144 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I908. 



ORCHARD WORK AT NEW GLOUCESTER. 



The work at New Gloucester is not sufficiently developed to 

 warrant conclusions. As noted in a previous report,* the value 

 of a cover crop, with the dangers attending its wrong use, have 

 been fully demonstrated in the orchard of Mr. John W. True. 

 Further work in this direction has been dropped. A duplica- 

 tion of the study of the comparative merits of certain fertilizers 

 for apples, described on pages 139- 141, has been conducted for 



3 years, with the results given below. 



The Fisher Formula at New Gloucester. 



For the purpose of obtaining a fuller knowledge of the effects 

 of highly nitrogenous manures, upon both tree and fruit, an 

 orchard of Baldwins, set about 20 years, and sadly in need of 

 pruning, was selected. The soil is a strong gravelly loam, well 

 located, and altogether presenting the best possible conditions 

 for the work. The trees were of a productive age, but not in a 

 productive condition. Being but 20 feet apart, they were 

 already beginning to crowd. 



In 1905, the trees were pruned, the land was plowed, and 

 thoroughly harrowed, and fertilizers were applied as follows: 



4 rows were given stable manure; 4 rows Station fertilizer; 4 

 rows Fisher fertilizer; with a check row between each two 

 plats, as shown in the diagram. 



The stable manure was applied broadcast over the whole sur- 

 face of the ground, at the rate of 1-10 cord per tree. 



* Bulletin 122 of this Station, p. 203. 



