70 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



ten acre block of which is planted in alternate pairs of 

 rows, standards with fillers on the diamond — altogether, 15 

 different varieties on ten acres. Now different varieties differ 

 some as to cultural and soil requirements and methods of 

 pruning, as to time of spraying and picking; think of the 

 expense of going over and over such an orchard for spraying 

 and picking, if it is done properly, and the loss in quality if 

 it is not done properly. Too many varieties mean more work 

 than the regular farm help can do, and not enough to warrant 

 the putting on of an extra crew of men, and is just as bad as 

 having too many cooks in the kitchen. Some plantings have 

 been made with a few trees of a great many varieties with the 

 idea of employing a small amount of labor throughout the 

 season as the fruits ripen in succession. This seldom happens 

 to work out well in practice, because the varieties will vary as 

 to annual bearing and the amount of fruit borne. 



Cultivation. 



This question will always be up for discussion, because we 

 will always be looking for a way to avoid plowing and culti- 

 vation, or else for an excuse for not working the land. Culti- 

 vation does two things — it liberates plant food and makes it 

 available for the trees, and saves the moisture. If an orchard 

 is on deep, rich soil, that is naturally well supplied with 

 moisture, the trees will probably do well in sod, and the grass 

 may even be a benefit to use up any excess moisture, but under 

 average conditions, cultivation almost always pays. The use of 

 a mulch of straw or cut grass helps conserve moisture, but has 

 two bad points. It gives shelter to mice, and, if it catches fire, 

 the damage to trees is apt to be serious. 



Cultivation serves two other purposes ; it helps prevent win- 

 ter injury. The tree has a season for growth, ripens its tissues 

 and then is dormant for a period. If the spring is late and dry, 

 or a long dry spell in summer is followed by a warm wet fall, 

 the tree is apt to begin growing too late to ripen well before 

 winter, or may start a second growth that will not ripen before 

 cold weather. Early cultivation followed by a cover crop is 

 the best means I know of to control the growing period of the 

 tree. Cultivation with pruning and thinning may be used to 

 regulate the bearing of the tree. 



