76 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ground is plowed and cultivated, even up to the tree trunks, 

 and these are hoed about. 



After cultivation stops, many farmers simply allows the 

 weeds to form a cover crop, either sow buckwheat, cow- 

 horned turnips, rye, etc. The practice of sowing a legumi- 

 nous cover crop is preached more than it is practiced. Fruit 

 men have become discouraged largely because of the failure 

 to get a good stand of clover when it is put in after the mid- 

 dle of summer. A few men have tried putting in their cover 

 crops earlier in the summer — in fact, soon after the orchards 

 were plowed and at the time when the trees were putting 

 on their rankest growth. As far as I can learn, the method 

 has met with success. A good stand has been secured, which 

 was plowed under early the following spring. When the 

 cover crop is sown late in the summer, then it is not plowed 

 under until late the following spring, or it may be left over 

 that entire summer. A cover crop made up of cow-horned 

 turnips, oats, and clover or vetch is coming into popularity 

 of late. Comniercial fertilizers are being used somewhat, es- 

 pecially in certain sections of the state, but many good grow- 

 ers are meeting with success without the use of any commer- 

 cial fertilizers. Stable manure is always used when availa- 

 ble. A good many cars of this are shipped into Hilton each 

 year from Buffalo. The manure costs from eighteen to 

 twenty-four dollars a car of from fifteen to twent}- large 

 loads, the freight is twelve dollars per car. At these figures 

 we consider it well worth buying. It is difficult to secure, 

 hewever, and has to be ordered a long time in advance. 



Spraying. 

 We try to spray thoroughly. Practically every fruit 

 grower has a gasoline power outfit. The San Jose scale is 

 quite generally scattered over the state, so there is first the 

 dormant spray, using lime-sulphur one to nine or ten. The 

 commercial brands are used quite generally, but some boil 

 their own. The second spraying comes just as soon before 

 blossoming as possible. The cluster buds are beginning to 



