96 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



returns secured by growers who have practiced summer spraying, prove 

 that it is a very paying orchard operation. Not only can the fruit 

 rot be largely controlled, but also the black spots or peach scab (Clad- 

 osporium carpophilum) which gives the fruit an unattractive appear- 

 ance and by adding poison, the curculio can be killed. Further, sprayed 

 peaches have been noticed to be of a very much superior color than 

 fruit from orchards that were not sprayed, besides keeping much better 

 after reaching the market. 



Cultivation of the Bearing Orchard. — Peach orchards are always cul- 

 tivated. Apples and pears may, under certain conditions, be successfully 

 grown without soil cultivation, but this cannot be done with peaches. 



The cultivation may be done by discing or plowing. There are suc- 

 cessful advocates of both systems. Discing does not injure the tree 

 roots as does plowing and it can be done easily and cheaply. On the 

 other hand, it must be started early in the spring, before weeds or grass 

 get a start, as they cannot be worked into the soil with a disc if they 

 are very large. For the same reason, cultivation must be frequent to 

 keep the orchard clean. 



The great necessity of starting this work early in the Spring may, 

 in some years, interfere with the pruning and other farm operations. 



Cover crop* plants that live over winter, such as the clovers, rye or 

 winter vetch, of course, cannot be used, but plants like buckwheat and 

 oats and peas that are killed by the cold, must be used as the remains 

 of them can be worked into the soil. 



When the practice has been to disc the orchard, the system should 

 not be changed. With orchards that are plowed, the time for doing 

 the work is not as exacting as with discing. It may be varied with the 

 season, the kind of cover crop used and the pressure of other work. 

 The cover crop, if it is one that grows in the spring, should be allowed 

 to attain a good size, but plowing should never be delayed until the 

 growing cover crop draws too heavily upon the soil moisture. Ordi- 

 narily, the plowing is not started until the fruit has set, the latter part 

 of May or the first of June. A heavy rainfall, which in many years 

 occurs about this time, is a great help on most soils. One horse on a 

 light plow with offset is used to turn the first three furrows next to 

 the trees. The remainder of the space can be easily plowed with a team. 

 Usually, the furrows are turned toward the trees for two succeeding 

 years, then away one year, thus keeping the land as nearly level as 

 practicable. Immediately following the plowing, the soil should be 

 worked down to conserve the moisture, following the same methods as 

 in other farm operations to secure similar results. There are various 

 types of extension tools upon the market that will cultivate close to 

 the trees without crowding the horses under the limbs. 



The frequency of cultivation will depend upon the moisture con- 

 ditions of the soil, but will average about once a week. The object 

 should be to maintain a fine dust mulch until the last of July or the 

 first of August, depending upon the season. The cover crop seeds are 

 sown at the time of the last cultivation. 



♦Further information on cover crops is given in Mich. Agr. Exp. Station Special Bulletin 

 No. 18. 



"Cover Crops for Michigan Orchards and Vineyards." It v?ill be sent upon request. 



