492 



Experiments with Apple Trees. 



[NOV., 



pears, and of standard apples and plums. With the bush trees, 

 transplanting at two or three years of age yielded much better 

 results than transplanting at one year or four years. The two- 

 year trees, on the whole, did better than the three-year trees, 

 and, considering the difference in cost between them, they are 

 decidedly to be preferred for planting. With standard trees, 

 those of two and four years alone were tried, and the younger 

 trees in this case also did much the better. For estimating the 

 results obtained in these cases the values of the crops borne 

 during the first ten years after planting were taken. 



Effect of Grass. — The general effect of grass and weeds on 

 apple trees were dealt with at length in the Third Report of the 

 Station. 



At present no difference has been found in the action of 

 different grasses on apple trees. The experiments on grassing 

 over pears, cherries, and plums immediately on planting have 

 led, so far, to the same result as in the case of apple trees, the 

 <:heck given to them being very severe. 



Effect of Iron in the Soil. — Experiments in which soluble 

 salts of iron and manganese were applied to the soil led to the 

 conclusion that neither of these metals have any effect in 

 producing a highly coloured fruit, as is often stated to be the 

 case. 



Planting in Trenched and Untrenched Ground. — The results 

 obtained on planting trees in trenched and untrenched ground 

 proved that the latter has been more successful at this station, 

 the advantage showing itself in the much heavier crops obtained. 

 Although this result maybe at variance with general experience, 

 there would seem to be nothing astonishing in the fact that 

 where the sub-soil is a stiff, unkind clay, anything which would 

 induce the roots to penetrate into it, as trenching would, might 

 be injurious to the tree. That this is probably the explanation 

 of the results is borne out by the fact that similar good results 

 have been obtained by preventing the roots from penetrating 

 into the clay by having a layer of chalk under them. 



Deep Planting. — It was found that when trees were planted 

 at a great depth in the soil, there was the same dying off of the 

 •old roots and development of new ones, whether the sub-soil or 

 the surface soil was placed in contact with the old roots, the 



