554 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



rejected. Wherever pruning has abnormally affected the growth, 

 siuli tree.s have not been considered. Measurements were made of 

 all the leading- branches on about 600 trees, through four seasons"' 

 growth." The observations have been made on Ben Davis, Jonathan, 

 Jenet, and miscellaneous varieties of apples. The rainfall for the 

 growing season of each of the years 189-i to 1898 inclusive is also 

 given. Tabular results of the measurements show that the greatest 

 growth has been made by those orchards that have been cultivated 

 most, and that " cultivated trees make a more uniform grow"th"*than 

 trees not cultivated." The more the trees are cultivated the less they 

 are affected by drought. This is considered the most important point 

 in the cultivation of orchard fruits in Missouri. 



' ' The unfavorable effects of drought on uncultivated trees are more aJDparent the 

 succeeding season than they are during the dry year itself. A marked falling off in 

 heiglit growth, and a generally devitalized condition of the trees, may be looked for, 

 in uncultivated orchards, for a year or two following an excessive autumn drought. 



"During 1898 more trees died as a result of the previous dry autumn than died 

 during 1897. The unfavorable effects of this drought are yet (1899) apparent in 

 uncultivated orchards." . . . 



" During a dry summer and autumn, the orchard soil should be kept in good tilth 

 until the crop of fruit and the wood growth are mature, or until rains come. 



"During a wet summer and autumn, cultivation should cease early enough (August 

 lirst) for the growth to be checked and the wood ripened for winter. 



"Failure of the wood to mature in autumn may be as often due to ceasing culti- 

 vation too early as it is to continuing cultivation too late. This is particularly true 

 when trees are loaded with fruit. ' ' 



Crops to he grown in orchards (pp. 15-19). — The value of small fruits, 

 garden vegetables, cowpeas, soja ])eans, clover, rye, and buckwheat 

 is discussed. It is stated that nothing should be grown in the orchard 

 which will prevent the cultivation of the tree rows. On steep hill- 

 sides clover is considered an especially desirable crop to grow to pre- 

 vent washing. It should be sown in strips running across the hillsides 

 }>etween the rows and the trees gi\'en (^lean cultivation until they are 

 well established. 



Cultural methods — implement (pp. 20, 21). — The value of different 

 cultural methods in the orchard is considered. Relative to the culture 

 of other orchard fruits the author states that peaches should be given 

 the same attention as apples. 



"Standard pears and cherries usually succeed best if the land is cultivated until they 

 reach bearing age, and then seeded to clover. Dwarf pears should be given the best 

 of cultivation. Plums do best under clean cultivation, but the Americans will suc- 

 ceed fairly well in clover or even in blue-grass pasture. Japanese plums should be 

 treated about the same as the peach." 



A chemical study of the apple and its products, C. A, Browne, 



JR. {PciLiisyli'aiua JJcpt. A<jr. Bui. J^', pp. J^(j' Rj.)t. 1S99., ^^P- ^SJf.- 

 572). — The following analyses of 25 varieties of apples represent only 

 sound, ripe fruit which, except th(> summer apples, had been stored in 



