13 



a large proportion of the fruit on these trees, so that cut 

 the crop down this season to 100 barrels. 



Now, the total yield for 6 years has been 993 barrels, 

 or a little over an average of 3 barrels per tree for six con- 

 secutive years, and if I am not mistaken, those same trees 

 have a handsome set of wi'll devloped fruit buds for next 

 gear's erop. 



Now, about the quality, we hear that under one definite 

 plan of working, that the quality has been allowed to go 

 down, that it Avill not be up to the standard where it should 

 be, but I want to say that with this little block of trees, up 

 to this year when our fruit showed frost injury, it has al- 

 v.-ays developed very good commercial apples. Some of you 

 mterested may say, "You are applying the tillage system 

 and cover crop system, which are altogether opposite. I 

 want to use some other system, the mulch, for instance." 



Now, I am going to say that I do not believe it makes a 

 bit of ditference what system you adopt, if you live up to it 

 and maintain this balance between wood growth and fruit, 

 but if the tree is growing well and we svipply some barn 

 dressing this year and the next year we think a little basic 

 slag is good, and the next year, if it doesn't bear, we cut off 

 lialf the' top- — this will interefere — we cannot get results; 

 but under any system you may adopt — even a poor system 

 veil lived up to year in and year out and the trees carefully 

 watched is better than no system. You ought to live in 

 close communion with your trees, watch your trees, know 

 just Avhat they are doing and what they need, maintaining 

 this balance all the time, and yon will get some results, if 

 jidopting some definite system of culture, spraying and 

 pruning. 



Just a word about the mulch system ; I have a friend 

 who does not live a great w^ay from me, who has a small 

 block of trees under the mulch system, and he was telling 

 me a couple of years ago what splendid results he had been 

 getting from this mulch orchard, carrying on all sorts of 

 experiments in the orchard, and he invited me over to see 



