-2- 



Contouring helps conserve soil, moisture and fertilizer in 

 the cultivated orchard, and likewise to a less extent in the sod orchard. 

 In either cultural system orchard equipment can be more easily and less ex- 

 pensively hauled on the contour than up and down hill. However, the freedom 

 of movement is largely restricted to the horizontal; this is almost necessary 

 anyhow on slopes greater than 15 per cent. Provision must be made for turn- 

 ing at the end of contour rows. Sheet erosion occurs on all sloping culti- 

 vated land. It is often so imperceptible as to be hardly noticeable. Its 

 effect is cumulative and serious in the end. It is not uncommon to find as 

 a result of sheet erosion during the years that good topsoil has accuraulated 

 to a depth of several feet at the foot of a long slope. Another type of soil 

 erosion that orchardists often have to cimtend with is road erosion. In 

 many cases this type of erosion can be reduced to negligible proportions by 

 proper road placement through careful planning in advance of planting, 



Orchardists of this state having problems of soil conserva- 

 tion and land improvement, and most of them do have such problems, will be 

 interested in the possibilities in these fields through soil conservation 

 districts. The soil conservation enabling act, recently passed by the Mass- 

 achusetts Legislature, makes it possible for farmers of a given area to or- 

 ganize soil conservation districts. Through districts technical service in 

 conservation can be obtained free of charge, and the use of heavy equipment 

 of different kinds can be obtained at low cost. Many advantages may accrue 

 to farmers through districts. The fist step in obtaining a district is to 

 file with the State Soil Conservation Committee a petition bearing the names 

 of a number of land occupiers in the area under consideration, 



— A. B» Beaumont 



A RECORD SHORT APPLE CROP 



What a pity this year, when there is need for every possible 

 pound of food, that Massachusetts, Nevi England, and practically the entire 

 East should suffer such a disaster in connection with apple crop prospects I 

 It has been a case of down , dovm , down, all season. Ever since the frost 

 first struck, following that "August weather in March," there has been a 

 series of wallops including serious lack of pollination, heavy drop, wet, 

 scabby v/eather, all of which have taken their toll of merchantable fruit 

 which will be available this season. 



It now sums up to the shortest crop in New England since 1910, 

 It is even smaller than the 1921 crop which \re old timers thought was a ter- 

 rific disaster. 



As it stands at this v;riting, the apple crop in the entire 

 North Atlantic area, including New England, is only a little more than 10 

 million bushels compared with about 35 million last year. In the South 

 Atlantic States, which takes in the very important Virginia section, the re- 

 duction is from 23 million last year dovm to a meager 6 million this year. 

 In the Central States it is about 50^o of a crop, from about 18 million to 

 9 million. 



