446 RePORT OF THE HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF THE 
“ COMPARISON OF TREE GIRTHS IN DIFFERENT CULTURE PLOTS.* 
Measurement taken twelve inches above ground. 
Average girth of trees in cover-crop plot (No. 1)................ 9.71 in. 
Average girth of trees in sod-mulch plot (No. 4)................ 10.56 in. 
* COMPARISON OF First YIELD or FRUIT FROM DIFFERENT CULTURE PLOTS. 
_—" —_ 


Method Number Total Average 
Variety - of of weight of weight of 
culture apples apples each 
. specimen 
JONAMIENT, wie stee oe Cover-crop.... 70 21” Als 4.8 ozs. 
ON. See or ..{ Sod-mulch.... 172 554 lbs. 5.16 ozs 
GriMesii hug . aides Cover-crop.... 59 23 Ibs. 6.23 ozs 
bil, Wee Ee Sod-mulch.... 82 304 lbs. 5.95 028, 



* Data given in bulletin as to 
bearing on the subject in hand. 
‘ 
‘sod-culture’’ are omitted, they having no 
Beside this table there are photographs showing that the 
trees in sod are thriftier than those under tillage. In studies 
made of the root systems of the trees, the investigators do not 
make plain which method is most conducive to root develop- 
ment. The effect of the two treatments on the fruit itself, as 
to color, quality, maturity, keeping qualities and size, are not 
given,—an unfortunate omission, for the. value of a crop of 
apples depends much upon the character of the fruit. So, too, 
important characters of the trees are not discussed. The size, 
amount, and color of the foliage of the trees indicate its wel- 
fare; yet the character of the foliage of the trees in the two 
plots is not discussed in this bulletin. There are no state- 
ments regarding uniformity of trees or crop. Were the trees 
uniform in growth and were the 129 apples from the tilled 
plot produced on one tree or distributed over the 40 trees? 
The chief fact presented is a statement of the vield of fruit— 
one crop with a difference of 125 apples between the plats of 
40 trees each. This is scant evidence from which to draw in- 
ference or conclusions. . 
So many of the important details of the method of conduct- 
ing this experiment are lacking that even if the authors’ con- 
