456 Report oF tHe HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF THE 
is, about the same percentage of blossoms in each plat set 
fruits. This being true, the table shows that there is a far 
greater number of fruits produced on the tilled plat. In the 
next table an idea is given of the relative size of the apples 
from the two plats. j 
TaBLE I1V.—Size or APPLES ON Sop AND TILLAGE PLATS. 



Number of Weight Average 
Plat apples per weight 
per barrel barrel of apples 
Lbs. Oz. 
Ode . Set egieetes weno 434 136 5.01 
DUAR Je ite n ke ctu Gs ate 309 136 7.04 
Table IV gives the average number of apples per barrel of 
first grade fruit from each of the two plats and the average 
weight of the individual specimens. This table shows that the 
tilled apples average larger than those grown in sod. | 
The last two tables substantiate what is apparent from ob- 
servation alone to those who have been in the orchard; namely, 
that the increase in quantity of fruit on the tilled plat over 
the sod plat is due both to the greater number of fruits and 
larger size of specimens. It is apparent, too, that if the rela- 
tive size, indicated by the proportion of 5 to 7, holds for the 
whole crop, as we think it does, there are a greater proportion 
of culls and seconds in the sodded than in the tilled plat when 
size alone is considered. 
Color of frwit.—The fruit from the sod-mulch plat is much 
more highly colored and therefore more attractive in color 
than that from the tilled plat. The difference varies somewhat 
with the season. Mulched trees ripen their fruits earlier than 
tilled trees and if the weather is sunny and propitious for the 
proper coloring of apples, and if the tilled fruit can remain 
on the trees one or two weeks longer to mature, as it should, 
the difference is less marked than’ otherwise as to color. 
