 

 cient to bring any higher price in the general market. The fruit from mulched 

 trees ripened from 1 to 2 weeks earlier than that from the tilled trees, and the 

 difference in color was much less when the season was sutticiently mild to allow 

 the fruit on the tilled plats to remain on the trees several days after that on 

 mulched plats was picked. 



The relative keeping qualities of the fruit from both plats was tested under 

 the direction of G. H. Powell of this Department, who reported that the differ- 

 ence in the two methods of culture in this respect appeared to be more important 

 with early maturing varieties such as Wealthy, Alexander, and Fameuse than 

 with the slow ripening later varieties. With the early varieties the fruit from 

 the sod land usually kept better than fruit picked from the tilled land at the 

 same time, although there was practically no difference with well-colored fruit. 



No difference was noted with reference to the eating quality of the fruit from 

 the two plats. The causes of the differences noted with the two systems are 

 further discussed. 



Notes on the propag'ation of apples, F. A. Waugh iMassachiisetts Sta. Rpt. 

 1907, pp. 61-G-'f, figs. 3). — The station has conducted experiments on the propa- 

 gation of fruit trees for several years with the two principal objects of deter- 

 mining the effects of stock on scion and the practical merits of different methods 

 of propagation with special reference to the production of dwarf fruit trees. 

 Three stocks were used, the Standard, Doucin and Paradise. Data are given 

 showing the differences in growth of the Baldwin grafted on these three stocks 

 and the variations are further indicated by diagi-ams. The average height and 

 ratio of height to diameter was greatest where the Standard stock was used 

 and least with the Paradise stock. These differences held with other varieties, 

 including the Wealthy, Mcintosh, Greening, etc., and agree with the common 

 belief regarding the influences of the different stocks tested. 



A study relative to the progressive increase of sugar and the correspond- 

 ing decrease in acidity in the fruits of pears from the time of their forma- 

 tion to their maturity, G. Riviere and G. Bailhache {Jour. Soc. Nat. Hort. 

 France, Jf. ser., 9 {1908), May, pp. 28Jt-28y). — In a previous investigation 



