ORCHARD DRAINAGE A NECESSITY 



By A. H. Carson, Commissioner for Third District. 



There are many orchards, already planted, and being planted where 

 the question of drainage has not had the thought and consideration of 

 the planter that it should have to Warrant the future success of the 

 orchard. A fruit tree of any kind cannot be planted in wet, cold soil, 

 thrive, and be a source of profit. If the land is not naturally drained by 

 a gravel sub-soil that is porous, and freely admits of the water from 

 winter rains passing through it, and draining off below, then it should be 

 drained by tiling. Many of our tree planters take it for granted that our 

 hin slopes are naturally drained because of the grade to the slope, when, 

 as a matter of fact, but few hill slopes in southern Oregon but would be 

 materially benefited and improved by underdrainage with tile. 



Our hill slopes in southern Oregon are clay loams resting often on a 

 stiff clay sub-soil, or a hardpan from two to three feet below the surface 

 soil. These red clay loams during our winter rains, if resting on a clay 

 sub-soil or a hardpan, hold water in Suspension, fill up, and the water 

 then flows off over the surface. A wet winter keeps soils of this character 

 filled with water from three to four months . during the wet period. A 

 fruit tree planted in such soil has its roots submerged during all the wet 

 period of the year until in many cases the tree is drowned, actually 

 killed. If not killed, its vitalitv is so greatly weakened by the roots being 

 submerged for so long a period that when the growing period arrives 

 it falls to respond, and eventually dies. 



The hill slopes of southern Oreeon from surface indications look the 

 same, red loam. Their adaptabilitv to the growth of fruit of any kind is 

 a question of depth, and the texture of the sub-soil to facilitate drainage. 

 If the red clay loam soil has a depth of four or more feet resting on a 

 porous gravel, or on decomposed bed rock, then such conditions would 

 insure natural drainage, and such soil could be safely planted to the 

 apple and pear, and would bv thorough cultivation to conserve moisture 

 give the planter returns for care bestowed. On the other band, should 

 this red clay loam be from two to three feet in depth, resting on a clay 

 sub-soil, such soil should never be planted to fruit of any kind until 

 under-drained. 



This is a shallow soil, with the water-table too near the surface, which 

 would hold water during the wet period which would drown the tree 

 planted in it. The only way to make these shallow soils ayailable for 

 successful tree grov/th is bv under-drainage bv tiling. In such soils the 

 water-table being only two feet below the surface, a fruit tree planted in 

 soil of this shallow depth would not have depth of soil sufficient to anchor 

 itself and sustain the force of a strong wind-storm when the ground is 

 saturated with water, as the roots will not penetrate below the water- 

 table. Then there is not a depth of soil that would give soil enough for 

 the tree (should it live) to draw nourishment enough to mature a crop of 

 fruit, and it would not be practical with the best of cultivation to make a 

 tree in such a shallow soil grow, for the reason the soil, being filled with 

 water during the wet period, would not drain off until late in the spring, 

 when the top would bake, and then if stirred with the plow heavy clods 

 would form, and it would be impossible to fine and create a dust mulch so 

 necessary to conserve moisture for the growth of the tree during the dry 



