114 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST . 



penetrate deeply enough to escape injury 

 from the plow, and the subsoil itself by 

 thorough tillage and efficient drainage will 

 provide a large feeding ground for the tree. 

 On the other hand if these matters are ne- 

 glected a surface habit of root-growth is 



Boots of a young apple tree in rich tilled land. 



formed, w^hich entails severe injuries 

 when subsequent cultivation is at- 

 tempted, to say nothing of losses in 

 other directions. The differences are 

 very clearly illustrated in the accom- 

 panying figures. Fig. i is that of an 

 apple tree six years old cultivated from the 

 start. Fig. 2 shows the result when neglect 

 has been the order of the day. 



The fourth benefit derivedfrom the proper 

 tillage of the soil, viz., conservation of mois- 

 ture, is, in many instances, the most import- 

 ant of all to the grower of fruit. It is inti- 



mately related to the plant-food question, 

 inasmuch as water is the medium through 

 which all plants obtain their food. Nearly 

 all fruits, from apples to strawberries, are 

 composed of about 85 per cent, of water. 

 The production of a crop of fruit, therefore, 

 in addition to the building up of the plants 

 and trees, requires an immense amount 

 of soil moisture. Deep plowing and sub- 



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Roots of a young apple tree in sod land. 



soiling will enable the soil to receive more 

 moisture, and the finer the particles of the soil 

 the greater the capacity for holding water, 

 while surface tillage, breaking the crust of 

 the ground provides a mulch which checks 

 evaporation of the moisture received in the 

 spring and from subsequent rains. This 



