56 maine agriculturai. experiment station. i912. 



Announcement. 



There are three Hues of apple studies that from the begin- 

 ning have stood out as the important ones to be undertaken at 

 Highmoor Farm. These are orchard management, investiga- 

 tions upon apple enemies, and investigations in apple propaga- 

 tion and growth. Orchard management covers such questions 

 as cultivation, fertilization, pruning, cover crops, thinning of 

 fruit and protection from insects and fungi. Tliese more 

 practical questions call for the work of an experienced orchard- 

 ist and one familiar with the grosser field experiments. The 

 apple diseases require the expert scientist skilled in plant pa- 

 thology. To be of real permanent value these call for more 

 than superficial investigation. Their study demands the expert 

 botanist to discover, classify, and learn the life habits of the 

 low forms of ^alant life that cause the injuries. He must have- 

 knowledge and ability to study the differences between fungi 

 that are accidentally present because of the damaged and dis- 

 eased tissue and those that are the cause of the injury. He 

 must have that intimate knowledge with plant physiology that 

 makes it possible for him readily and surely to distinguish 

 between normal and abnorm.al growth, between healthy and 

 pathological tissues. The work in propagation and growth de- 

 mands the trained biologist. On the one hand the skill and 

 knowledge requisite to the breeder of plants and on the other 

 that of the biometrician who is trained to measure growth ac- 

 curately. Orchard management demands the skilled operative, 

 the other questions demand the highly trained scientific special- 

 ists. 



During the past three years the work in orchard management 

 has been under the control of the horticulturist and the studies 

 upon apple enemies have been made in cooperation with the 

 plant pathologist and those in breeding with the biologist. With 

 the resignation of Mr. Bonns as horticulturist all of the apple 

 work will be planned by a committee consisting of the director, 

 the biologist and the plant pathologist. The details of the 

 work will be carried out by and under the personal supervision 

 of Air. Yeaton who has been appointed orchardist. 



CHAS. D. WOODS, 



Director. 



