Putnam patriot., 1924-02-08
BUMPER FRUIT CROP RAISES
 VALUE OF MAY FARM $6,OOO
SUCCESS OF ORCHARD MANAGEMENT DEMONSTRATION AT EAST WOODSTOCK ATTRACTS STATE
 AND NATIONAL ATTENTION
Pruning of Aged Trees, Fezns and Spraying Bring Forth
 Valuable Apple Crop.-Almost vaueless In 1922

locking. This thinning was done. in so far as was practicable. by making relatively large number of small cuts rather than a small number of large cuts-that is. where two rather large branches tended to cross each other, the small branches which were actually crossing We're removed instead of one of the large branches. Most of the small bearing branches along the main scaffold limbs were allowed to remain. In other words. the trees re- ceived light thinning of the entire top, made by removing small branch es here and there where they were too thick for light to penetrate through the top.
 In the spring of 1928. two or three weeks before blossoming time, about four pounds of nitrate of soda and eight pounds of bone meal were ap- piled by hand to each tree in circles extending several feet beyond the tips of the branches. Two rows across the orchard, consisting of ten trees each, were left without fertilization as check rows. One of these rows con- sisted of fourteen-year-o Mcintosh and the other eighteen-year-o Bald. win trees. During the season of 1928 the grass was moved twice, first abo 1t June fifteenth and again about Sep tember first. This was allowed to re- main where it fell as a mulch for the trees.
 Sprays Eight Time,
 The Mcintosh trees received eight sprays which included a delayed dor mant, prepink, pink, calyx, one seven days after the calyx, one ten days lat CT, another the last of June and the latest one early in August The Bald win trees received the last five of these sprays only. Lime-sulphur, nicotine sulphate and arsenate of lead were the materials used.
 All of the Mcintosh trees hlossomed full last spring. The unfertilized row of ten trees yielded at the rate of i.5 barrels to the tree and the adjoining fertilized row yielded at the rate of 27 barrels to the tree. As the size of the trees was uniform and all blossom ed equally well, the increased pro ductiveness can be definitely traced to the larger set obtained by the applica- tion of the quickly available fertilizer and perhaps also to the slightly larg- CT fruit on the fertilized trees. The increase obtained on the 2l0 fertil- ized Mcintosh trees was 2b2 barrels.
 The Baldwin trees did not blossom uniformly. Trees which bore good crop in 1922 blossomed lightly, where as those having their off year in 1922 blossomed we'll However, the unfer- tilized Baldwin row produced thirteen barrels and the adjoining fertilized row twenty-five barrels.
 Many Visit Orchard
 Fruit growers from ali over Con neeticut have visited the May orchard to see the results obtained. The coun- ty Farm Bureau Field Day Auto Tour stopped at the May orchard and the Connecticut Genealogical Society visit ed the orchard on it's annual auto tour.
 It should be remembered that Mir. Mays orchard is growing in sod. Or ehards growing in sod almost invari- ably respond to fertilization-espe- cially nitrate fertilization. Orchards which are well titled and in which the owner is blowing under cover crops annually may or may not respond proftably to fertilization, depending upon local soil conditions.
 A thorough and yet not a heavy pruning, twenty cents worth of fer tilizer to the tree, and liberal spray ing schedule added $6,000 to the val ue of the May farm in one year, be- sides making the apple crop show handsome profit instead of A partial loss. Needless to say, Mir. May plans to continue to fertilize and spray his orchard.
 The farm is not for sale