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New York ‘AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 313 
it is stated that this formed the principal part of the cover crop. 
The cowpeas killed much earlier in the fall than either the blue 
peas or Canada peas. 
| The mixture of winter vetch and winter rye was, in many re- 
spects, very satisfactory. A good stand was secured. “This makes 
an excellent cover crop because it forms a perfect mat of vegetation 
over the-ground and does not grow tall enough to interfere with 
the gathering of fruit which ripens as late as winter apples.” 
The sweet clover did not do well under the shade of the trees, 
the orchard being. an old one and the ground considerably shaded. 
Mammoth clover was quite satisfactory although the substance 
furnished was not as great as in the case of most of the preceding 
mixtures. . 
Sainfoin makes a short spring growth whose ‘value is probably 
quite similar to that of mammoth clover. 
Dwarf Essex rape made the rankest growth of all, being -about 
two and a half feet with the broad leaves lying close together. As 
in a previous case this-was found disadvantageous in gathering 
the fruit. It was also found that field mice were inclined to harbor 
in this abundant vegetation and incidentally to injure the trees. 
Of all the cover crops it was decided that the mixture of winter 
vetch and winter rye was probably the best, all things considered, 
for bearing orchards; however, the mammoth clover gave almost as 
good results. 
Crimson: clover, although not used in this-experiment, has been 
tried at the Station many times. For this neighborhood it is de- 
cidedly unsatisfactory; as it is difficult to secure a stand, and the 
clover does well on dense clay soils and often winter-kills. 
SMALL FRUITS. 
_ The raising and testing of small fruits was one of the first in- 
vestigations undertaken by the horticultural department of this 
Station. The reasons for this are obvious. It would take some 
years to raise apple and pear trees large enough for experimental 
purposes, but small fruit plantations could be established in much 
less time. In the spring of 1882 plantings were made of raspberries, 
currants and strawberries. Some of the plants fruited the next year 
and ‘were reported upon in the Second Annual Report of the Station. 
From this time on, notes on small fruits, and in particular, 
descriptions of varieties, were a regular feature of the Station re- 
forts. While these were undoubtedly of great value’at the time, 
