ORCHARD NOTES. 39 



for that purpose. On account of its extremely poor condition 

 in 1909 this block showed less marked improvement at the end 

 of one year's treatment than did the others. 



The season of 191 1 repeated the general operations of 1910 

 in the several non-experimental blocks, with one or two excep- 

 tions; no lime was applied and the amount of fertilizer used 

 per acre was looo lbs.- of 4-8-7 composition. Lime-sulphur 

 was used as the fungicidal spray in all the orchards in place of 

 bordeaux mixture. Lead arsenate was added as usual to the 

 former to control leaf and fruit destroying insects. 



The close of the growing season and the subsequent harvest 

 of the past fall gave results that not only were satisfactory to 

 the Station but should be of interest to fruit growers in the 

 state who are confronted with the problem of orchard renova- 

 tion. 



The Baldwin orchard, apparently in hopeless condition two 

 years previous, has njade remarkable progress. (Fig. 13). The 

 trees are fast becoming firmly rooted ; the wood growth aver- 

 aged about 12 inches, the foliage was especially noteworthy for 

 its dark healthy color, great mass and size of leaves and the 

 persistence with which it adhered. Although killed by frost, 

 the foliage in this orchard was still on the trees, not in isolated 

 patches, but as a mass, up to the first of December. 



No great amount of fruit was borne here ; this was to be 

 expected in view of its former condition. Nevertheless, the 

 larger trees averaged in a number of cases 2 or 3 barrels of 

 large, well colored fruit per tree. 



Ben Davis No. i has in two seasons been transformed from 

 an unprofitable unthrifty block into a vigorous, bearing orchard, 

 and is now in condition to be used for experimental purposes. 

 The foliage, wood growth, yield and character of fruit left 

 nothing to be desired. 



Ben Davis No. 2 (omitting certain experimental plots to be 

 considered later) increased in general thrift, and more than 

 doubled its fruit production over the preceding year. Similar 

 improvement occurred in Ben Davis No. 3 and the trees not 

 in orchard blocks. 



The necessary removal in 1910 of the greater part of the 

 block of mixed varieties, the shaping up of the Baldwin orchard 

 and the weeding out of the hopeless trees in Ben Davis No. 3 



