ORCHARD NOTES. 4I 



work in the neglected orchards throughout the state. What 

 has been done in the Station orchards can be accompHshed 

 elsewhere with equal success by the use of a proportionate 

 amount of intelligently applied effort and judicious expenditure. 



The latest available census statistics (1900) on apple pro- 

 duction show that of the nine states (Maine, New Hampshire, 

 Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New 

 York, New Jersey and- Pennsylvania) comprising the North 

 Atlantic Division, of the United States, Maine ranks third in 

 the total number of apple trees and seventh in the yield of 

 fruit. In the average number of trees per farm Maine ranks 

 first (104.7), while on the score of yield in bushels per farm 

 this State comes last with a record of 35.6 bushels. While it 

 may be reasonably expected. that the census figures of 1910 may 

 show an increase of yield per tree for this State, it must be 

 recognised that the two fundamental problems of the Maine 

 orchardist needing immediate attack are economic. They are 

 (i) increase in the production per unit, and (2) improvement 

 in quaHty of product. 



These are problems in orchard management,- involving the 

 factors of soil manipulation, fertilizers and insect and fungus 

 control. As previously stated, the experiments dealing with 

 control of parasites have recently been published by this Station, 

 and the present discussion is confined to the experimental 

 results obtained to date along the other lines. 



Of the several million apple trees in this state not over 5 

 percent, as a conservative estimate, are subject to any regular 

 system of cultivation. Perhaps 25 percent are standing in land 

 pastured to animals,— generally sheep or hogs. The remainder 

 stand in grass, with occasional or no applications of either 

 organic or inorganic fertilizers. 



Since these are without doubt the chief conditions relating 

 to the low unit production in this State, they were utilized as 

 the basis for the experimental work begun in 1910. 



Experimental Work, 1910-1911. 



xA.s stated above, the experimental work up to the present 

 has of necessity been confined to the one block of trees whose 

 average condition and comparative uniformity, together with 

 the prospect of moflerate fruit yield, warranted its use for such 



