12 THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



about the third week of May, as there would was cut tour times in 1899, and the crop 



be additional humus and nitro^^en to be ob- from each cutting appeared fully as good as 



tained by this method. that of 1898. It can easily be imagined 



"The great improvement made in the that this is improving the soil rapidly, 



soil bv the annual plowing under of clover " Common red clover was sown in the 



crops is clearly shown in figures given by orchards in 1899 on May 10, 17, 25 and 31 ; 



Mr. G. T. Powell, Ghent, N. V., U. S., at July 4, 11, 18 and 25. There was a good 



the annual meeting c>i. the Ontario Fruit cover crop obtained from all of these sow- 



Cirowers' Assoeiation held at Whitby in 1899. ings, with the exception of that on May 31, 



After crimson clover, which had been used which did not germinate well, and from 



as a cover crop — had been ploughed under those of August 2, 9 and 16 at which time 



in an orchard for three years, the soil was the weather was very dry and the seed did 



analyzed and the following differences were not germinate until September, and then 



found between that where the clover had but thinly. Clover sown on May 17 and 25, 



and had not been ploughed in : was nearly smothered by purslane, but 



Clover piouRiieii under No clover ploughed under eventuallv Overtopped it and Came on well 



for three vears. for three years. 



Percent. Percent. and formed a good cover crop by autumn. 



W ater. . . . i5'oo 8 "75 " In a part of the apple orchard where the 



Nitrogen.. "21 12 ^oil is very poor, two green crops were 



Humus... 2*94 i-9i ploughed under in the summer of 1899. On 



Phos. acid. •015 "008 June 10, clover which had formed a cover 



The gain per acre would be : crop the previous winter was ploughed under 



Water 6-25 per cent = 46,875 tons. and the land was then re-sown with buck- 



Xitrogen "09 " ^= i»350 lbs. wheat, soja beans, English horse beans and 



Phos. acid '007 " = 105 lbs. • field pease, with the following results : — 



''.\lthough such good results might " Buckwheat sown broadcast on June 



possibly not be secured by the use of red 17th, at the rate of 2 bushels per acre, came 



clover, still the improvement in the land by up on June 23. Ploughed under on July 



such treatment would be very great. ^5th. Average height, 27 inches. Esti- 



" For the reasons mentioned in my report mated yield, per acre of green crop, 8 tons, 



for 1898, the methods which are recom- 335 pounds. 



mended above have not been adopted at the "Soja Beans: — Sown in drills 6 inches 



Central Experimental Farm since the spring apart on June 17, at the rate of 3 bushels per 



of that year. Clover is used for a cover acre, came up June 24. Ploughed under on 



crop, but it is only ploughed under e\ery August 7. Average height 14 inches. Esti- 



two years. As the soil here is light and mated yield per acre of green crop, 3 tons 



lacking in humus, but apparently contains 466 pounds. 



plenty of moisture, a system of cutting the "English Horse Beans: — Sown in drills 6 



clover with a field mower and leaving it to inches apart on June 17, at the rate of 4 



rot in the orchard, has been followed. In bushels per acre, came up on June 27. 



1898 five cuttings were obtained, the clover Plonghed under on August 7. Average 



being from eighteen to twenty inches high height 18 inches. Estimated yield per acre 



at each cutting and just coming into bloom. of green crop, 6 tons 592 pounds. 



It was estimated that from the first four "Field Pease :^Sown in drills 6 inches 



cuttings 25 tons per acre of green crop were apart on June 17, at the rate of 3 bushels 



left lying on the field. Clover sown in 1898 per acre, came up on June 24. Ploughed 



