REPORT OF STATE HORTICULTURIST. 55 



In taking up the analysis of soils, we find that the soil con- 

 tains nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. These have been 

 wisely placed in the soil for the growth of plants. There is one 

 other element that we need in order to get a successful growth, 

 and that is humus or decaying vegetable matter. If you young 

 men especially, that are in the orchard business, would think 

 for a moment, and keep thinking while you are carrying on 

 your farm operations, on these important points, it would help 

 you. 



As an implement of cultivation of course the plow is very 

 important. I will give you a description of just about how" we 

 carry on our orchard cultivation. In handling large areas, and 

 a good many of us have 50 or 60 acres in orchard, it is impos- 

 sible for us to plow so much in the spring. If I had a few acres 

 of orchard on a light soil I would plow in the spring simply 

 because I could get onto that land early enough to conserve 

 the moisture. In my own case I do fall plowing altogether. 

 Our land is a clay loam and we plow after we have picked the 

 crop of apples and would like to plow after the leaves have 

 fallen because the leaves carry so much humus, and we have 

 been told that the spores of the black spot that are on the leaves 

 are covered and a good many of those spores are killed ; how- 

 ever, we have always found that plenty of them live. On the 

 side hills I would not advise fall plowing, but where you have 

 large areas you will have to do some fall plowing because you 

 could not get the plowing done in the spring in time to go on 

 with your other orchard operations. We plow our land in the 

 fall and put it in good condition and then it is in good condition 

 to hold moisture. We are depending on the rain and snow 

 for the water the tree requires for its summer growth. The soil 

 acts as a sponge to absorb the water. As soon as the land is 

 dry enough we go on with a harrow. The first implement we 

 use in the spring is a cutaway harrow and that will imply that 

 you must have a pair of 1250 or 1300 pound horses to handle 

 that harrow, and I like the Clydesdale. Then you can go into 

 the field and do ten hours' work. You want to go through the 

 orchard both ways. 



I would harrow the land until it is very fine. We must put 

 our orchard land into as fine a condition as the flour in the 

 barrel. Then the land is in a condition to be acted upon by 



