198 maine agricultural experiment station. i905. 



The Top-Working of Orchards. 



The experiments here noted include the relative value of cions 

 from bearing trees of known value as compared with cions from 

 miscellaneous sources ; the actual commercial advantage, if any, 

 of changing vigorous trees from Ben Davis to Baldwin, Sutton, 

 Spitzenburg, or Jonathan ; and incidentally the question as to 

 the value of Ben Davis as a stock for top-working. 



plan oe work. 



Adjacent trees (three of each) were top-grafted April 8, 1904, 

 with cions from nursery trees and from bearing trees, as shown 

 by the map on page 199. The " nursery cions " were obtained 

 from H. S. Wiley, Cayuga, N. Y. ; the " fruiting tree cions," 

 from Geo. T. Powell, Ghent, N. Y. (except Baldwin which were 

 from Mr. Pope's orchard). As a check upon this work, and to 

 see if it really pays to top-work a young orchard of this kind, 

 four of the original Ben Davis trees are left (Nos. 7, 8, 26 and 

 27). These are to be pruned and cared for the same as the top- 

 worked trees. * 



HISTORY AND CONDITIONS OE THE ORCHARD. 



The orchard was set (two-year-old trees) in May, 1890. 

 The trees were cultivated the first year. After that, however, 

 they were left in sod and hay was cut every year until 1902 when 

 hogs were turned in for one season. No treatment of any kind 

 was given in 1903, and a good crop of fruit was produced. 

 Trees made an excellent growth in 1902 and 1903, and the north 

 half of the orchard is in good condition. About the middle of 

 the plat the water has stood some in winter and trees have 

 suffered. 



With the exception of tree No. 14, the trees which were top- 

 worked in 1904 were in good vigorous condition. 



1904. Orchard plowed and cultivated during summer. Five 

 hundred pounds of fertilizer analyzing about 3 per cent nitrogen, 

 6 per cent phosphoric acid, and 8 per cent potash. Photographs 

 made at time of grafting. 



1905. Treatment of previous year repeated. Superb 

 growth, — 15 to 24 inches. Photographs made October 23. 



Naturally conclusions are not yet drawn from this work. 



