134 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



has a hard pan formed caused by plowing every year at the same 

 depth, and if this hard pan is not broken up it will act as a header 

 for the surface water, which cannot penetrate the soil, and the least 

 drouth will dry out such a soil in such a way that it is almost im- 

 possible for a tree to live. If you break up this hard pan it will ac- 

 complish a great deal of good. We have a good deal of ground 

 throughout the state where this hard pan is never disturbed by the 

 plow. Now subsoiling is not beneficial where there is a sandy or 

 gravelly subsoil; there it is a detriment. It is not a good thing to 

 practice on steep side hills because the earth will wash away, and 

 it is a detriment to be done late in the spring. It is a detriment in 

 one way, because where the ground is subsoiled and it is not fol- 

 lowed by a heavy rain it will dry out quicker, but where you sub- 

 soil in the fall you can prepare your ground for spring planting of 

 trees, and you will have an excellent preparation for the planting of 

 an orchard. 



Mr. Elliot : There is one point in regard to subsoiling that we 

 want to take into consideration; you do not want to bring that 

 lower stratum up to the top. You want to use something with 

 which to subsoil that breaks it up in the bottom and leaves it there. 



Mr. Yahnke: We can do that by taking an old plow and taking 

 off the mouldboard. Any blacksmith can do it, or you can do it 

 yourself. 



Mr. J. S. Parks: I think the time is coming when we will rec- 

 ommend underdraining a good deal of our prairie soil instead of 

 subsoiling. 



LAYING OUT THE COMMERCIAL ORCHARD. 



R. H. L JEWETT, ST. PAUL. 



Our first thought in connection with the question is that it is of 

 minor importance how the orchard is laid out if but we plant good 

 varieties, set and cultivate them careiully, but as we consider how 

 much the environment of a fruit tree may affect its growth and 

 fruitfulness we come to the thought that we may assist nature 

 somewhat and so arrange our orchard rows and place the trees in 

 such relation to one another as to give mutual protection against 

 trying winds and blistering sun, and make this arrangement afford 

 the most favorable conditions for proper sunlight and air. 



Sunlight is essential to the growth of Our trees, and we must 

 have sunlight upon our fruit also if we expect the highest results 

 in flavor and color. On the other hand, the scorching sun in early 

 spring or late winter, when our trees are without foliage, burns the 

 trunks and larger limbs, and our trees are weakened if not de- 

 stroved. 



