ORCHARD NOTES. 57 



years, the start is satisfactory. The cuts, figures i and 2, show 

 the Jonathan trees as they appeared after grafting, in May, 

 1904, and at the time of harvest, October, 1906. None of the 

 other varieties, Baldwin, Sutton or Spitzenburg, have yet pro- 

 duced fruit. The original Ben Davis trees, left for comparison, 

 produced from 1 to 2 bushels of fruit each. 



The early part of the season was so very wet that cultivation 

 of this orchard was impossible in 1906. Accordingly neither 

 culture nor fertilizers were applied. The witch grass, which is 

 very abundant here, grew luxuriantly and was mown, in August, 

 and left upon the ground. In 1907 the usual clean culture will 

 be practiced and fertilizers at the rate of 500 pounds per acre 

 will be applied. 



COVER CROPS, f 



The chief advance made in the work with cover crops during 

 the past year, has been the practical demonstration of the value 

 of rye and spring vetch for such purposes in a region where 

 they had not hitherto been used. On a dry, rather steep hillside, 

 on the farm of Mr. John W. True, in New Gloucester, stands 

 a thrifty young Ben Davis orchard, which is just coming into 

 full bearing. This orchard is thoroughly enriched every year, 

 either with stable manure or with concentrated fertilizers, and 

 besides growing some very thrifty trees, has for several years 

 produced alternate crops of silage corn and of potatoes. 



In the late summer of 1905, at the time of the last cultivation 

 of the silage corn, this orchard was divided into 3 plats, upon 

 the first of which spring vetch was sown at the rate of 1 1-2 

 bushels per acre ; upon the second winter rye, at the same rate ; 

 and upon the third or check plat no cover crop was used. 

 Owing to the shade of the growing corn, the vetch plants made 

 but little growth and a poor stand was secured. The rye, while 

 weak and drawn at the time the corn was cut, thickened and 

 made a good cover before the close of the season. 



On May 12 the orchard was inspected and it was found that 

 the upper plat, upon which vetch had been sown, was but 

 slightly protected and that gullies, in some places a foot deep, 

 had been washed between the trees. The second plat, on which 



f See Bulletin 122 of this Station, p. 201-203. 



