now coverage about 50 per acre in best habitat. Numbers have increased five 

 to ten times since the spring census, and these rodents sxe now twice as 

 numerous as last fall. 



Comparative studies of mulched and non-mulched orchards sho\7 that 

 concentrations of mice beneath mulch are fifty per cent greater than aror.nd 

 non-mulched tree bases . '-"^rail baiting is much easier in mulched orchards, 

 and though original numbers are greater, survival after proper tre^.tment 

 is much less than in non-mulched orchards. 



^n interesting side-light on those cycles has been noted on ^ape 

 ^od and i'^artha's "ineyard in connection with tick control s^^udies. •-'-xperi- 

 ments are underv/ay to indirectly control ticks through control of their hosts, 

 meadov; mice. Ticks were very numerous last year and at a low point this 

 surumer. This was to be expected, since changes in numhers of the host pre- 

 cede changes in numbers ox the ticks by one season. 



vV. '<J - Dykstra 



KIM-P. IPL. ;tiie. .C^oyrtl e_d_ prchaj."_d 



To relieve the crowded condition so comi.ion in Massachusetts or- 

 chards, a systematic heading back of tei;iporary trees makes it possible to 

 dele.y actual tree removal - This plan is being successfully \;orked out in 

 the orchard of Jonathan Davis in Bolton. In many bearing orchards, every 

 other diagonal row of trees should be considered as "temporary" and there- 

 fore a fit subject for heading back, unless the time has already arrived 

 for tree removal, -i sir.ple orchard plan should first i-ie worked out and 

 "perma.nent" trees designated by a paint mark on the trunk in order that 

 they may be readily recognized at pruning time. 



If branches interfere in any way during the spraying oporation, 

 it is time to do something about it. liore effective sprajdng is possible 

 if there is enough space between the trees to permit driving through v.dth- 

 out having the branches brush the side of the sprayer. And if lower limbs 

 have already been cut off to permit driving beneath an overhanging canopy 

 of branches, the time for surplus tree removal has long since passed. Here 

 the ax is needed more than the pruning saw. 



Soil Phosphorus g.nd, Liming 



This is the title of an interesting story by J- N. i^verson in the 

 latest issue of "The Soil Auger." The data here presented seems to show that 

 some of the phosphorus in the soil is associated vdth the- clay and that under 

 certain conditions this form of phosphorus is activated when the soil is 

 limed. In a series of tests covering 58 soil samples taken in 14- tovrns, 

 soluble phosphorus v/as determined before and after liming along vn.th the 

 percentage of clay in each sample. All of the soils v/ere acid and they 

 ranged from coarse, sandy loam to silt loam. Liming increased soluble phos- 

 phorus in silt loams and very fine sandy locj,is from 44 to 149/^ regardless 

 of the soil scries, in fine sandy loams - IS to Sl;^ and in sandy loams - 

 to 19/0. Liming actually decreased soluble phosphorus in coarse sandy loaiis 

 and in loamy sand 7 to 29,"^. 



I 



