Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-12-02
Apple Work at tilshmoor Farm.

Apple Work at hlghmoor Farm.
Highmoor Farm was purchased FOL
the use OF the Maine Agricultural Exper'
iment Station In the summer OF 1909.
The work OF the first season was entire.
ly preparatory. From the beginning.
three lines Of studies have stood out ~
the important ones to be undertaken Al
Highmoor Farm. These are orchard
management, Investigations upon apple
enemies, and Investigations In apple pro-
pagation and growth. Orchard manage
ment covers such questions as cultiva.
ton, fertilization, pruning, cover crops,
thinning of fruit, and protection from in
furious insects and fungi. These are
practical questions and call for men ex-
perienced in the care of orchards and ia
miliar with the grosser field expert.
ments. The apple diseases require the
expert skilled in plant pathology. To
be of real permanent value, these call
for more than superficial investigation.
Their study demands the expert botan-
ist to discover, classify, and learn tho
life habits of the low forms of plant life
that cause the injuries. He must have
kno owledge to distinguish between fungi
that are accidentally present because Of
the damaged and diseased tissue and
tho 90 that cause.-the injury. He must
have that intimate knowledge with plant
pathology that makes it possible for him
readily and surely to distinguish be-
tween normal and abnormal growth, be-
tween healthy and pathological tissue.
In like manner, the studies Of the in
sects, friendly and uniriendly, that are
present in the orchard demand the
trained entomologist. The work in prop
agation and growth demands the train
ed biologist. On the one band, the
skill and knowledge requisite to the
breeder of plants, and, on the other,
that of the biometrician who is trained
TO measure growth accurately. To meet
these demands, the apple studies at
Highmoor Farm are planned by q COM
mittee consisting of the director, the
biologist and the plant pathologist.
Results have already been obtained
along all these lines. Three bulletins
giving the results Of the spraying expert.
ments and one on general orchard notes
have been published.
The work in orchard management at
HighmoOr Farm has shown that 1t is
practicable by attention to cultivation,
pruning, fertilizing and spraying to take
a 25-year-old orchard that has been sys-
tematically neglected for the greater
part of it's life and bring 1t into prof1ta-
BILE bearing in three years time. The
same treatment is making healthy Or
chard of a sballow.rooted, fire, mice, and
borer injured. and seemingly hopeless
collection of dwarfed apple trees. 1t has
been clearly demonstrated that on
Highmoor Farm, at any rate, cultivation
of apple trees is of prime importance and
that mulching in not an adequate sub
stitute. Farm manure 10 giving no bet
ter results than 10 obtained by use OF
commercial fertilizers. Fertilizer carry
ing high percentages OF nitrogen has
given no better results than Q well-bal-
anced, Upgrade fertilizer such as 10
usually used in growing potatoes IN
Maine. The value Of "tree surgery" In
increasing the vigor and prolonging the
life of apple trees has been clearly dem
onstrated. Whether on the soil Of High
moor Farm fertilizers pay, or are even
necessary in growing apples, 10 being
told with about 400 bearing trees.
Much biological data have already
been obtained. These problems In slow
growing plants have been carefully
planned. After the lapse Of ten to twen-
ty years, it Is expected that the data ob.
tanned will furnish mass of material,
from the study of which results of great
practical as we'll as scientific value on
the growth and propagation OF the apple
will be obtained.-Dr. Charles d. Woods.