750 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD. 



f as large. "The crops })orne by these trees, however, were heavy in 

 proportion to their size." Trees carefully lifted ever}^ j'ear and 

 replanted at once suffered no injurj' thereb}-, but when left 3 daj^s 

 before planting, in imitation of connnercial nursery methods, material 

 iniur3' resulted, amounting -t years after the transplanting to a loss of 

 2S per cent in size. 



The effect of growing grass about trees was most striking. 



"The grass-grown trees are, after 5 years, scarcely bigger tlian Mhen planted, and 

 the actual increase in weight which they show during this time is about 18 times 

 smaller than in the case of similar trees in tilled ground. The effect of w-eeds has 

 been distinctly less than that of grass, and that of careless planting, combineil with 

 weeds and total neglect, is scarcely greater. The grassed or weed-grown area, in the 

 majority of cases extended to about 6 ft. beyond the stems of the trees, but in the 

 case of 2 of the varieties of standards the extent was only 3 ft., and in these 

 instances recovery began in 1897 and now appears to be complete, so far as the vigor 

 of the trees are concerned, although they have not made np for the loss in growth 

 experienced before 1897. In the case of the other trees, where the ground is more 

 efhciently grassed over, there seems to be some signs that recovery is now beginning. 

 With those trees which have been recovering since 1897 the majority of their roots 

 are still within the grassed area, and it seems impossible, therefore, to attribute the 

 effects of the grass to a competition of food between the roots of the grass and those 

 of the tree. We believe one of the main causes of the effects to be due to the large 

 increase in the evaporation from the soil which is known to be produced by grass, 

 the trees l)eing thereby made to suffer from drought, with consecjuent deprivation 

 of other nourishment as well ; but we have reason to consider that the grass acts, 

 also, by preventing the access of air to the roots of the trees. Further experiments 

 have been undertaken to elucidate this action more fully." 



Carelessly planted and neglected trees largel}" recovered when cul- 

 ture and attention were resutned after the first year. In these experi- 

 ments carelessly planted trees resulted in an increase in growth of wood 

 and in total weight of the tree — a surprising result which is being* 

 further studied. Mulching the ground with clean straw, hardening 

 by rolling, or repeated digging of the soil instead of hoeing produced 

 no appreciable results. 



The effect of planting trees in hills with the ground worked from 2 

 to 3 ft. deep, of planting in soil mixed with flints, gravel, chalk, peat, 

 or compost, and of planting trees too high and too low were studied. 

 Decided results were secured only when the method employed fav- 

 ored an increased moisture supply to the roots — /. c, with peat and 

 compost. Both the leaf size and wood formation were increased by 

 the use of these materials, due not so much, it is thought, to their 

 manurial value as to their increasing the porosity and moisture of the 

 soil. p]ach of the months of November, January, and March has 

 proved equall}^ favorably for setting out trees. 



In certain experiments the blossoms were removed, resulting in a 

 small excess in the growth and leaf weight. 



