DISCUSSION 91 



regard to rainfall. How soon would you commence cultivation after 

 rainfall? 



A. Well, that depends entirely on your soil. 



Q. Would you, as soon as the soil was packed, stir that top 

 Fall Immediately. For instance say, there would come a rain and pack 

 down that dust mulch, would you go in as soon as you could with 

 your harrow? 



A. Yes sir, it should be done after every rain. 



Q. Do you think a weeder we have for corn would answer the 

 purpose of that harrow? 



A. I doubt whether or not it would be heavy enough. We have 

 to stir that soil. 



Q. In case of rolling ground, that is very rolling, and starting 

 in with that dust mulch, along comes these heavy rains, and washes 

 away all the soil. Would you try starting with the dust mulcii, and 

 running the chances? 



A. I would keep the ground in clover if it was that rolling. 



A Member: Just one word. I have been in the state almost 4 8 

 years. 1 haven't a large orchard, but I keep it almost exactly as you 

 have recommended here. Whenever the ground is ready, I am into 

 it, wet or dry, and I never loose a tree. Instead of your harrow, I 

 use my common farm harrow, in two sections, and I keep it in a dust 

 mulch. And my neighbors all around there, their orchards are dead. 

 I have peaches, apricots and apples. They are all right. I had it in 

 clover but the pocket gophers got into it, and since then I have cul- 

 tivated it. I had trouble with blue grass at first, but now I do not 

 allow anything to come in. 



Mr. Pollard: I do not say you must use this Forkner harrow 

 at all, but in the large commercial orchard, I think it would be pre- 

 ferable to the ordinary field harrow on account of its ability to get 

 rid of the trash. There is always more or less trash in an orchard, 

 and a common field harrow would simply load up with it, and the 

 moment it loads up, it is no good. You must keep it clean, and the 

 other is a little more satisfactory on that account. 



A Member: There is one point I haven't heard brought out, and 

 that is in connection with this subject. At what time in the season 

 would you cease the cultivation? 



A. At home our practice is to keep up the cultivation until 

 along about the middle of July. Until we pass the period when the 

 weeds grow so rapidly. This year I think it would have been better 

 had we kept up the cultivation because it would have retained the 

 moisture better. About that time our summer apples began to come 

 in, and our hands were full with other matters and we dropped it. 



A Member: I -would like to ask the question, wliat would you 

 Bubstitute for clover in that section of the state where the clover 



