January, 1919.] SOD, TILLAGE AND FERTILIZERS. 2$ 



Plot I. 



Throughout our work this plot has served as our check plot 

 since it has been neither cultivated nor fertilized. We have con- 

 stantly advised against such treatment for an orchard because of 

 the comparative lower yields and of the unsatisfactory growth 

 which has resulted. There is, nevertheless, less variation in the 

 yield from year to year than in the more intensely cultivated sec- 

 tions of the orchard, being more consistent than any other plot 

 except Plot 2 which is tilled every other year. It also has been 

 increasing somewhat in both yield and growth as the years pro- 

 ceed, for what reason we cannot be sure, but probably because 

 the grass is kept cut so that there is less danger from this source 

 than formerly when the soil was exhausted from letting the land 

 produce a crop of hay each year. When the grass is cut it has 

 been left to lie where it falls and the result is that a thin mulch 

 has accumulated which may be resulting in a benefit to the trees. 

 This plot has suffered much less from frosts and freezes than the 

 fertilized plots at the other end of the orchard since the sur- 

 rounding land is more level and not because of later blooming. 

 This benefit was noticeable practically every time a frost occurred 

 during the period of blooming. There was noticeably less in- 

 jury to the trees as a result of the low temperatures of the winter 

 of 1917-1918 than in the stronger growing part of the orchard; 

 this, however, was probably in a large measure due to the condi- 

 tion of the trees rather than to location, since the orchard is quite 

 level. 



The average jdeld for this plot for ten years is 33 barrels per 

 acre and the highest yield in any one year was in 1918 when it 

 yielded 91 bushels per acre and the next highest yield was in 

 1916 when it yielded 67 bushels per acre, about half the average 

 yield of Plot 5. This plot also averages the lowest per cent of 

 No. 1 apples and the highest per cent of Culls of any plot in the 

 experiment. On the other hand the finest looking apples have 

 almost invariably come from this plot as well as the next two 

 plots which are seeded down to grass every other year. This 

 seems to be the deciding factor with many growers for they^ de- 

 sire a highly colored apple and apparently do not appreciate the 

 big expense in yield which they suffer as a result. 



