50 THE COXXECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



better. Those that have been mulched were not quite as good, 

 on the whole, as those where the ground has been cultivated. 



Now, back to Mr. Vergon's trees. They began bearing 

 when they were five years old. They began bearing quite young 

 and gave good crops when they were ten years old, and have 

 been giving a crop every year since, except one, when the 

 blossoms were killed by frost. He has now 40 acres of young 

 orchards. He does everything, I think, that is necessary, to get 

 a good crop of apples. The trees began bearing young, and 

 they seem to have vigor enough to bear a good crop of fruit. 

 They don't seem to be lacking in anything. 



Now, there are some of the benefits claimed by i\Ir. Vergon 

 that Mr. Hitchings also claims. They, and others who have 

 studied this question, believe that the mulching improves the soil. 

 These gentlemen are mulching the entire surface, yet they are 

 mulching more around the trees than between. The soil between 

 does not lie idle. It is producing a crop of grass, and that falls 

 down and makes a mulch. The supply of vegetable matter is 

 increased year by year. They are laying up for the future of 

 that orchard something that will stand it in good stead for 

 many years to come. 



There can be no doubt but that the mulching has been of 

 benefit to them. One can examine the ground and see how 

 much vegetable matter there is. There is increased fertility of 

 soil far beyond the fertilizers. You may cover the soil with 

 straw or stone or any thing so as to cover it, and the soil 

 becomes richer. But it seems to me, the greatest benefit arises 

 from the fact that the trees never suffer for water. There 

 seems to be a plentiful supply. It is important that the trees 

 should have moisture all the season through, and this is an 

 important benefit. 



Now I have nothing to say against cultivation. I believe in 

 it, I know what the good eft'ects of cultivation are ; but there 

 is one weak point in it. In growing cover crops late in the 

 season, there is likely to be an insufficiency of moisture. The 

 fruit ripens too early and rots too early. This does not occur in 

 the grass-mulch method. The fruit there hangs on longer, it 

 grows up better, and while I will not say it keeps better, I will 

 say this, it does not have to be put in storage. It will stay on the 



