44 MAINE) AGRICUIvTURAI, EXPE;rIME;nT STATION. I912. 



were light in color and small. Lack of vigor and vastly insuf- 

 ficient growth were everywhere evident in the sheep, hog and 

 sod plots. Defoliation began early and before harvest the 

 appearance of the trees was that indicated in Figs. 15 and 16. 



In Plots A, E and F the reverse of the above conditions 

 obtained. Foliage was dark green, abundant (Fig. 17) and 

 adhered until frost killed it. No noteworthy differences in this 

 respect were seen between the three plots under cultivation nor 

 between the two pastured to animals. Plot D was in poorer 

 condition, however, than either B or C. The fruit yield, as will 

 be seen later, showed equally strikingly differences. 



In 191 1, as already noted, it was decided to topdress the 

 uncultivated plots to see if the plant food so applied would 

 show any effect. No decided improvement resulted. The foli- 

 age in plots B, C and D was again far inferior in amount, 

 color and size of leaves to that of A, E or F. A few isolated 

 instances occurred in plot C where a tree was prominent among 

 its neighbors for increased vigor. Such were trees around 

 which the hogs had done enough rooting to destroy the sod 

 entirely, and in a way had performed the work of cultivation. 

 It is worthy of note that practically all of the trees in all the 

 non-cultivated divisions that showed any noticeable improve- 

 ment were on the boundary row of their respective plots, — i. e. 

 one-fourth of their root systems, theoretically, had felt the 

 stimulus of cultivation. 



Much of the inhibition to growth of trees in sod is of course 

 accounted for by lack of needed water. The grass roots absorb 

 the greater part of the available surface soil moisture before 

 the latter has time to reach the lower soil. This moisture is 

 lost through the processes of growth, and the soil water from 

 the greater depths is drawn up by physical forces and likewise 

 dissipated through the grass growth. 



To a small extent this competition for water between grass 

 and tree roots was reduced in the uncultivated plots in these 

 experiments. The sheep kept the grass well cropped, and the 

 hogs, although they rooted very unevenly, did in a measure 

 check the growth of grass. On the sod plot an attempt was 

 made to conserve soil moisture and check the sod growth by 

 cutting the grass at intervals and leaving it to form a mulch. 

 In none of these divisions, however, was there any observable 

 benefit. 



