No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 379 



July 15tli or 1st of August. After thoroughly cultivating these 

 strips, every other middle may be plowed, leaving one solid and one 

 cultivated. The following year plow up the remaining middles and 

 leave the other down in clover crop; these strips prevent washing. 

 There isn't any land too steep to practice clean tillage by this method. 

 After harrowing down, the fertilizer can be applied and a cover 

 crop sown. 



COVER CROPS 



For cover crops we use crimson clover, red clover and cow peas, 

 using cow peas for a summer cover crop, and crimson clover and 

 red cloved mixed, on alternating year for our winter cover. I have 

 with me a written account of the cost of maintaining (of what we 

 think an ideal 30-acre apple orchard) for the first eight years, with 

 details of cultivation, cover crops, fertilizer, pruning and spraying 

 and would be glad to show it to anyone interested. 



A great many complaints are made by growers of their cover 

 crops not taking, and the trouble usually lies in the ground not be- 

 ing properly prepared, and also if the ground is dry the seeding 

 should be delayed until rain comes. Crimson clover especially will 

 not germinate in dry soil. Run the harrow just ahead of the sower, 

 not a week ahead, not two days ahead, but the same day. 



GOOD ROADS 



T don't know how strong Adams county is for good roads. Good 

 roads are an absolute necessity to the fruit grower, so when it is 

 too wet to cultivate, make a good road through your orchard to 

 the packing house. (Jet out your neighbors and everybody help 

 repair the county road to your railroad station. You had better 

 look after this because bumping over only a few stones to the station 

 will ruin your fruit for market. 



If you have a dirt road, get the county's road plow, a road scoop, 

 and level up with split road drag. In .the spring or early suumier 

 is the best time. 



PICKING 



It has come to be regarded among good orchardists, as impor- 

 tant not to bruise an apple as it is not to break an egg. Careful 

 handling of the fruit is the first essential to good prices. Good 

 packing can be l)rought about by careful picking. The fruit must 

 be picked at the right time, and handled with great care in getting 

 it to the packing house. Do not pick all the fruit at one picking. 

 This holds true with nearly all varieties f<»r if the small apples 

 are left upon the tree they will often increase in size enough to make 

 a No. 1 fruit. In })icking, see that the whole stem is removed and 

 without breaking off the fruit spur, as the future crop may be in- 

 jured. Keep the fruit out of the rain and hot sun. 



We use a picking ]»ag and pour the fruit into a lined box made 

 of sppcinl dui'abili ty. with sawed out luiud-holes to lift by. Make 

 the box to fit the wagon bed with a double decker type. 



