flR^ LAWRENCE SOUTHVaCK 

 FRUIT NOTES - 0GT03i.R, I^ ^^ ^^^^L 



V/. H. Thies 

 Extension Horticulturist 



Further .Evidence on the Value of Mulching 



In one of our experimental orchards is a plot of 10 Mcintosh trees 

 that was cultivated without fertilizer for some 20 years. As would be expected, 

 the cover crops were near failures, the soil became hard and the trees grew and 

 yielded very poorly. It was even almost free of wuuds. In 1938 a mulch of 

 poor hay was appliud at the ratu of 4 to 5 tons p^jr acre and tnis was repcatod 

 in 1939. An attempt was raada to disc tho mulch under in the; spring of 1939 but 

 this was not vary sucowssful because the soil was so compact and th« mulch ma- 

 terial not much decomposed. No fertilizer was applied. 



It was expected that this treatment would result in a nitrogen de- 

 pression and symptoms of nitrogen deficiency in the tretjs, but nothing of the 

 sort has appeared. The trues grow well, the leavus wero deep grsen and the plot 

 produced a bumper crop this year, more than any other of the fertilized plots in 

 the orchard, and this in spite of the fact that the trees average smaller. The 

 heavy crop was doubtless due, in part, to favorable weather conditions during 

 both 1938 and 1939, but it seems probable that the Kulch had something to do 

 with it . 



The mulch doubtless favored penetration und retention of the rainfull,, 

 it may have favored air circulation between the atmosphere and the soil and it 

 brought in some nitrogen that must have become available to the trees. Recent 

 experiments have shovm that tree root systems will not function effectively if 

 the oxygen of the soil atmosphere falls below 10 percent, which is about one- 

 half that of normal air. Low oxygen is characteristic of compact soils and 

 this may be an important reason why such soils are not suited to orchards. 

 These observations give added support to the idea that mulch is good stuff to 

 have in the orchard. J. K. Shaw 



A Promising Red Gravenstein 



About ten years ago a considorable number of possible bud sports of 

 several varieties of apples were collected in orchards about the otate and top 

 grafted at the College, iunong these were a half dozen or more from Gravenstein 

 trees. 5ome of these provbd to be similar if not identical vidth the regular 

 Gravenstein. Others were somewhat better colored. One from tne orchard of 

 J. A. Whitcomb of Lunenburg appears to be outstanding. It seems equal to and 

 may prove superior to the Red Gravenstein which hci.s been in propaga.tion for 

 several years. J. K. Shuw 



Issued by the iiixtension bervice, Willard a. Liunson, Director, in furtherr^nce 

 of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Massachusetts State College, United States 

 Department of Agriculture, and County rixtension Services cooperating. 



