142 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



TILLAGE. 



Modern soil tillage has in view two chief ends, namely, to improve 

 the mechanical condition, and to increase chemical and biological activities 

 or changes. In the growing of shallow rooted crops, tillage aims to 

 serve both purposes equally, but in the growth of the orchard crop the 

 chief aim is the latter purpose, that is, to induce vigorous chemical 

 and biological changes. The roots of the orchard crop feed so deeply 

 in the soil that tillage Operations cannot be expected to greatly modify 

 the physical conditions, except upon the surface. This is one of the 

 leading reasons why a deep, porous, well drained soil primarily should 

 be selected for an orchard site. Plowing, subsoiling, harrowing, and 

 cultivating break up the soil to a depth suitable for the root Systems 

 of the cereal, root and forage crops, but such Operations only serve 

 to help the orchard crop for the first few years of its growth. By the 

 time the tree comes into bearing its principal roots should be feeding 

 in the soil far beneath the reach of the plow and cultivator, and besides 

 havoc would be wrought if tillage tools were to reach among the roots 

 for the purpose of putting the soil in better physical condition. This 

 phase of the subjeet need receive no further consideration here save 

 this Observation : The importance of the first preparation of the soil 

 for the reception of the trees is not to be underrated. Deep, thorough 

 tillage of a well broken and subdued soil is an essential to success in 

 the first Steps of orcharding. When the young tree is transplanted it 

 undergoes a severe check to its vegetative functionings. Too much 

 cannot be done by way of putting the soil in a fit condition to favor 

 rapid and unobstructed root growth. A point always to be kept in 

 mind when one is dealing with the problems of tree life is that a 

 living, working tree requires a more or less definite amount of energy 

 to produce new wood and leaf growth and a crop of fruit. Any object 

 that obstructs in any way the freedom of growth, or checks the supply 

 of available food materials reduces the tree's supply of energy, and thus 

 retards its growth or croppage. Clods, rocks, puddled earth particles, 

 coarse vegetable matter and other materials may offer obstructions to 

 the course of growth of the roots, or render the food supply more 

 diflficult to obtain; all these conditions are hindrances to the plant's 

 best development. So much of the plant's energy, best efforts, vigor, 

 is used in overcoming these obstacles that frequently the young tree 

 falls to survive the shock of being transplanted. Every time a young 

 root turns out of a quite direct course in its growth there is lost pHnt 

 effort; every time an absorbing rootlet is obliged to encompass a clod 

 instead of penetrating between fine pai'ticles, more plant energy is 

 wasted; every time the roots of plants are si\rrounded with clods, lumps, 

 and soil masses so large that the water of the soil cannot be con- 

 served against evaporation during periods of dry, warm weather, the 

 root System receives a check which too often results. disastrously to 

 the young tree; if there is too much half-rotted vegetable matter in 

 the soil when the young roots begin to push out the heat of this 

 during the process of further decay may rise so high as to kill the 

 tender young roots; or, it may drive off the soil water to such an 

 extent that not enough remains 'to make the mineral plant food of the 

 soil available. For the use of most plants mineral substances must 

 be in very weak Solutions, as one part of mineral matter to 10,000 parts 

 of water, or even as weak as ons in 15,000 parts of water. 



All these conditions, so unfavorable to tree gro'yvth, are eliminated 

 by such thorough tillage as should be given the soil for at least one 

 year, and preferably two or three years preparatory to the planting 

 out of the young trees. 



