222 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Decessary depends, of course, upon the soil. They should be laid below 

 the frost line and have a fall of not less than 2 inches in a hundired 

 feet. 



The first job will probably be pruning. Do not make the common 

 mistake of overdoing it. To do all the pruning that may seem desirable 

 at one time, would bring forth a forest of water sprouts in the spring. 

 Begin in March by taking out the dead and broken limbs and the 

 suckers. In June, cut off the water sprouts and take out a few of the 

 interfering branches. Aim to open the top and let in sunshine and 

 allow a free circulation of air, for both are needed to help produce fine 

 fruit. Do not cut off a large limb until you are sure it is necessary. 

 In removing limbs, cut back as close as possible. The wounds will 

 then heal over quickly, while if a stub or stump is left, it cannot heal 

 and decay will begin. Paint all large wounds. Spread the job of 

 pruning over several years. The balance between root and top can be 

 controlled in this way. If the trunks and limbs are covered with old, 

 shaggy bark, — as they probably are, — they should be scraped. Many 

 insects and diseases find a place to hibernate under the bark. Tools 

 for this work are manufactured, or one can be made of an old hoe. Do 

 not scrape down too close. 



Probably for some years, the trees have been in sod and have not 

 had any fertilizer and are in the process of starvation. The sod must 

 be broken up. Plow it up as well as it can be done. If the orchard 

 has been in sod for a long time, many of the roots will be near the 

 surface and some will be cut off; but the plowing will do many times 

 more good than the injury to a few roots. After plowing, work down 

 with a harrow. A good job can hardly be expected the first year, 

 especially if the orchard has been neglected for some years, but im- 

 provements can be made every season. It Avill be likely that some fer- 

 tilizer must be provided. It is advisable to proceed with caution in 

 giving fertilizer at the beginning; a moderate dressing of barnyard 

 manure is better than anything else. 



Give several cultivations with a harrow until the early part of July 

 and at the last one sow the seeds of some cover crop broadcast. There 

 are many plants that are useful for the purpose. Some of them are 

 the clovers, the Mammoth and Crimson are usually the best. The 

 vetches are very good, but have to be plowed under early in the spring 

 and the seed is someAvhat expensive. A combination of common field 

 peas and barley is also good. Soy beans are successful in the north, 

 especially the early varieties. All of these plants are nitrogen gatherers 

 and add nitrogen to the soil. Some of the non-nitrogenous crops are 

 rye, barley, oats and buckwheat; of these the buckwheat is probably 

 the best. 



The usual quantity of seed to use per acre is, of mammoth or 

 Alsike clover, 12 pounds; crimson clover, 15 pounds; soy beans, IV2 

 bushels; field peas, li/o bushels; buckwheat, 1 bushel; rye, II/2 bushels; 

 barley and peas, each 1 bushel. 



The advantages of a cover crop are, to check the growth of the trees 

 late in summer so they go into the winter in a hardy condition; to 

 ]>revent washing of the soil by the fall and spring rains, and upon 

 loose soils or where the slope is sharp, this is an important factor, 



