40 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Q. Then if you use one ton of gu und bone, you would use 

 what proportion of muriate of potash ? 



A. I would use 500 weight of muriate of potash. 



Q. Are the German salts a better source of potash than wood 

 ashes ? 



A. It is no better if you can get the wood ashes, but with us 

 it costs considerably more in the form of hard wood ashes than 

 it would in German salts. 



Q. Salts are cheaper? 



A. Ashes with us cost too much, twenty-five cents a barrel. 



Mr. Knowlton : Mr. Pope, I would like to call your atten- 

 tion to this Stevens' circular which has been sent to me for distri- 

 bution, whether you know anything about these goods or not? 



A. I don't. I never have purchased any Canadian hard 

 wood ashes for the reason that I think they are too expensive and 

 I am a little fearful that they may not contain the potash which 

 good hard wood ashes ought to have, — a little fear of adultera- 

 tion. 



Q. Is it advisable to plow in young orchards in the fall of the 

 year? 



Mr. Pope : I would not advise plowing in the fall. I 

 wouldn't want to stir up the soil and let the air in about the roots 

 in the fall, but do the plowing in the spring. It is liable to expose 

 more or less roots and let the air in about the roots, and, as you 

 know, a root coming in contact with air and frost is almost sure 

 to be killed. Therefore, plow in the spring. 



President Gilbert: Not necessarily kill the tree? 



Mr. Pope : No, but kill that root and the better way would 

 be to let the sod remain as a protection until spring and then plow 

 and cultivate in the spring. 



O. I would like to ask the gentleman relative to mulching, 

 what is his opinion of that. Years ago it was advocated very 

 much and late years not so much. I would like to hear what he 

 thinks relative to that. 



Mr. Pope: If you have plenty of mulching to cover the 

 ground, or if while your trees are small, if you mulch as far as 

 the roots can possibly extend, and mulch deep enough to kill the 

 sod, that is sufficient. But with most of us, the mulching after a 

 few years does not extend far enough ; it is expensive ; and there 

 is no mulch any better probably than a light soil that we get from 



