-6- 



SEEN AND HEARD IN THE FIELD 



Sick Treeg , Some striking cases of magnesium deficiency were noted this fall, 

 particularly in Bristol County, The characteristic yellowing between the veins of 

 the leaves, with the veins and midrib remaining green, was particularly noticable. 

 In one orchard where the symptoms were very prevalent, n© lime of any kind has been 

 applied for several years. In other orchards there is reason to believe that some cf 

 the "bulk spread" lime has been cf the high calcium, instead of high magnesium, type, 



•«• -;;■ -ii- -;{• ■>/<: -js*- ^ ^ ^;- -K-j'^t- •}(• 



Good Orchard Management , A well planned mulching program was observed on;. a 

 fruit farm in the Nashoba area, A low lying, swampy area has been drained, plev/ed 

 and seeded. Many tons mf miilch will be produced here for use in a nearby orchard 

 at a higher elevation where the soil is rather light. By transferring the growth of 

 vegetation from this moist field to another field where moisture conservation is 

 much needed, a 50^ increase in yield over a period of years may be possible, 



•jf ■«■ -s;- -Jt •«- •;!■-;*■■«■■«••«■■»• ■;;- 



An Effect of Heavy Equipment , Use of a soil auger in many orchards this fall 

 has revealed the packed condition where heavy equipment has been used repeatedly. 

 In many cases it was quite impossible to obtain a sample even where no interference 

 from stones was encountered. The development and functioning of roots in such places 

 can well be imagined. It would, of course, be impossible to prevent packing of the 

 soil entirely. But on certain soil types, almost completely devoid of organic matter, 

 a soil improvement program is urgently needed, Liming_5 growing mere vegetation, 

 bringing in additional mulch material and, in smie cases, an occasional discing may 

 be advisable, 



•jf -;i- -Jr -j;- -;;- -;i- -> ■«■ ^ -x- -5;- -;s- 



Poor Growth of Peach Trees , The inability of peach trees to compete with a 

 heavy growth of grass is very apparent in an occasional peach orchajrd. Instead cf 

 making a terminal growth of a foot or more, some peach trees show an average groT'th of 

 EO more than h inches. The reirady is not additional fartiD.izer but, in the absence 

 of early season cultivation, a layer of mulch sufficiently heavy to suppress the 

 grass. Goodgrovrth and good production go hand in hand, 



* -jf- -;s- -Si- -ii- -Ji- 4<- ■«■ -ii- -Jt -j;- -iS- 



Release Cutting , This term, very common among foresters, might well be ap- 

 plied to an orchai^d in which every other diagonal rov; has been removed. The response 

 ^f the remaining trees is little short of miraculous. Lower branches take on new 

 life as they reach out into the newly released space. It doesn't take very many good 

 trees on an acre of land to produce a large crop of friait. If twice as many trees 

 are present as are needed, they handicap each other, and production costs are higher 

 because there are more trees to prune, spray, fertilize, etc, 



-;i- -;;- -a- -.^ ■)!■ -jt % ^:- -ii- -!{• -i;- •;;- 



New Trail Builder , The new device for making trails in an orchard in which 

 to place mouse bait has been quite widely used this fall. Several growers have ex- 

 pressed satisfaction. In using this equipment, as in placing bait in the usual manner, 

 the relation of the g rass cover to the mouse population should be borne in mind. 

 The heavier the grass, in general, the larger the number of mice per acre. More baits 

 should be placed in the heavy grass, including the lower edge of the orchard bpiider- 



