354 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OS. Doc. 



The sod muldi system, means that there must be a mulch. As 

 practiced by those who are the most consistent in the matter, the 

 grass that the sod produces is allowed to lie on the ground where 

 it falls, or in the case of young orchards perhaps it is gathered 

 from the excessive heat of summer, and, in time, to decay and become 

 more or less under the trees, to serve as a mulch to protect the soil 

 incorporated into it. Commonly the grass is cut two or three times 

 during the season, especially if it is making an abundant growth. 

 Frequently it is the case, especially after an orchard has reached 

 considerable age and the ground becomes much shaded thereby, 

 that there is not sufficient grass grown in it to supply an adequate 

 mulch. What does he do in that case? If he is consistently fol- 

 lowing this system, he mulches his orchard without fail. But he 

 hauls straw and other similar material into the orchard to accom- 

 plish the purpose. This may seem more or less visionary to some 

 but the practice is a reality all the same. 



The effects of tillage have already been enumerated. What of 

 the sod mulch system — what is that accomplishing in comparison 

 with tillage? Well, the mulch doubtless conserves the moisture to 

 some extent so far as its evaporation from the soil is concerned 

 because it serves as a covering for the soil if it is properly main- 

 tained. But on the other hand, granting that the mulch consists 

 entirely of the grass grown in the orchard, the fact that it requires 

 a vast amount of moisture to grow it should not be overlooked. In 

 many cases this moisture might better be conserved for use of the 

 trees. Then too, the mulch as it decays, works down to the sur- 

 face of the soil through the grass stubble and becomes more or less 

 incorporated into the surface, but it cannot be that the influence of 

 its ameliorating effect extends into the soil to any considerable depth. 

 Of course there is more or less decay of the fine hairy roots of the 

 grass each year and in this way humus is added to a slight extent. 

 But when we contrast the two methods — tillage and sod mulch — 

 their influence so far as soil conditions are concerned appear more 

 by contrast than they do in comparison one with the other. 



No one would think of growing corn or potatoes or pumpkins 

 in sod. So far as the philosophy of tillage is concerned, if it is 

 good for corn or pumpkins, it is also good for apples. There are 

 no essential differences between trees and the annual crops in the 

 manner in which they live and grow. Experience, I think, fully 

 demonstrates that this reasoning is sound; that tillage should be 

 the rule and that when variations from the rule are made, it should 

 be the sod mulch method that becomes the exceptional one. 



It is true that many orchards which are given the sod mulch 

 treatment, or even orchards used as hay fields, if you please, are 

 measurably successful. But where such success appears to be mark- 

 ed and perhaps appears to completely vindicate the wisdom of the 

 practice, it should not be forgotten that the measure of success 

 that obtains may be in spite of the method I'ather than because 

 of it. It is often surprising how much hard treatment a tree will 

 withstand and still reward its owner with a crop of fruit! 



Before leaving this matter of the sod mulch, however, I wish 

 to add that it does, beyond any doubt whatever, have its place in 

 fruit growing, especially in the case of apples and pears. With the 



