150 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Average yield for four years : 



Not over 30 x 30 feet apart 186 bushels per acre. 



31 x 31 to 35 x 35 „ 222 



33 x 36 to 40 x 40 „ 229 



The following table shows the age at which Apple trees in Western 

 New York State reach the period of their greatest productivity : 



Date of Planting 



Age 



Average yield per acre 

 for four years in bushels 



Before 1840 



64 



171 



1840-49 



59 



173 



1850-54 



49 



181 



1855-59 



44 



257 



1860-64 



39 



218 



1865-69 



34 



200 



1870-74 



29 



191 



1875-79 



24 



202 



1880-84 



19 



115 



1885-89 



14 



66 



1890-95 



9 



54 



Second, methods of managing the soil. 



There are four leading systems : (1) clean tillage ; (2) tillage with 

 catch or green manuring crops ; (3) grass mulch ; (4) pasturing. 



Green Crop (Buckwheat) for ploughing in. 



The first maintains a clean tillage throughout the summer ; in this 

 way the humus is rapidly burnt up. The second tills the ground early 

 in the season, then sows it with some sort of clover or grain crop with a 

 view of checking the growth of the trees and encouraging the ripening of 



