90 ORCHARDS. 



" While trees are yet young and small, the wide intermedi- 

 ate spaces between the rows may be cultivated with roots, 

 leaving about one-third of the land in unoccupied strips next 

 the trees. But when the trees become large, it is far the 

 best not to attempt the raising of any other than the fruit 

 crop. If the trees are of good varieties, the increase in the 

 amount borne, and in the quality and value, where the whole 

 surface is left perfectly free for annual ploughing and monthly 

 harrowing, will many times overbalance the w^orth of any 

 other crop, which may be derived from the ground, to say 

 nothinsr of the inconvenience resultinor from treadins; down 

 this other crop in gathering the fruit. All crops necessarily 

 abstract the nourishment which should go to the tree, and pre- 

 vent that thorou2;h and constant stirrinn; which should be mven 

 to the soil. Young trees, the past season, were found to have 

 made nearly double the growth, where the soil was kept clean 

 and unincumbered, compared with tliose which stood among 

 well cultivated root crops." 



There are many and various modes employed by unskillml 

 and negligent farmers to injure or destroy their young trees. 

 Some will set tliem out in the most approved mode recom- 

 mended by the fathers in horticulture, and, afterculture is 

 never thought of by them. They neglect to inclose the young 

 orchard with a sufficient fence, and the 7jn'lch cows go there 

 and prune them for him. Another will suffer the scions to 

 remain out of the ground, until the sun, wind and frost have 

 shriveled them past redemption, and his buckets of water will 

 avail nothing. Others plant well — put the orchard in grass, a 

 luxuriant crop of hay is grown, a dry season comes on, and 

 the trees are dried up, smothered and lost. In this case, 

 perhaps, the nurseryman is blamed for sending out sickly trees 

 in improper condition. But the two great causes of the un- 

 successful setting of young orchards, in the South, are, plant- 

 ing TOO DEEP and the neglect of afterculture. 



In Thomas' excellent book, "The Fruit Culturist," we find 

 the following directions for ploughing among fruit trees. 



"Arrange the horses, when they work near the line of trees, 

 one before the other, tandem; let a boy ride the forward one, 



