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soil, are also looking well. The soil under the mulch is loose and well aerated. 

 There are many apple rootlets in this layer of loose soil. They have been at- 

 tracted either by better aeration, more moisture, or more nutrients, or by all 

 three. Evidently, earlier benefits may be expected from mulch applied to bare 

 soil than vihen put on a grass sod. ?ve are seeding two or three acres to mulch 

 producing crops to see if it is practical to grow mulching material outside the 

 orchard. J. K. Shaw 



Internal Cork and Dry Siimmers 



A recent paper by L. P. Latimer of New Hampshire gives data shov/ing 

 the relation betv;een drouth and the appearance of internal cork in apples. 

 He finds that the one contributing atmospheric factor definitely responsible 

 for the inability of the tree to get enough boron for perfect development of 

 the fruit is extended drouth during June and July. This is in harmony with 

 our observations in Massachusetts. Growers have the option of sending for 

 the Rainmaker or using boron in their orchards. J. K. Shaw 



A N ot e on Boron Deficiency 



In British Columbia it has been found that applications of boron for 

 preventing internal cork are best made in late summer or early fall. Growers 

 in Massachusetts who have apple blocks in which this trouble has appeared 

 should apply borax at the rate of about 1 ounce per inch of trunk diameter. 

 One pound of borax is ample for even a large tree. A ring application is 

 recommended owing to the difficulty of broadcasting so small an amount, 30 

 pounds per acre, in a way that will insure each tree getting its full share. 

 Although apple trees are less sensitive to boron poisoning thsin most other 

 plants, there is some danger in overfertilizing with borax. A single borax 

 treatment will apparently last at least three years after which it may be 

 necessary to repeat the application* J. K. Shaw 



An Experimen t in Vertical Drainage 



Farmers often ask about the possibilities of subsoil blasting as a 

 means of draining wet spots in fields or orchards. An experiment just com- 

 pleted in Delaware throws some light on this question. 



The soil profile in the one acre wet spot under consideration showed 

 a loam top soil 15 inches deep,, a white clay subsoil 6 feet deep, and a sandy 

 gravel below that. On August 1, 1937, twelve holes were made with a 2-inch 

 soil auger on 30 foot centers, 8 to 10 feet deep. Four pounds of dynamite 

 were loaded in each hole in vertical columns v;ith at least 18 inches of dirt 

 tamped on top of each load. Vihen the shots were fired very little soil v;as 

 blown into the air, and few craters appeared. After each rain vertical drain- 

 age in the area was found sufficient to protect field crope. 



The final step, taken December 1, 1937, was to dig a 10-inch hole, 

 8 feet deep at the point of each blast. This was comparatively easy because 

 the soil vfas well broken. Six-inch drain tile vfas set vertically in each hole, 

 and held in place by packing with sand, which acts as a filter to keep out clay 

 particles. Each tile column was capped 15 inches below the surface to protect 

 it from cultivating tools. 



In June, 1940 an inspection of this area showed that drainage was 90^ 

 satisfactory. Materials required to drain this one acre spot were 50 pounds of 



