EREATMENT OF APPLE TREES. 345 

for three dager before re-planting ( nich Soul arr edide to 
a certain extent the cenditions experienced when trees are 
sent out from a nursery) material injury was suffered, these 
trees, after four years, being 28 per cent. smaller than 
similar ones which had not been lifted. 
Experiments instituted to determine the effect of growing 
grass round trees have furnished striking results. The grass- 
grown trees are, it appears, scarcely bigger than when planted 
five years ago, and the actual increase in weight which they 
have shown during this time is about eighteen times smaller 
than in the case of similar trees in tilled ground. The eftect 
of weeds is stated to have been distinctly less than that of 
grass, and that of careless planting, combined with weeds 
and totai neglect, scarcely greater. The grassed or weed- 
grown area extended in the majority of cases to about 6 feet 
beyond the stems ofthe trees, but in the case of two of the 
varieties of standards the extent was only 3 feet. In these 
instances recovery began in 1897, and in 1900 it appeared to 
be complete, so far as the vigour of the tree is concerned, 
although the loss of growth experienced before 1897 has not 
been recovered. In the case of the other trees where the 
ground is more completely grassed over, there have been 
some signs this year that recovery has commenced. 
‘he majority of the roots of those trees which have been re- 
covering since 1897 are still within the grassed area, 
and the effects produced are therefore not attributed to a 
competition for food between the roots of the grass and those 
of the tree, but to the large increase in the evaporation from 
the soii which is known to be produced by grass ; the trees 
being thereby made to suffer from drought, with consequent 
‘deprivation of other nourishment as well. It is believed 
also that the grass acts by preventing the access of air to the 
roots of the tree. | 
In the case of carelessly planted and neglected trees, some 
of them, after the first year, were tended and the ground 
round them cleaned. The effect on the trees was immediate, 
and there is now little to choose between them and the trees 
which have been well treated throughout. Further experi- 
ments are in progress with a view of neeune the effect of 
careless planting, without neglect. | 
