112 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



will be fewer trees where the growth is just a little too good to- 

 warrant one in pulling them out and replanting and yet not 

 good enough to shape up into a fine tree. 



The land for setting the first season was plowed as early in 

 the spring as the soil was fit for working, and was then thor- 

 oughly fitted, by using a disc harrow, a spring-tooth and a 

 smoothing harrow, and finishing with a planker. This left the 

 surface smooth for laying off the orchard and setting the trees, 

 by no means an unimportant item. After the trees were set. 

 which I shall speak of more in detail in a moment, the land was 

 kept thoroughly cultivated until time for sowing the cover crop, 

 about July loth. There was always a team at work in the- 

 orchard and sometimes two of them. And notwithstanding the 

 fact that we had one of the driest seasons within the memory 

 of the proverbial oldest inhabitant, and the further fact that' 

 our soil was shy of humus (an extremely important factor in 

 holding moisture in the soil), there was never a time through- 

 out the season when the soil was not as moist as could be- 

 wished just under the dust mulch. It was certainly a striking 

 indication of the value of cultivation. 



As soon as the trees are set, we apply an ounce or two of ni- 

 trate of soda to each tree, scattering it about the tree in a circle 

 for a rarlius of perhaps two feet. And eaph spring this is. 

 repeated as soon as the soil is in condition to start growth. In 

 addition to this, we go over the orchard again about July ist 

 and give a second dose of nitrate of soda, about equal in size, 

 to all those trees which do not seem to be making a satisfac- 

 tory growth. 



Another point which we intend to insist on is giving the- 

 young trees a balanced ration of fertilizer from the start. I 

 believe that a very common mistake is made by assuming that 

 the young trees need only nitrogen for their growth and that 

 not until a tree comes into bearing is there any necessity of 

 applying either potash or phosphoric acid. So long as our 

 young trees are as big as Smith's of the same age, we are con- 

 tent, mere bigness apparently being the only thing desired. 

 Whereas, if our trees got more potash and phosphoric acid from- 

 the start, they would far sooner turn from weed growth to 

 fruiting. This, I am obliged to admit, is largely theory, but it 

 is a theory in which I firmly believe and on which I intend to act. 



