1905.] Apple Growing in New York State. 



559 



per cent, higher. In this respect the figures for the separate 

 years and also for separate districts are entirely uniform. Part 

 of the difference may be due to other factors ; for instance, a 

 man who regularly cultivates his orchard may be more likely to 

 manure it and to spray and prune the trees. In order to 

 eliminate this as far as possible the figures for a number of 

 orchards, all well cared for, have been taken out separately : — 



Bushels. 



Tilled for five years or more 271 



Tilled most years 245 



Grass most years ... ... ... ... ... ... 209 



Grass five years or more ... ... ... ... ... 200 



Of these well-cared-for orchards the tilled ones gave an 

 average of 35 per cent, above the untilled. It is, of course, 

 recognised that grass has some marked advantages ; for 

 example, less labour is required, spraying machines can be 

 hauled over grass more easily than over cultivated land, and 

 where the apples are shaken off the tree they are less damaged 

 by falling on grass, while by the liberal use of farmyard manure 

 the orchard may be kept in good condition. Under ordinary 

 conditions, however, it is evident from the figures given above 

 that the yield of apples obtained from grass orchards is much 

 less than that from cultivated ones, thus entirely confirming the 

 results of the experiments on this point at Woburn.* 



Orchards in New York are, it appears, commonly ploughed 

 in autumn, but it is considered that the best method is to 

 plough in the spring, and to sow in the summer a crop which 

 can be ploughed in as green manure. 



If stock are allowed to graze in the orchard it is considered 

 that pigs give the best results, sheep take the second place, but 

 cattle and horses are decidedly injurious. 



Manures. — The majority of the orchards examined received 

 no artificial manure, but were given a limited amout of farm- 

 yard manure. The records do not cover any long period, but it 

 was found that the average yield of manured orchards for the 

 years 1902 and 1903 were 55 bushels per acre above that of 

 those that were un manured. 



In this connection it is pointed out that the mistake is fre- 

 quently made of applying manure in a small circle round the 



* See Third Report of Woburn Experiment Station. 



