STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 123 



(ii) In the present group of orchards, tillage alone and 

 also tillage with leguminous cover crops have usually been sur- 

 passed by the mulch treatment, though in one experiment they 

 have excelled in most respects. The addition of cover crops 

 here also has not yet shown any material gain over plain tillage 

 followed by weeds or other natural growth. These results may 

 not apply generally, and cover crops may often be expected to 

 show a profit in more mature orchards or in soils that are 

 especially deficient in humus, but thus far they have shown no 

 important crop value in the present experiments. 



(c) Experiments in Mature Orchards. 



(12) In most of the experiments in the more mature or- 

 chards, the tillage and cover-crop treatment has proved better 

 than the other methods of soil management, in respect to yield, 

 growth and average size of fruit. Its chief deficiency has been 

 in color of fruit, in which it has been regularly surpassed by 

 the other treatments. It is impracticable from the comparisons 

 available, however, to determine how much of the present bene- 

 fits are due to tillage and how much to the cover crops. 



(13) On the assumption that the relative commercial qual- 

 ity of the fruit is determined chiefly by its average size and 

 color, it appears that the mulched fruit generally ranks highest 

 in this character, with that on the cover crops usually following 

 closely. Full development in size, as well as a normal period of 

 ripening, is also of much importance, especially in securing the 

 best dessert and keeping qualities. Where the tilled fruit can 

 show material advantages in these respects, it may often more 

 than compensate for its customary deficiencies in color. 



(14) In the fully matured orchards, the tillage and cover- 

 crop treatment alone has proved superior to sod mulch alone in 

 yield and growth. When fertilization is added to both treat- 

 ments, however, the situation is reversed as to yield, and prob- 

 ably also as to growth, although the larger growth is occurring 

 on the tilled trees. The latter is rated lower because too much 

 growth is undesirable in trees that are fully mature. 



(15) In the Fassett orchard especially, the yields on the 

 mulched and fertilized trees have been much steadier than those 

 under any other treatment. The results on these plats show a 



