1910.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 939 



certainly the results thus far obtained during - the course of the experi- 

 mental work at the Institute appear to indicate that there may be a 

 more or less direct connection between the nature of the growth of a 

 tree and the type of cider produced from its fruit. At any rate in the 

 case of certain varieties it seems that heavy cropping powers and high 

 vintage quality are incompatible. 



It is, therefore, necessary to collect information which will enable 

 an opinion to be formed as to the comparative advantages of growing 

 heavy cropping varieties which yield a large bulk of cider capable of 

 commanding only a moderate market price, or less heavy cropping 

 kinds which produce a smaller bulk of cider of higher market value. 

 In due course such statistics will be available from the experimental 

 orchards which have recently been planted. 



Since the work on single-variety ciders began, a large number of the 

 more widely grown sorts have been examined, and it is becoming- 

 possible to make some progress with regard to the selection of indi- 

 vidual varieties as being worthy of extensive propagation. In order to 

 make the recommendations as authoritative as possible, it is proposed 

 that a committee of recognised experts on vintage fruit should be 

 formed, and that a list of recommended varieties should be published 

 by that body after examination of all available data. 



The report also discusses the results of investigations into the follow- 

 ing subjects : — The influence on the quality of the fruit of the root 

 stock, the intermediate stock, and the age of the tree ; the relation 

 between the quality of the fruit and the method of treatment of the 

 trees ; the variation in the quality of the juices during the pressing of 

 the cheese ; cider yeasts ; and the filtration of cider. 



Influence of Grass on the Growth of Fruit Trees (National Fruit 

 and Cider Institute, Report, 1908). — The orchard of the Institute was 

 planted in 1904 with vintage varieties of apples and pears, and afforded 

 an opportunity of investigating the effect of grass on the growth of 

 trees. At the time of planting, circular holes, 6 ft. in diameter, were 

 dug and this space was kept cultivated. 



At the end of a year after planting it was arranged that at least 

 one tree of each variety should be treated in each of the following 

 ways : — (a) the cultivated area around the tree should remain 6 ft. in 

 diameter, (b) the cultivated area should be extended to a circle 9 ft. in 

 diameter, and (c) the cultivated area should be allowed to grass over. 

 The measurement of the girth of the trees (at a height of 5 ft. 6 in.), 

 is not the most satisfactory means of demonstrating the effect of the 

 treatment, but it was adopted as being the one involving the least labour, 

 and the results obtained, expressed in percentages, were as follows : — 





No. of 



Girth in 



Average girth. 



Treatment of trees. 



trees. 



March, 1906. 



March, 1909. 



Cultivated area, 9 ft — 



30 



IOO 



194 



„ „ 6 ft... 



24 



IOO 



177 



Grass ... 



15 



IOO 



I6 5 



There can be no doubt from these figures that the grassing over of 

 the original cultivated area of 6 ft. diameter resulted in an appreci- 

 able check in the rate of growth, while the extension of the cultivated 

 area to 9 ft. diameter was beneficial. This seems to show that it is 

 the fine rootlets actively engaged in the absorption of food substances 



