Il6 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



we are seeking the experience of other states where com- 

 mercial apple growing has been a very important branch of 

 farming for many years. 



"Does tillage pay? These tables do not show that every 

 sod orchard should be tilled, but they do show that it would 

 pay to till the average one. If a sod orchard is giving good 

 yields, and if the trees are making sufficient growth to keep 

 up their vitality, it may be desirable to keep it in sod. By 

 the liberal use of barnyard manure or straw mulch, an or- 

 chard may be kept in good condition without tillage. The 

 trouble is that so many do not receive enough of either. The 

 same results may be accomplished with much less manure if 

 the orchard is tilled. If the orchard is in sod and is not 

 yielding well, or if the trees are losing their vitality, even if 

 the yield is good .still, it will probably pay to till. 



"There are some marked advantages of sod. It requires 

 less work to leave trees in sod. If the land is very stony, 

 tillage brings stones to the surface and makes a bad place for 

 the apples to fall. Sod is also better to haul spray rigs over. 

 Perhaps the greatest advantage is in having a sod for the 

 apples to fall on. This is particularly desirable when the en- 

 tire crop is to be shaken off for evaporating. Cover-crops 

 will, to some extent, take the place of sod, but it is difficult 

 to get a good cover-crop under large trees. Apples usually 

 color better on sod and are said to keep better, but are not 

 so large. Some experiments are now being conducted on 

 these points. 



"Tillage, fertilization, pruning and spraying are the chief 

 factors that enter into good care of an orchard. One or more 

 of these may sometimes be omitted without seriously affect- 

 ing the trees. Tillage may lessen the need of fertilization. 

 Fertilization may help to make up for lack of tillage. Some 

 years few insects or fungi attack the trees, so that spraying 

 is not much needed. Very frequently a grower becomes im- 

 pressed with the importance of one of these factors and 

 makes a hobby of it, to the exclusion of all the others ; but 

 the most successful man is the one who keeps a proper bal- 



