New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 451 
MANAGEMENT OF PLATS. 
The trees in the two plats of the experiment have received 
as nearly as possible identical care as to spraying, pruning, 
and all other orchard operations excepting soil treatment. 
The soil in the two plats has.been managed as follows: 
Sod plat——October 15, 1903, eight quarts each of orchard 
grass and blue grass seed were sown per acre from which a 
fairly good stand was secured. To make sure, however, of a 
good stand of grass, a second seeding of sixteen quarts of blue 
grass, eight quarts of orchard grass and three quarts of timothy 
seed was made April 21, 1904. During the first season the 
grass flora was well divided between the above three grasses 
but the second year the orchard grass became dominant and 
has increased in quantity until now the plat is covered with an 
orchard grass sod. The grass has been mowed on the follow- 
ing dates during the five years of the experiment: 
1904, June 21 and August 23. 
1905, June 12 and August 14. 
1906, June 18. 
1907, June 27. 
1908, May 27 and July 4. 
The grass, if allowed to stand until haying time, would pro- 
duce two tons per acre and when cut twice the crop would 
exceed this amount. The character of the grass growth is 
shown in Plate XXVI. It was in all cases allowed to remain 
where it fell from the mower as the roots of the trees spread 
over the entire orchard area and there was therefore need to 
mulch the whole area. 
Tilled plat.—The following is a memorandum of the treat- 
ment of the tilled plat: 
1904. Plat plowed June 7-11; ground harrowed June 13, 
June 20, July 19, July 29. Cover crop of mammoth clover 
sown July 30 and the seed harrowed in with a weeder. 
1905. Plat plowed May 30; rolled June 5; harrowed June 
13; June 26, July 7, July 22, August 2. Mammoth clover sown 
