130 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1908. 



winters in the history of Maine orcharding, confirms this state- 

 ment, which is further emphasized by reference to the column 

 of "Remarks" in the table. At the present time most of the 

 Gravenstein trees on the cultivated area, and several of the 

 mulched trees, are dead or dying. The Tolmans are nearly all 

 in prime condition and bore an extra heavy crop of fruit in 1907. 

 The unfertilized trees show clearly that, on this soil, at least, 

 additional plant food is an absolute necessity. While the rotting 

 turf sets free a considerable amount of plant food when culture 

 or mulch is first given, this material is soon exhausted and the 

 trees assume the yellow, stunted appearance which is only too 

 familiar. On the cultivated plat nearly all of the unfertilized 

 trees were killed or seriously injured by the cold of the last 

 winter. The mulched trees, while severely injured, suffered 

 to a less marked extent than did the others. While at first 

 glance this may seem an argument against the cultivation of 

 trees, it would have no weight in the management of hardy 

 varieties, and, as shown in previous reports, the cultivated trees 

 live faster and produce more, during their life time than do the 

 others. 



Relative Yield of Fruit. 



In 1902, the first bearing year of this young orchard, the 

 following results, irrespective of fertilizers, were obtained : * 



"Gravenstein — cultivated, 19 bearing trees, averaging .72 bbl. 

 per tree ; mulched, 14 bearing trees, averaging .59 bbl. per tree. 



"Tolman — cultivated, 9 bearing trees, averaging .44 bbl. per 

 tree ; mulched, 6 bearing trees, averaging .50 bbl. per tree." 



In the case of Gravenstein there was a decided difference, 

 both in number of bearing trees and in average yield per tree, 

 in favor of cultivation. With Tolman the number of bearing 

 trees was greater by one-half on the cultivated area, but the 

 average yield was slightly less. 



Essentially the same results were obtained during the next 

 two years. In 1904, the cultivated plat yielded,t "an average of 

 1.7 bushels per tree; while the mulched area, for the same num- 

 ber of trees, gave an average of 2 bushels per tree." 



* Bulletin 122 of this Station, p. ii 

 t Ibid, p. 189. 



