No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. 49 



111 the class for best yield from a single tree under fifteen 

 years of age, Mr. A. A. Marshall of Fitchbiirg won first with 

 a tree which produced 21 boxes of apples in 1915. This tree, a 

 Mcintosh, set in 1904, has in the past five years 70 boxes of 

 apples to its credit. As these have probably not sold for an 

 average of less than $2.50 a box, this one tree must be credited 

 with a production of $175 for five years. The Marshall 

 orchard also won the prize for the best orchard of bearing trees 

 not to exceed fifteen years planted. In this class the health, 

 vigor and appearance of the trees were taken into consideration, 

 and also a sworn statement of the yield. This orchard yielded 

 about 2,010 boxes, and the estimated receipts were about 

 $6,000. 



Wright A. Root of Easthampton also had a very creditable 

 showing in this class, with a total yield of 313 bushels from 

 120 young trees. 



In the class for renovated apple orchards, Mr. Root of East- 

 hampton made a remarkable record with 970 bushels of apples 

 from 66 trees, which ranged in age from twenty-five to seventy- 

 five years. The total receipts from this orchard were $1,270. 



W. II. Atkins of South Amherst made a good record in 

 sqlling $48.86 worth of apples from a single Mcintosh tree set 

 in 1890. 



This is the second contest of this sort that has been con- 

 ducted by the Board of Agriculture, the first one having 

 occurred in 1911. From the report of the judge this year, it is 

 very evident that orchardists throughout the State are taking 

 much better care of their trees, and that four years has seen 

 a great improvement in orchard methods. Undoubtedly the 

 New England fruit shows, of which four have now been held, 

 and such contests as the one just ended, have helped by 

 encouraging orchardists and teaching them better methods not 

 only of culture, but of sorting and packing their fruit. 



Institute Work. 



Farmers' institutes have been conducted along the usual 



lines. One circuit was arranged for Dr. George M. Twitchell, 



but other than this no extended circuits were attempted. 



Seven lecturers were dropped from the list for one reason or 



