-5- 



SEEN Airo HEARD IN THE FIELD 



Apple roots under a decaying mulch. It is difficult to imagine more 

 nearly ideal conditions for apple root development than those existing just 

 beneath a decaying mulch. Moisture supply, aeration, mineral elements (includ- 

 ing nitrogen in nitrate form), and the absence of competition from grass, com- 

 bine to favor growth and maintenance of the apple roots. This condition is 

 well illustrated in several Nashoba orchards where a mulch accumulated over 

 a long period of years is paying good dividends. It takes about three years 

 before the nutrient materials stored up in dry hay are again made available 

 for the tree. Decay is hastened by nitrate applications. 



Ben Davis affects adjacent Mcintosh. A striking example of cross pol- 

 lination was recently observe'dT "at~a twilight meeting at Apple d'or Farm where 

 a block of Mcintosh trees adjoins a block of Den Davis. V/here the two varieties 

 are adjacent, the set of Mclritosh is exceedingly heavy, much more so than where 

 the Mcintosh trees are next to Baldwins. The old Ben Davis may not be much of 

 an apple to eat out of hand, but it ranks i.'ell with Delicious, Cortland, Astrachaa 

 and others as a pollenizer. 



Fighting scab s uccessfully in a diff icult season. 17hen someone asks 

 the question, "Doesn't everyone have a lot of scab in Mcintosh trees this year?" 

 we can truthfully say that scab is almost completely under control in a number 

 of the larger commercial orchards. One such orchard has received no lime sul- 

 fur and needs none. The sprayer hus a capacity of 30-gallons per minute and 

 maintains a pressure of 600 pounds with two 8-no2zle "brooms" in operation. 

 T/Yettable sulfur has been supplemented by sulfur dust. The foliage looks un- 

 usually well. Of course, not all Mcintosh growers can justify so large a 

 sprayer. Neither can thoy afford both a sprayer and v. duster. Lacking these 

 highly desirable pieces of equipment, a grower must of necessity take more 

 time in spraying each tree. Faulty coverage is probably responsible for at 

 least nine-tenths of our scabby foliage and fruit. 



A -V/ould-be strawberry grower. An individual vo-iting to the State Col- 

 lege for information on strawberries said, "Last year I placed a handful of fer- 

 tolizer in each hole where I set my strawberry plants, and the plants failed 

 completely. This year I'm going to try lime," (An example of "spoon feeding" 

 at its \vorst, - all too common among amateurs. It illustrates the difference 

 between building up soil fertility in advance, and handing out generous gobs 

 of this and that for immediate consumption.) 



Biennial Mcintosh . One Sterling Mcintosh orchard has alternated for 

 the past four or five years botareon very heavy and very light crops. Terminal 

 growth is loss than normal. The trees look relatively thin, and the cov-^r crop 

 id lacking in vigor. All signs point to a nitrogen shortage. The soil is funda- 

 mentally good but needs a thorough overhauling. If, through soil improvement, a 

 hay crop of tv/o tons or more per acre is produced, t]ie trees should then make 

 the kind of growth which accompanies annual bearing. 



Young apple trees shov/ brovm leav es. In one end of a South Amherst 

 orchard of 2-year-old apple trees, the leaves show severe brovming. It isn't 

 spray injury because they haven't been sprayed, and it isn't at all typical of 



