54 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY [1912-13 



same conditions, and car id for in the same way, with the dif- 

 ference in the soil they were planted in. These pictures were 

 taken at different experimental stations in various parts of 

 the world. The difference in the appearance of the trees was, 

 in every instance, marked. 



He spoke of the effects, good and bad, of heading back young 

 trees. Too severe heading back makes the trees send out what 

 would, on an ordinary tree, be a fruit spur, but on this one is 

 nothing more than a woody twig, which grows more and more 

 woody as time goes on. 



Professor Pickett showed a plan of the different plots of 

 land given over to orchards at the experimental station in 

 Durham, explaining each plot as he came to it; telling the 

 methods of planting, fertilizing, cultivating, etc. 



He said that the best commercial fertilizer was composed of 

 nitrate of soda, acid phosphate, and sulphuric potassium; 

 using 150 lbs. of the nitrate of soda, 400 lbs. of the acid phos- 

 phate, and 200 lbs. of the suplhuric potassium to the acre. He 

 also said that crimson clover was the best natural fertilizer, and 

 was an excellent thing with which to cultivate the land of an 

 orchard, although it did not affect the growth until the second. 

 At the experimental station in Durham, they usually plant 

 about 25 pounds of crimson clover seed to the acre. 



Apples planted in sod soil are of a higher color, but not of so 

 good a quality as those planted on tilled soil. 



During the discussion that followed Prof. Pickett's address, 

 the quality and best methods of planting and caring for many 

 varieties of apples were talked over, and many points of int- 

 erest to the audience were brought out by Prof. Pickett, and 

 others. 



