6o6 journal of Agriculture. [lo Sept., 1910. 



surface should be kept as level as possible, and no irregular ridging or 

 furrows should be allowed. 



Manures. 



All cover crops planted to supply humus to the soil should now be 

 ploughed in. If the plants are of a leguminous nature, the best time to 

 plough these in is when they are in full flower. If the growth has been 

 at all excessive or rank, the crop may be rolled before ploughing ; or it 

 may be mowed or cut with a mowing machine. Every care should be 

 taken that the plants will be well distributed throughout the soil, and large 

 quantities in a mass should not be ploughed under. Artificial and stable 

 manures may also be given to the trees at this time. These should be 

 applied before ploughing. 



Some rather remarkable results have been reported from the Woburn 

 Experimental Fruit Farm in England in regard to the results from 

 manuring fruit trees. The Garden and the Gardener's Chronicle, both 

 English horticultural journals, in recent issues report as a result of some 

 years' experiments, that 



manure, artificial or other, was simply thrown away on orchard trees; that is, apples 

 and pears : the crops from unmanured ground being fully equal to those yielded 

 by the heavily treated soils. 



This report has been reprinted in horticultural journals in the State, and 

 it is necessary to direct attenticjn to it. A report was issued from 

 Woburn in the year 1900, in which this report was first publi.shed, and 

 until further data comes to hand, it cannot be said whether the above 

 reports refer to these old results, or to the results of later experiments. 

 Regarding this work, two points are absolutely requisite to consider, the 

 soil and its mechanical condition. The soil at Woburn consists of a 

 sandy loam 9 or 10 inches deep, overlying a deep subsoil of clay, iii some 

 places 45 feet in depth. The soil is considered to be an average soil in a 

 moderately fertile condition. 



The greater part of the orchard is intersected with tile drains, 30 feet 

 apart, three feet below the surface, while provision is made also for sur- 

 face drainage. The ground was well trenched, i.e., subsoiled, before 

 planting. Thus for these experiments, the soil was prepared in as 

 thoroughly a suitable condition as possible for the reception of the trees. 



One of the recognised conseciuences of subsoiling is an increased 

 feeding area for the roots ; and thus, in some instances, manure is not 

 always necessary. Practical fruit-growers in Victoria to-day point to 

 portions of their orchards which have been in full bearing for 9 or 10 

 years, which were subsoiled before planting, and which have never 

 received an ounce of manure. The fruit crops from such orchards are 

 invariably good, and often in excess of other parts of the orchard, which 

 were not so subsoiled. 



Then, to the fruit-grower, an analysis of his soil will be more than 

 ordinarily helpful. If the constituents of the soil are known definitely, 

 the knowledge of the necessity for manure or otherwise is apparent. Owing 

 to the natural soil fertility, there are many orchards in this State which 

 need no manure whatever ; yet, in a great many others, owing to the lack 

 of thorough preparation before planting, to bad drainage, or as well to a 

 poor soil, manurial operations are vital. 



Thus, growers should not be misled by meagre reports of such experi- 

 ments, but should consider the question in all its phases. The Woljurn 

 experiments have gained for themselves world wide fame, and their results 

 are certainlv most valuable to the horticultural world. 



