CULTIVATING AND CROPPING 



flavor. Certain It Is that fruit grown In sod 

 IS drier and less crisp and juicy. 



The effect of tillage on the trees Is more 

 marked and better known. Tilled trees have 

 a darker, richer green foliage, Indicating a bet- 

 ter and more vigorous health. The leaves are 

 also larger and more numerous. They come 

 out three or four days earlier m the spring and 

 stay on the trees two weeks later In the fall than 

 the leaves on trees kept In sod. Tilled trees 

 make nearly twice the growth In a season that 

 those In sod do. In fact there Is danger of their 

 making wood growth at the expense of fruit 

 buds. Tillage also gives a deeper, better dis- 

 tributed root system. 



Despite the advantages and the disadvan- 

 tages of each system, there are times, places, 

 and circumstances under which one Is more ad- 

 visable than the other. On lands rich in humus 

 and in plant food and level so as to be easily 

 tillable, cultivation Is without doubt the best 

 system. But it should be practiced In connection 

 with cover crops, and the orchard should be 

 given occasional periods of rest in sod — say 

 one year in from three to five. 



The sod mulch system of orchard culture 

 is probably better adapted to rather wet good 

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