DISCUSSION 89 



Discussion. 



A Member: Did you ever try barn yard manure, and note its 

 action upon the orchard. 



A. No sir, we haven't. Our orchard is planted on this rich loess 

 soil, and it is very fertile and productive. We have never felt the need 

 of it, although I am quite satisfied that in the oldest part of the 

 orchard, where the trees are very large, it would be a good help. 



Q. In the Grand Valley of Colorado, you can see the necessity of 

 manure, for they are paying five dollars a load for it. 



A. Well, if we handle our soil as we should handle It, I do not 

 tliink we should have that necessity; by using the list of various 

 crops that will build up the soil we escape the necessity of a fer- 

 tilizer. 



A Member: How deep would you disc? 



A. Well, I think it would depend on the condition of the soil 

 In the orchard. I do not think that the disc should go much below 

 three inches. 



Q. You do not think you should weight down the disc and let 

 It go as deep as it could? 



A. This year the rains were so heavy and we had so many, 

 that the ground was packed, and we had to weight the disc very 

 much. Or it would not stir the crop of weeds that had come there. 



Q. You would prefer discing to plowing? 



A. Yes sir. 



Q. For what reason? 



A. The plow cuts off the roots. The tendency, unless it is kept 

 in ideal condition, is, if you send a man out in the orchard with a 

 plow, he won't run it three inches, but he will run it five, because a 

 plow will come out of the ground at three inches. 



Q. In regard to the Forkner harrow, would you put it down as 

 deep as you could, or run it over lightly? 



A. I would put it down pretty well, but I would not care to go 

 as deep as the disc runs. The idea I have is to make a dust mulch 

 there. Now your disc stirs up the soil, and thoroughly pulverizes it. 

 It Is the best thing to do that I know of. Now when you follow that 

 ■with the harrow, it is the best thing to get rid of trash and leaves 

 and things of that kind, it is the best thing to preserve the dust mulch 

 which conserves the moisture. 



Q. I had a little experience last year. I harrowed and got a 

 hard crust, — maybe that was because I did not get down deep enough 

 with the disc, did you have that experience? 



A. Yes sir, last year we had trouble getting down and we 

 weighted our disc all the time. We had som'3 pretty heavy rains 



