194 



Bulletin 307 



figures are $128.68 for orchards tilled 10 years or more, $140.61 for or- 

 chards tilled 5 to 10 years, and $133 for all orchards tilled 5 years or more.* 

 The alternate treatment of tillage and sod does not seem to be so profit- 

 able. The figures for both yield and income are below the general average. 

 As for sod treatment, the indications are that the longer an orchard is 

 in sod, the worse it is. It must be understood, however, that there are 

 well-managed sod orchards that are giving very good returns; and for 

 certain locations, such as steep slopes, it is the only practicable method 

 of treatment. In general, tillage brings better results. 



Management of sod orchards 



In considering the management of sod orchards, the orchards have been 

 divided into three groups: 



1. Orchards that have been in sod 5 years or more. 



2. Orchards that have been in sod part of the time and cultivated part 

 of the time. 



3. All orchards that have been in sod at all equal the sum of i 

 and 2. 



Table 23 shows the distribution of orchards according to type of pas- 

 ttirage. The typical management of sod orchards is "no pasture." 

 This is especially true of orchards that are cultivated part of the time, 

 about 58 per cent of which have no pasture. Over 36 per cent of the 

 total sod orchards are not pastured. Hogs are the chief animals pastured 

 in orchards, although sheep are used to a considerable extent. 



TABLE 23. Pasturage of Sod Orchards 



Pastured with 



Sod 



No. of 

 orchards 



No pasture .... 



Hogs 



Sheep 



Hogs and sheep 



Cattle 



General 



Total 



56 

 41 

 27 

 25 

 22 



49 



220 



Per cent 



Partly cultivated 



No. of 

 orchards 



25-5 

 18.6 

 12.3 

 II. 4 

 10. o 

 22.2 



67 

 19 



7 

 8 

 6 

 9 



116 



Per cent 



57-8 



16.4 



6.0 



6.9 



51 



7.8 



Total sod 



No. of 

 orchards 



123 

 60 



34 

 33 

 28 



58 



336 



Per cent 



36 



17 

 10 



9 

 8 



17 



* The figures for the tilled orchards serve as an indication of results that may be obtained by careful 

 methods of cultivation; but there are too few orchards considered to give very much weight to the averages. 



