-2- 



harvest fewer Gravensteins this season. 



In New England we look forward to the largest Baldwin crop since 

 1937. There are prospects that the Mcintosh crop vdll be somewhat larger than 

 in 1941. At a meeting July 2 in the Fred Middleton Orchard in Hudson, 40 com- 

 mercial growers gave the following estimate of this season's crop in comparison 

 with 1941; {The total of all varieties in 1941 was 175,180 bushels; 1942, 

 210,595 bushels, an increase of about 20^ over last year. The figures for 

 the three most important varieties, Mcintosh, Baldwin and Delicious were, re- 

 spectively: 1941 - 113,780; 23,490; and 9,285. 1942 - 125,620; 53,490; and 

 10,460. 



At a similar meeting in Connecticut, 35 growers representing l/3 

 of the commercial apple crop reported a total of 395,000 bushels last year and 

 524,000 this year, an increase of about 32^. The figures for Mcintosh and 

 Baldwin were, respectively: 1941 - 186,000 and 104,000. 1942 - 234,000 and 

 169,000. 



The peach crop in New England this season is expected to total 

 200,000 bushels compared with 209,000 bushels last season. The 10 year average 

 is 287,000 bushels. The outlook for pears in New England is about the same as 

 last year - 153,000 bushels. The 10 year average is 165,000 bushels. 



GRASS ROOTS A ^ID T REE ROOTS 



In a recent Michigan study the rooting habits of 9 species of 

 grasses were observed. The grasses include Sheep Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, 

 Chewings Fescue, Timothy, Redtop, Canada Bluegrass, Reed Canary Grass, Witch 

 or Quack Grass, and Smooth Brome Grass. The last three named grasses showed 

 a larger proportion of their root systems .in the lower half of the containers 

 than the others. Vfitch grass or quack grass actually showed as many fibrous 

 roots at tl^ 42 to 48-inch level as at the 24 to 30- inch level. The investi- 

 gator, N. L. Partridge, says, "The larger the development of roots in the lower 

 portion of the container, the greater the probable amounts of water which the 

 grass might be expected to remove from the deeper portions of the soil." 



These observations throw some light on the behavior of young fruit 

 trees which must compete with a deep rooted grass. If the soil is already oc- 

 cupied by . grass roots to a depth of three or four feet, the tree has a diffi- 

 cult time developing its roots because the soil may already be depleted of 

 needed moisture as well as nitrogen and other mineral elements. The scanty 

 growth of young trees under such conditions may reflect that competition. It 

 takes a good soil to support both grass and tree. 



A young tree ^ould be either cultivated or mulched in such way 

 that competing vegetation is smothered. The failure of many young orchards 

 may be traced to the fact that the trees were compelled to fight it out with 

 a stand of grass already established. Mid- summer is a good time to ch'3ck up 

 on the growth made by young trees and to remedy the situation by cultivation, 

 additional mulch or a few handful s of nitrate of soda. This latter item is 

 important if heavy rains have leached out the nitrates so essential in getting 

 the tree off to a good start. 



I 



