New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 



269 



more than seven years. But the trouble has not been wholly due 

 to the soil, for after the drains were put in ^ood working order other 

 trees died because of the imperfect union of stock and cion. Death 

 of trees from this cause is more frequent with apricots than with 

 any other orchard fiuits with which I am acquainted. 



For several years after 1884, efforts were njade to till the vacant 

 places as fast as the trees died, and even to extend the area of the 

 planting somewhat, but in the location first chosen the results have 

 not been encouraging. As previously stated none of the first 

 planting are alive to-day except the Black" orjPurple apricot, and this 

 does not belong to the same species as the common apricot. The 

 Eussian apricots belong to the same species as the common apricots. 

 The claim has been made that they are hardier than the common 

 apricots and the experience with them at this Station tends to sup- 

 port this claim. In 1888 and 1889, several varieties of Russian 

 apricots were planted and they have done better than tlie common 

 apricots planted in the same orchard under similiar soil conditions 

 and subject to similar care. Plums in the same orchard have been 

 longer lived and much more fruitful than apricots growing under 

 similar conditions, thus furnishing another illustration of the fact 

 that not all locations in which plums succeed are suitable for apricots. 



By consulting the following tables a comparison may be made of 

 the average length of life of common apricots, Russian apricots and 

 plums which have been planted in orchard ISTo. 4, during the six years 

 from 1884 to 1889, inclusive. In these lists no account is taken of 

 the trees Avhich died within a year after they were set because they 

 never became fully established, neither is any account taken of 

 those which were removed on account of accidental injury. 



Common Apricots. (^Prunus Armeniaca.) 



WHEN PLANTED. 



Number 

 planted. 



Average Average 



years actually|years possible 

 lived. to live to 1895. 



Total 

 years actu- 

 ally lived. 



Total yeara 

 possible to 

 live to 1895. 



1884 

 1885 

 1886. 

 1888, 



15 

 2 

 9 



4 



4.13 

 5.50 

 5.22 

 4.25 



12 

 11 

 10 



62 

 11 



47 

 17 



165 

 20 

 81 

 28 



Total. 



30 



137 



294 



Average years actually lived 



Average years possible to live 



Per cent, of possible years actually lived. 



4.56 



9.80 



47 



