Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-12-12
Report from tiighmoor Farm.

OF the state have been waiting Tor
authoritative report from Highmot
fruit farm and 1t was given at the recer
meeting of the State Pathological s,
ciety, much to the satisfaction of al
The report was made by w. W. Bjnn
horticultural of the Maine agricultur,
experiment station. Prof. Bonns said
part:
In the year 1909 the Legislature {
this state appropriated the sum of SIC, ,0C
for the purchase of farm, whereon tb
Maine agricultural experiment static
could conduct its experiments in Of
charding and other agricultural pul
suits. Sometime later in that year Higt
moor farm was selected for the purpos
by duly appointed committee, bu
actual possession was not obtained un
til late in the summer of 1909. Littl
could be done in that year in the way Q
agricultural operations; fertilizer wa
applied in small amount in the orchards
the trees were sprayed once during th
summer with Bordeaux mixture and Il
September they were subjected to lhei
first regular pruning.
Orchard renovating, In its real mean
ing, comprising the caring OF the planta
tion throughout the entire season di,
not begin until the spring of 1910. Th
results OF the work since that time hav
been gratifying to those who have beel
connected Herewith, and not withou
significance, we hope, to Maine orchard
lists in general aud to the members o
the society in particular.
In the summer OF 1909 when the speak
er first came to HighmoOr a sorrier 10
of trees has rarely, If ever, been his mis-
fortune to see in any planting tina
aspired to the name of orchard. Th
total number of living trees was close t.
5000. These, planted from 25 to q
years ago, were we'll advanced on tn
road to death from injury and starva
ton; some were 80 far gone that the.
have been mercifully relieved Of useless
existence and turned to good account a
frewoOd.
These 2S years old trees In size re
sembled normal 10 and Is year old ones
so slow had been their wood growth
The foliage was OF the pale yellow-greeI
color, so characteristic of vegetation il
an abnormal condition. The tops wer
tangled mass of intertwined branches
and twigs. Limbs we're overgrown will
lichens and MOSES. Foliage was pep
pered with the leaf spots of numerou
fungus parasites. Apple insects of near
| ly every kind common to this regiol
here found congenial abode and were
rearing their generation in tens of thou
sands.
All the orchards had for years beer
under thick sod of the toughest witch
grass, which, besides exhausting the
soil of the moisture, harbored grea'
numbers of field mice, which wrough
havoc in the orchard in the winte
months. In addition, several orchard
fires of more than ordinary severity bat
run through the grass during the fou
or five years previous to 1909.
The keynote of the campaign OF 1911
was cultivation, and this was begun q
early as the gro und could be worked
All the orchards on the farm except Ger
tain experimental plots were put unde
the plow. A fine soil mulch was main
tanned and the weeds were kept dow
until the end of July, when cultivation
ceased. A cover crop OF rye was sow
| in one orchard, winter vetch in another
and in the largest Ben Davis planting
the weeds were now allowed to come u
for purpose of winter cover. Durin
the season the trees were sprayed thre
times at the proper intervals and peri
DDS; when the blossom buds showe
pink at the tips, Immediately after th
petals fell, and from ten days to tw
weeks later.
All the orchards were put under tn
plow except three plots of about one an
One.fourth acres each, one Of which wa
pastured to sheep, one to hogs, and
third left in grass. All orchards receiv
ed high grade chemical fertilizer at tb
rate of 1900 pounds per acre.
The results of this year were not ex
pressed In terms of large crop, but i
evidence of response to treatment wit
good prospect of fruit production in tn
near future. At this time about so
trees that were beyond hope of redemp
| ton were removed.
The greater part Of the seasons GRO
was picked from the Ben Davis orchard
The trees sprayed with the lime-sulphu
preparations produced excellent apples
large, we'll colored, free from parasite
injury, with fine gloss. Nearly all tn
fruits sprayed with Bordeaux showe'
spray to varying degrees. The result
from q llme-sulphur plot were 80 su
perior that 1t was substituted for Boz
deaux for general spraying OF this pas
| season.
The work of the season just past ha
been q repetition of the preceding one
Early and repeated cultivation, spraying
borer hunting, pruning and fertilizing
This year but thousand pounds OF
high grade chemical fertilizer were ar
piled per acre.
So much for the work Of the past an
the plans for the future. What are tn
results already obtained? The sprayin
experiments indicate that lime-sulphu
az q fungicide has como to stay unles
something still better takes its place
that it's use can be recommended wit
lead arsenate and that 1t is greatly to b
preferred to Bordeaux.
The question of animal pasturage TO
orchards has been quite definitely settle
so far as conditions at Highmoor ar
/ COuC0EUou. u0 buOOP OtOaoau feSse'
ed with five animals yielded this year
the rate of six and one-half barrels pc
acre, the hog plot IS barrels per acre
the cultivated plot adjacent at the rat
of 127 barrels per acre. In general tn
results confirmed the experience of year
of practice by the best orchardist
throughout the country; 1t pays to us
the pillow, wherever and whenever poss
BILE. Still greater is the folly OF main
tanning the orchard year after year i
sod. In sod are so trees nearly all Q
the same size as the neighboring one
under cultivation. These 80 trees pre-
duced this year II barrels, 1-2 bushsl
of apples, of which barrels and l !.
bushels were on the boundary OF tn
plot, and hence were cultivated on on
side. The foliage of this year, with th
exception of the trees In sod, left notf
ing to be desired. The wood growt
also is excellent.
The crop of 1909, following the sum
mer when the farm came into the pot
session of the station, was 90 barrels
marketable apples.
The crop Of 1910, after one year of
tention, was 275 barrels. The crop G
1911 consisted of 2450 barrels, OF whic
zoos barrels contained no fruit smalle
than Q / 4 inches, OF magnificent color
and free from worm holes or fungi
spots of any kind; as for codling moth
not two barrels infested with insect