CULTIVATION OF THE ORCHARD 



L. W. 



THE key word of orchard work during 

 the month of June is cultivation. A 

 great change has come over the methods 

 employed during the past few years, and es- 

 pecially with respect to working up the or- 

 chard. Even yet a few advocate leaving 

 apples in sod, but the more progressive fruit 

 growers and those who grow the finest fruit 

 give the best and most thorough cultivation. 

 The object of cultivation is two-fold, (i) 

 to increase the fertility of the soil by mak- 

 ing the plant food more available by the tree 

 roots, and (2) to conserve moisture. There 

 is little doubt that much of our orchard soil 

 is sufficiently rich for the needs of our apple 

 and pear or- 

 chards, pro- 

 viding such 

 tillage is 

 given so as 

 to make the 

 plant food 

 available by 

 the tree 

 roots The 

 saving of 

 moisture is 

 perhaps the 

 more import- 

 ant 'object of 

 the two in a 



Boiling the Lime Sulphur Wash in Tanks— No. 2. 



At Winona, Mr. J. W. Smith prepares the lime sulphur wash for some 25 growers. 

 Last year 10 large barrels were used, but this year two large tanks, holding some 500 gal 

 Ions each, were made. It is much easier to heat the water in these tanks, less fuel is needed 

 and the amount of work is reduced. It is much more difficult to stir the mixture in a small 

 barrel than in a tank. The wash is boiled for two hours, by which time it is thoroughly 

 mixed. 



Steal the soil moisture from the orchard 

 trees, and because at' this time the greater 

 part of the wood growth is made. 



Another most important reason for con- 

 tinued cultivation is the retention of soil 

 moisture. Every one knows ^ that a mulch 

 will retain the moisture in the ground be- 

 neath it. Lift a board or a heap of rub- 

 bish in summer and note the moist condition 

 of the soil beneath., A mulch of fine dry dust 

 will act in the same way, and the easiest 

 method of providing it is by frequent shal- 

 low cultivation. After the ground has been 

 once worked up with plow or disc, a sharp 

 tooth harrow should be a suitable tool for 



keeping the 

 dust mulch 

 on the sur- 

 face. Ground 

 should be 

 gone over 

 every ten 

 days or so, 

 and in par- 

 ticular soon 

 after every 

 rain, because 

 this latter 

 tends to form 

 a crust and 

 destroy the 



country like ours, where rains are not so fre- 

 quent in mid-summer. 



If cover crops occupy the ground these 

 should be plowed under as early as possible 

 before they begin to draw moisture from 

 the soil. And in any case an early plowing 

 of the orchard will make it pervious to the 

 early rains, so that the water will sink into 

 the soil and not be carried oflf by surface 

 drains. 



Continued cultivation during the month 

 and a part of next month is essential to the 

 best fruitage, because either a sowed crop, 

 or a self-sown crop of weeds will rapidly 



effect of the dust mulch. 



No one rule applies in every case. There 

 are orchards which do not need cultivation, 

 and may be left in sod with better results 

 than if worked. We refer to those planted 

 on deep rich sandy loam, inclining to be 

 moist, such as are found along the base of 

 the Niagara escarpment. The springs from 

 the " mountain " in some cases tend to keep 

 a supply of moisture in summer, and the 

 land is so rich that the wood growth is al- 

 most too great. If such orchards were in 

 sod the excessive wood growth would be 

 lessened and greater fruitfulness result. 



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