Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-02-04
Apple Work at fiighmoor Farm.

| The legislature Of 1909 made an sppro.
priation for the purchase and equipmen,
of an experiment farm upon which the
Station was directed among other things
to make Investigations In apple orchard.
ing. Highmoor Farm was purchased In
the summer of 1909 and the following
year series of long term studies on the
apple we're begun. At that time the
Station was receiving an increased appro.
priati0n from the Federal government
and was able to take up this work with.
out appropriation for maintenance.
During the last two years the de
creased purchasing power of the dollar
has brought 1t about that the Station
must have its funds from the Federal
sources supplemented by state appro-
priation or much of the work that has
been In progress will have to be stopped
for lack of money to pay the bills.
The following are the chief lines of
work with the apple that are in progress.
II stopped the larger part Of the work
and expense put into these studies would
be lost.
Stock and cion experiment. Begun in
1910. Object: to study mutual effects
with French crab and Tolman seedlings
and dozen standard varieties. Set In
orchard in 1915. Will soon begin to give
results.
Pollination experiments. Since 1912.
Object: to study effect of self. .pollinizs-
ton and reciprocal CROSSES, to learn the
laws of inheritance in the apple, and
develop new varieties better adapted to
Maine conditions as Q. z. to produce an
apple with the good qualities of the
Baldwin without its tendency for winter
killing. Large numbers Of seedlings
now being tested in nursery orchard.
Incidentally found that most varieties
of the apple are quite self-sterile and
this explains small set of fruit in solid
blocks Q. z. as the Ben Davis orchard at
Higbmoor Farm.
Studies on apple growth. Begun In
1910. Exact growth and yield records
and other data for each tree at High
moor Farm. Object: to obtain through
the long series of years mass of data
on apple growth and bearing, the analy-
sis of which will give answers to large
numbers Of questions now unanswered
and, with present information, un-
answersble.
Fertilizers for apple trees. Are they
needed? Begun In 1912 Large blocks
without fertilizer, with small, and with
full fertilizer ration. Exact records are
kept on growth and yields. Nothing in
the results yet indicate that there have
been gains from the use of fertilizer, /.
g., the money expended for fertilizer for
these thrifty bearing apple trees has
been dead loss.
Culture versus sod for apple trees.
Begun in 1910 and again in 1915. Both
trials showing marked decrease In yield
and growth on the parts in sod, both
With and without fertilizer. Sheep were
added to this experiment In 1913 to see
II grazing will reduce or offset the dis
advantages of sod. This like most ex-
psriments 10 conducted at such q 6nan-
cial loss, both present and prospective.
that the private grower could not afford
to try 1t.
Apple spraying experiments. Begun
in 1910. Object: to determine the most
efficient spraying materials and best
spraying program for apple orchards un-
der Maine conditions. Considering the
scope of these experiments the length OF
time they have been carried on, and the
plans outlined for their future prosecu-
rion, they are as far reaching as any
work of the kind that has been done In
this country. At Highmoor Farm the
Station has been one of the pioneers In
using, and has materially assisted In
developing the methods for the use Of
lime sulphur combined with arsenicals
In orchard spraying. 1t was first to
show conclusively that some OF the com.
mon insecticides, notably arsenates OF
lead, have material fungicidsl value. 1t
has shown that various spraying pro-
grams, or spray combinations, highly
recommended elsewhere are useless or
even detrimental under Maine climatic
conditions. 1t bas also shown that cer-
tain highly advertised proprietary COM
pounds could not be used as recon-
meuded with safety. Numerous other
results of importance have also been
|secured.-Chas. D. Woods. Director.