VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 329 



(liniinish tiie root i)ower of our cultivated plants by approj)riatiii^- to 

 their own ^i^rowth the plant food in the soil that otherwise would he 

 used in the production of fruit, vegetables, and grain. Deep cjilti- 

 vation of fruit and vegi^talde ])lants breaks and destroys many of 

 their roots, with consequent shortening of tiie cro}). The fine feel- 

 ing rootlets of most plants extend further and permeate the soil 

 more thoroughly than is generally supposed. 



Klbert S. Canuiin. of the Rural Neir Yorker, has satisfactorily 

 denu)nstrated, l)y several experiments, that a much larger yield of 

 potatoes can be obtained by Hat culture than by the old and more 

 common method of hilling u]). Another fact, showing the advan- 

 tages of ])erfect roots, is that fruit trees produced from'j^seed and 

 remaining where they came up are longer lived and more productive 

 than trees grown by grafting scions in jneces of roots,*the nsual 

 way that nursery stock is ])ro])agated. 



Some wonderful cases of the longevity of seedling trees of the 

 a})ple, pear, and peach, have been reported. AVhere a tree is grown 

 from seed, nature sends a tap root deep in the soil; on high land dur- 

 ing a very dry season this root with its ])ranches may reach down to 

 nu)isture. and be instrumental in saving the health and perhaps the 

 life of the tree. 



I have spoken of the advantages of frequent cultivation for the 

 retention of moisture in the soil. Natures method is mulching. 



Porosity and humidity of the soil of the forest is nniintained 

 by its annual covering of leaves, whicli^in their decay also furnish 

 fertility. 



Such fruits as Ave cannot cultivate without injuring their roots 

 can be mulched with great benetit. The blackberry for instance, 

 loves a moist soil, if cultivated deeply after reaching bearing age 

 numy roots will be broken, thus lessening the croj) and at the same 

 tinu' cause the growth of nuuicrous suckers. If well mulched the 

 ground underneath does not grow compact after rain, nor harden in 

 the sunshine, and the labor of cultivation is saved. 



Useless or troublesome ])lants are weeds. In a Turner or Cuth- 

 l)ert raspberry ])lantation all plants not needed for fruiting should 

 be regarded as weeds and cut away. Closely grown ])lants cannot 

 yield large crops, the i-oot power is t(M( iiiikIi ditViisrd and expended 

 in the jiroduction of unnecessary wood and leaves. J-'iVery plant 

 must have sufficient room for vigorous and al)umlant root-growth in 

 order to produce its maximum croj) of fruit. 



In a hirge majority of cases our orchard trees are too closely 

 l)lanted. Hoots of large trees often have the roots of other large 

 trees crossing and reci'ossing each other, and all feeding promiscu- 

 ously together. This should not be so, the roots of one tree are 

 enough for the ground which they occu)»y. Instead of twenty feet 

 a])art T should ])refer a distance of thirty-five feet for our large 

 growing trees. If a "• jiew departure "" in fruit-growing were inau- 



