70 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc 



unless the mulch sj^stein Avas changed, the orchard, which 

 was so promising and so beautiful in its growth, would be an 

 absolute failure and a total loss. The system was changed 

 back ao-ain to cultivation, with the result that the trees have 

 taken a new start, and are giving promise now of a good 

 orchard in the future, although by the change of system at 

 least four years of time had been lost. So that, while we 

 may discuss this question of mulching, every man nmst decide 

 for himself whether he has the conditions that are right for 

 it, before he ventures to adopt the practice upon a large 

 scale , 



In my own case I gave this system a practical demonstra- 

 tion. Five 3^ears ago I planted two orchards, one to be 

 given cultivation and the other to be kept under the mulch 

 plan, that I might test them side by side, under my per- 

 sonal observation. The trees that have been cultivated 

 have continued to make ver}^ satisfactory growth. They 

 have already begun to bear fruit, this past autumn being the 

 fourth year. Some varieties have borne liberalh', from 15 

 to 20 apples appearing upon a tree. Now, the other orchard 

 that has been kept in mulch has practically made not more 

 than half the o-rowth of the other. A lumiber of the trees 

 have failed. The grass came in heavy, and it so taxed 

 the soil for moisture during two dry seasons that many of 

 the trees died, and the orchard has been reset once with 

 nearly one-half the munber of trees that have died out. So 

 that at my own farm I am clearly satisfied that this system 

 of growing fruit trees by mulch is not at all adapted ; and I 

 think that my farm represents about the average of the farms 

 of New England, in the character of its soil and in the man- 

 agement which it requires. Tlu^ nudch system, which has 

 been so attractive, as doing away with a vast amount of labor, 

 with most men certainly will \)yo\o to be misleading and dis- 

 ai)})ointing. 



The majority of New England orchards are on hillsides, 

 on comparatively dry land, and in sod ; and so long as ai)ples 

 arc dependent on such conditions, the crops will not only be 

 uncertain in yield, but the quality will be largely inferior. 

 It is wiser to givi; to orchard purposes a few acres of the best 

 land, and devote it entirely to the trees. 



