HORTICULTURE. 553 



A few varieties of citrons were grown as well as the orange melon 

 and vegetable pomegranate. Suggestions regarding the preparation 

 and us(> of the lattei- are given. 



The apple orchard, J. C. Written {Missouri Sta. Bui. ^, pp. 21, 

 figs. 6').— For the past 5 years, experimental orchard work has been 

 under way at the station along several lines. 



Previous preparation of the soil (pp. 3-7).— In 1895 young apple 

 trees were planted on old, well-tilled heavy clay loam. Before plant- 

 ing, half the orchard was plowed deep and subsoiled while the other 

 half was simply plowed deep. Subsequent cultivation was the same 

 on both halves. No difference was noticed in the growth of the trees 

 on the two portions of the orchard or in the subsequent condition of 

 the land, and the amount of washing seemed to bo about the same on 

 both halves. The author states that while subsoiling may be benefi- 

 cial on some soils, on soils similar to those noted only deep thorough 

 plowing is necessary. 



A young orchard was planted on newly cleared tmiber land. The 

 location was a steep rocky bluff. Strips 6 or T ft. wide were plowed 

 for the trees. The remainder 6f the land was left undisturbed to pre- 

 vent washing. The trees planted on the land thus prepared made an 

 excellent growth; the apple roots followed the decaying timber roots 

 down among the rocks and the natural woods' mold and the sprouts 

 which were left to decay formed an excellent mulch to prevent the soil 

 from washing. The author considers this land, which is too rocky and 

 steep for ordinary cultivation, an ideal place for an orchard. It 

 requires much less cultivation than land that has long been tilled and 

 thoroughly subdued. In clearing such lands for orchards, the author 

 advocates the cutting of the trees as near the ground as possible to 

 facilitate cultivation. 



When orchards are planted on the hard-pan lands of the State, the 

 hard pan may be loosened by exploding a small charge of dynamite in 

 the bottom of each tree hole. This method, however, is expensive. 

 It is recommended, therefore, to prepare the soil by previous cropping 

 with clover or cowpeas. 



TJie relation of cidt'i'vation to the development and growth of apple 

 trees (pp. 7-15). — This subject has been studied for a period of 5 

 years. ' ' Measurements have been taken of the average annual growth 

 of trees receiving good cultivation, of those receiving partial cultiva- 

 tion, of those in clover and some in blue grass sod. In taking these 

 measurements, a strenuous effort has been made to truly represent the 

 average growth of trees under these various conditions of culture. 

 Measurements have been confined to the leading branches of normal 

 trees. Where trees have suffered from blight, accident, or other con- 

 ditions unusual to other trees in the same orchard, they have been 



