124 



Effects of Grass on Apple Trees. [may, 



mown and removed, while special artificial manures are used 

 for each crop on the cultivated portion, in addition to farmyard 

 manure, thus giving equal conditions as to manure for 

 the trees on both plots. The difference between the trees on 

 grass and those on cultivated ground has been very marked, 

 as will be seen from the following table, showing the average 

 diameter in inches of the trees at a distance of 4J ft. from the 

 ground. 



Variety of Apple. 

 * 



Average Diameter in Inches. 



Grass. 



Cultivated Ground. 



1905. 



1906. 1907. 



T 905- 



I906. 



I907. 



Bismark... 

 Bramley's seedling 

 Cox's orange pippin ... 



1-03 

 0-78 

 0-82 



1 -05 

 o-8i 

 o-86 



1-18 

 1-04 



I "OI 



1-31 



I -20 

 I'll 



I '62 

 I-50 

 I '40 



2"OI 

 I'9I 

 I-8 3 



The wet season of 1907 benefited the trees on grass to a 

 marked extent, for while in 1906 the proportionate increase was 

 1 in the trees on grass to 10 in the trees on cultivated ground, 

 the increase in the past year was 4 in the trees on grass to 10 in 

 the trees on cultivated ground. Insufficient moisture seems, 

 therefore, to be one of the causes of the poor development of 

 trees planted in grass. 



At the commencement of 1907 the experiment was modified 

 by removing from around the stems of alternate trees on grass 

 a square of turf. The surface ground laid bare (4 sq. yds. to 

 each tree) was forked without disturbing the roots, and kept 

 free from weeds throughout the year. The effect of this treat- 

 ment was soon visible, the growth made during the summer 

 was strong and healthy, and the increase in the thickness of the 

 main stem was also marked. On the whole the growth was 

 nearly equal to that made by the trees in cultivated ground, 

 and very much greater than that made by the trees with grass 

 all around the stem. 



