107 JUNE, 1916 UNIV. OF MICH BULLETIN No. 141 Mulch and Fertilizer vs. Tillage and Cover-Crops, 8th year. CULTURAL METHODS IN BEARING ORCHARDS STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Advisory Committee of the Board of Trustees Agricultural Education T. I. Mairs. Head of Department. Agricultural Chemistry Charles W. Stoddart, Head of Department. E. E. DeTurk, Physiological Chemistry. D. E. Haley, Soil and Fertilizer Chemistry. Agricultural Extension M. S. McDowell, Head of Department. E. K. Hibshman, Assistant State Leader Pearl MacDonald, Home Economics. F. P. Weaver, Farm Organization. A. F. Mason, Horticultural Extension. C. M. Arthur, Horticultural Extension. A. A. Borland, Dairy Husbandry Extension. H. D. Edmiston, Assistant in Agricultural Animal Husbandry W. H. Tomhave, Head of Department. H. H. Havner, Horses and Swine. Paul Gerlaugh. Beef Cattle. F. B. Crooks, Poultry. M. F. Grimes, Swine. G. H. Grabe, Sheep. L. S. Kleinschmidt, Poultry. Absent on leave. In charge in absence of C. W. Larson. Botany Curwensville Flora Dale Frank D. Kern, Head of Department. C. R. Orton, Plant Pathology. J. Ben Hill, Genetics. *R. A. Waldron, Plant Pathology. *J. F. Adams, Plant Pathology. A. R. Haas. Plant Physiology. A. A. Hansen, Plant Pathology. J. P. Kelly, Genetics. W. G. Edwards, Botany and Forestry. L. O. Overholts, Mycology. R. S. Spray, Weeds and Seeds. Dairy Husbandry C. W. Larson, Head of Department. E. L. Anthony, Dairy Buttermaking and S. I. Bechdel, Milk Production. Experimental Agricultural Chemistry G. C. Given, First Assistant Chemist. Experimental Pomology. J. P. Stewart, Head of Department. Forestry John A. Ferguson, Head of Department. George R. Green, Wood Technology. Horticulture M. G. Kains, Head of Department. C. E. Myers, Vegetable Gardening. A. W. Cowell, Landscape Gardening. F. N. Fagan, Pomology. E. I. Wilde, Floriculture. J. R. Bechtel, Vegetable Gardening. L. F. Reese, Pomology. H. M. Hills, Gardener. The bulletins of the Station will be mailed regularly, free of charge, to all residents of the State who request them. Address: Director of Experiment Station, State College, Centre Co., Pa. Grit Publishing Co., Williamsport, Pa. CULTURAL METHODS IN BEARING ORCHARDS. BY JOHN P. STEWART SUMMARY. 1. The present bulletin states the results of six experiments started in bearing orchards in 1907 and 1908. Their object is to determine the true influence of the principal cultural methods on the principal economic characters in apples, and eventually to determine the reasons for the effects observed. The present results involve six soil types, ten varieties, 1,540 trees, and 41,570 bushels of fruit at close of 1915. 2. In general the mulch treatment, reinforced by outside materials, has been most efficient in improving the yield, growth and average size of fruit in orchards up to about 20 years of age. In older orchards, it has been surpassed slightly by tillage and covercrops, unless accompanied by adequate fertilization. It has also been most efficient in conserving moisture, in all cases that have been determined. 3. The sod treatment has usually given the lowest results in yield, growth, and average size of fruit, in orchards of all ages, except when aided by special conditions. In one case it has had very serious effects. On the other hand, it has excelled in color of fruit and in freedom from blight. The fertilized sod plats also have generally yielded better than the unfertilized plats receiving a mulch or tillage. Both the sod and the mulch treatments require thorough protection against mice, to avoid serious damage. 4. The tillage treatments have generally done best in the fully matured orchards. They have also done well in the younger orchards, when accompanied by proper fertilization. In the older orchards, they are especially efficient in stimulating growth, which is not always an advantage. Plowing deeper than 4 inches is probably undesirable as a general practice, and disk harrows or other less drastic orchard cultivators may often displace the plow with good results. 5. Cover-crops have not proved especially beneficial as a rule. The average increase in yield accompanying their addition has |