88 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 388 



potash with an additional 2 pounds nitrate of soda per tree applied under each 

 tree, no clover growing there. The mulched trees received no other fertilizer. 

 The two lots of trees look about the same. Root development beneath the mulch 

 is similar to other mulched plots. 



The Effect of Orchard Mulches on the Plant Nutrients in the Soil. (J. K. 



Shaw in cooperation with the Chemistry Department.) This is a new project. 

 Previous work has shown that nitrates and replaceable potash abound in orchard 

 soils beneath a hay mulch. We wish to know whether this is also true of other 

 mineral nutrients and whether it is due solely to nutrients in the mulch or to soil 

 conditions brought about by mulching. Two 30-year-old Mcintosh trees grow- 

 ing in cultivation were mulched with hay, two with glass wool, which may be 

 expected to produce similar soil conditions, and two are continued in cultivation. 

 Two trenches were dug under each tree and soil samples at several depths were 

 taken. These are now being analyzed to determine total and available nutrients. 

 Similar samples will be taken one or more times each year and analyzed. 



Studies of Varieties of Fruits. (J. K. Shaw and Staff.) 



Apples. Milton trees bore a good crop this year. As trees get older the ir- 

 regular shape of the fruit is less pronounced than is that of young trees. Milton 

 is larger, of more attractive color, and later than Early Mcintosh; the tree is of 

 far better growing habit and begins to bear earlier. 



Sweet Cherries. There are no commercial sweet cherry orchards in Massa- 

 chusetts; yet it would seem that growers in this State might compete with those 

 who ship in considerable quantities of fruit. Leaf spot and brown rot can be 

 controlled easily. The two most serious difficulties are winter injury to the trees 

 and depredations by birds. Proper choice of site and soil and suitable soil man- 

 agement will go far towards preventing winter injury and it is doubtful whether 

 birds would be very troublesome in orchards of an acre or more. Birds harvested 

 most of the blueberries in two small unprotected plots, but when two acres were 

 planted the mischief of birds became insignificant. It has been suggested that 

 captive hawks or even stuffed hawks might scare away birds. In a limited trial 

 in one of our small blueberry plots a liv^e hawk seemed to keep birds away. It 

 should be remembered that only certain species may legally be kept in captivity. 



We have grown in the nursery about twenty-five varieties of sweet cherries 

 and most of them are also in our orchard though not all are in bearing. A few 

 notes on some varieties are here given: 



Bing is a dark, red cherry often in our markets. It is meat>', of attractive 

 appearance and good quality, with a small pit. It is not very productive. 



Black Republican is another dark cherry of good quality but not very large. 

 It is commonly used only as a pollinator. 



Dikeman is small, rather sour and of not very good quality. It is not to be 

 recommended. 



Giant is a large, dark cherry, inferior in quality to others of its class. 



Napoleon is the yellowish Royal Ann of the Pacific Coast and our markets. 

 It is perhaps the best light colored sweet cherry but not as hardy to cold as other 

 varieties. 



Schmidt is one of the best dark cherries, of very good quality and fairly hardy. 

 It is recommended to plant with Windsor as a pollinating variety. Nelson is 

 very similar to if not identical with Schmidt. Paul Rose is a yellow bud sport of 

 Schmidt with a red line down the suture. Neither is superior to Schmidt. 



Windsor is the best sweet cherry for Massachusetts. It is dark red, hardy, 

 productive, and of very good quality. 



Gold or Starks Gold was very productive and hardy at first. Later the trees 

 were killed apparently by winter cold. It is poor in quality. 



