-7- 



the creases, and when the whip is planted, v;e slip the flattened cylinder 

 dovfi: over it and let it extend two or three inches into the dirt in such 

 manner that the moth camiot reach the tree. The guard v/ill aiever girdle 

 the tree but will always be ti^ht around the trunk and will last until the 

 tree is five inches in dianeter. Vdiile we do not have quite so many borers 

 as in orchards fartlier south, we have plenty of orchards nearby which are 

 badly infested. But v;e have not seen a single borer in our 500 trees, all 

 of which were planted with window screennetting guards. 



3. Storage Scald. Prevention of storage scald in the Cortland 

 variety has been carefully studied by workers at the Rhode Island Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station. They find that the date of harvest has a definite 

 relationship to the amount of scald. Cortland apples were harvested on six 

 different dates in the Station orchard and the a:-.iount of scald in each lot 

 observed. The results were as follows: The percentage figure in each case 

 represents the portion of that lot which was entirely free from storage scald, 

 Sept. 16, 5=0? Sept. 23, 21^'p; Sept. 30, 85);; Oct. 7, 95%; and Oct. 14, 100^. 

 The late harvested fruit also has much better color and was superior in all 

 respects. 



Ilulching Experiments at the State College 



A mulch of glass wool is being used under certain trees in the 

 State College orchard in Amherst to determine its effect on plant nutrients 

 in the soil. For some time it has been known that nitrates and replaceable 

 potash are found in orchard soils beneath a hay mulch. Ey means of the 

 glass wool an attempt v;ill be made to determine whether or not these mineral 

 nutrients are due solely to the decomposition of the mulch or to soil condi- 

 tions brought about by mulching. Two 30-year-old ;.icIntosh trees grown under 

 cultivation have been mulched v;ith hay, two with glass wool, and tv/o are 

 still under cultivation. Tv;o trenches were recently dug under each tree 

 and soil samples at several depths were taken. These samples are now being 

 analyzed to determine total and available nutrients. Similar saraples will 

 be taken one or more times each year and analyzed. 



In another plot where cultivation and mulching are under comparison, 

 heavy mulching vras begini in 1922. Rootlets are much more abundant Just be- 

 neath the mulch than in surface areas under cultivation or sod. Doubtless 

 there are three conditions which favor such root development, - (1) better 

 and more uniform moisture supply, (2) more readily available nutrients, and 

 (3) better aeration. The growth of these trees last sui/iiier was remarkably 

 good and the crop was the largest of any of the seven plots in the orchard. 

 There have never been any signs of nitrogen deficiency following these 

 liberal applications of v;aste hay. Ko fertilizer other than the mulch has 

 been applied for twenty years. J. K. Shaw 



An Old LIulching Expe r imo n t 



There is nothing new under the sun. In Vfisconsin Bui. 87, published 

 in 1901, Professor E. S. Goff tells of mulching a small plum orchard with 

 marsh hay applied six inches deep. The results were very satisfactory. The 

 grass (except quack grass) was killed, and the tree roots were induced to grow 

 almost to the top of the ground. This, he feared, made the trees more subject 

 to winter killing. in the severs winters of Wisconsin, He notes that the 

 mulched trees had more healthy foliage and the size and quality of the fruit 

 v;as increased. J. K. Shaw 



