84 STATU POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



THE PURPOSE OF THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



The purpose of the experiment stations as defined in the 

 Hatch act are as follows : 



"It shall be the object and duty of said experiment stations 

 to conduct original researches or verify experiments on the 

 physiology of plants and animals ; the diseases to which they are 

 severally subject, with the remedies for the same; the chemical 

 composition of useful plants at their different stages of growth ; 

 the comparative advantages of rotative cropping as pursued 

 under a varying series of crops ; the capacity of new plants or 

 trees for acclimation ; the analysis of soils and water ; the chem- 

 ical composition of manures, natural and artificial, with experi- 

 m.ents designed to test their comparative effects on crops of 

 different kinds; the adaptation and value of grasses and forage 

 plants ; the composition and digestibility of the different kinds 

 of food for domestic animals ; the scientific and economic ques- 

 tions involved in the production of butter and cheese; and such 

 other researcnes or experiments bearing directly on the agricul- 

 tural industry of the United States, as may in each case be 

 deemed advisable, having due regard to the varying conditions 

 and needs of the respective states or territories." 



ILIvUSTRATlONS OF THE WORK OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS 



The experiment stations have studied, or are studying practi- 

 cally all of the vegetables and fruits which are grown in this 

 wide land. While nearly equal attention has been given to the 

 plum, the pear, the apple, the raspberry, the blackberry, the straw- 

 berry, the currant and the gooseberry, I have, because of its 

 importance in our own State, selected some of the lines of work 

 being done in the culture, growth, and care of the apple to illus- 

 trate the work of the experiment stations along horticultural 

 lines. 



COVER CROPS FOR ORCHARDS. 



An orchard cover crop is a crop grown in the fall and winter 

 to protect the soil and trees of orchards, and at the same time 

 to improve the soil. Unlike crops grown throughout the season, 

 cover crops as a rule do not injure the trees by drying out the 

 soil, for in many places heavy fall rains are the rule, and even 



