VOL. LV.— No. 3.036. 



SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1912 



THE 



GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE 



NOTE OF THE WEEK. 



Eifect of Grass on Fruit Trees. 



For some years past it has been a debat- 

 able point among fruit growers whether 



AVoburn Experimental Fruit Farm uiuler 

 the direction of the Duke of Bedford and 

 Mr. Spencer Pickering for the purpose of 

 determining with scientific accuracy the 

 effect produced by grass upon fi'uit trees 

 and the cause thereof. The report on these 

 experiments, which forms a substantial 



substance origimited was a matter of con- 



Tho general result, as so clearly 



jecture. 



shown in the re])ort, of 



the 



grassnig 



grouiul, either by sowing s<^s or replac- 

 ing the turf after the trees have been 

 ]>!anted, is the arrest of growth, and the 

 <onsequent stunting of the trees. The illus- 



the crops obtained from trees growing in volu)ne, is now befor? us, and is a valuable trations which form so useful a part of the 

 surfac-e cultivated soil are so far superior contribution to ix)mological literature, report, fully support this conclusion. The 



immediately 



after 



to those produced by trees occupying grass- There can be no question as to the subject first of the plates illustrates two rows of 

 covered areas as to justify the increased being of great practical importance to trees of Bramley\s Seedling, one of which 

 cost involved in keeping the had the ground grassed 



trround free from w"ee<ls and 

 maintaining the surface in a 

 loose state. It is generally 

 acknowledged that the finest 

 fruit is produced by trees 

 occupying ground that is re- 

 gularly tilled, and it is also 



r e CO g n i se d t h a t the mo s t 

 profitable market crops are 

 obtained from plantations 

 whe re t he t r e es a re free 

 from competition with grass 

 or other forms of plant life. 

 Yet many who grow fruit 

 have a liking for grass- 

 grown orchards. It may be 



over 



planting, and in the other 

 case it remained in a state 

 of tillage. The trees in the 

 fi r st row m ade a poor , 

 stunted growth, and in the 

 second row the trees pre- 

 sent the appearance of hav- 

 ing been placed under the 

 conditions most favourable 

 to a robust state of health. 

 Somewhat similar results 



in 



in which 



the fourth 



sentimental, or it 



be 



may 



a desire to obtain supplies 

 with as little cost 



as pos- 

 some instances, 

 the belief of those wdio re- 



sible. In 



gard 

 chard 



the 



grass-grown 

 with favour 



or- 

 is 



founded on the heaA^y crops 

 of excellent fruit that are 



ui 



many seasons produced 

 by some orchard trees that 

 have 



from 



earliest 



their 



years had their root run car- 

 peted with grass. In the 

 latter case there is some 

 excuse for the opinion held 

 with regard to the suffi- 

 ciency of such trees, and we 

 should certainly not advise 

 those who have profitable 



grass orcha 

 the surface. 



The fact how- 



ever, is unquestionable that 

 grass has an injurious effect 

 upon fruit trees, especially 

 in a young state, and that 

 the l>est results are obtained 

 when the surface soil is kept free 

 grass for some distance from the stem 

 until at least the trees have become well 



a re repre- 

 rows of Cox's 



are shown 

 plate, 



sented two 

 Orange Pippin. Fnlike the 



the 



whole of the trees were 



B r a mley 's Seedl in g , 



given 



the 



advantage 



of a 



tilled surface until the end 

 of their fourth year after 

 they had Ijeen planted, and 

 then a portion of them had 

 the surface of the soil, as 

 far as their roots extended, 

 i>;rassed over. The deleteri- 



ous effect of the grass upon 

 the trees was evident in the 

 first season, and this became 

 more apparent each season, 

 until in the sixth year, when 



the majority of the trees 

 were practically dead. We 

 have on several occasions 

 had an opportunity of see- 

 ing the experimental fruit 

 plantations at Woburn, and 

 are much impressed by the 

 fidelity with which the re- 

 sults obtained are repre- 

 sented in the illustrations. 



ME. EDWARD A. BUXYAED. Other apple trees, both st^an. 



dards and dwarfs, that have 



from fruit growers, but, as stated in the report, been similarly treateil twelve years 



the bearing, which it has on the question 



of the conditions of growth of plants in manner 

 general and of the process occurring in the 



It is 



after planting, behaved in much the same 



xcept that they did not show 



soil, is of still greater imports 



signs of such serious injury until the third 

 or fourth vear after the surface of the 



ground had l>een grassed 



We learn from 



established, and hav 



growth. It would be, ^ ^ ^_ _ 



the soil tilled throughout. Recognising pointed out in the introtiuction that the „ - „ 



the injury done by grass, we have for many general conclusion to which the earlier re- the report that some varietiesof apples suffer 

 years consistently advocated surface culti- suits led has been greatly strengthened, less than others, but very little difference 

 A-ation as an essential detail of hardy fruit 

 culture, and a great improvement has been 

 effected a^ the result. We have on several 

 occ^isions referred to the series of experi- 



if not proved, by recent work. This con- 

 clusion was to the effect that the action of 

 the grass Avas due to the existence of some 

 substance which was actively inimical to 

 the growth of the trees, though how such effects of grass, but those of cherries, pears, 



has in this respect been found between 

 bush and standard trees. It has also been 

 proved beyond all question that, not only 

 do apple trees suffer from the injvu'ious 



