GROWING AND MAINTAINING ORCHARDS. 



5'7 



acre of plant food used by the orcharil 

 would be $297 per acre. 



In either case it is seen that an orchard 

 "used more than simply sunlight and water. 

 From many of the mature orchards, harvest 

 crops other than apples have been removed 

 continuously for from 20 to 50 years, in ad- 

 dition to the apples harvested. Is it any 

 wonder that many of the mature orchards 

 are far from vigorous, shy of bearing and 

 perfect but a small per cent of their fruit? 

 While it is true that many of our fields still 

 contain vast stores of plant food, it is equal- 

 ly true that the cream of the land has been 

 removed and that the remaining plant food 

 is not readily available, in other words, it 

 is tough. 



What are the conditions the fruit grow- 

 er meets when he attempts to grow a young 

 orchard? He finds that most fields have 

 been depleted of large quantities of the most 

 easily available plant foods. For 50 years 

 or more, double, often three-fold, more 

 plant food has been removed than has been 

 returned to the soil. The soil and subsoil 

 too have often become compacted, hard and 

 unresponsive. The drainage channels have 

 been obliterated and can only be restored bv 

 long tap-rooted plants or drainage. The 

 humus so necessary for good physical con- 

 dition of the surface soil and for conserv- 

 ing moisture and for promoting chemical 

 and biological action is deficient or almost 

 entirely wanting. Is it any wonder then 

 that heroic treatment, such as J. H. Hale 

 gives his orchards, is necessary if the young 

 trees flourish and fruit abundantly? 



Good fruit is on the average salable at 

 remunerative prices home and abroad. 

 When well managed, the orchard areas are 

 by far the most profitable portions of the 

 farm. If, then, we set new orchards we 

 should make the conditions similar to those 



which prevailed 50 or 75 years ago. This 

 may be most easily accomplished by grow- 

 ing tap-rooted and leguminous cover crops, 

 assisted in some cases by under-drainage. 

 These will tend to promote drainage of sur- 

 plus water, conserve moisture, make the sod 

 more friable, add humus, promote chemical 

 and biological action, and incidentally add 

 nitrogen to the soil and oust some of the 

 lazy potash and phosphoric acid. 



Frequent and intelligent tillage will help 

 materially in aerating the soil. It may be 

 made to conserve moisture, liberate plant 

 food and in all ways promote the comfort 

 ?.nd well being of the growing or fruiting 

 of trees. The vigorous, healthy growth 

 resulting from cover crops and tillage makes 

 the trees more resistant than they would be 

 if they were uncomfortable, hungry and 

 thirsty. On most of our soils from this on, 

 profitable fruit growing must be founded 

 on cover crops and tillage, supplemented, in 

 some cases, by drainage and fertilizers. 



Doctor the soil before you doctor the tree. 

 Remove the cause, and the effect disappears. 

 You can't cure rum blossoms with vaseline, 

 you must break the demijohn ; start the or- 

 chard where nature left ofT, and not where 

 the renter did. The rivers run to the sea, 

 overflowing the city and plain, yet the sea 

 is not full. The waters return to the land, 

 but the land cannot contain them. The" 

 roof of the natural reservoir is sealed be- 

 cause of ignorant tillage ; the surface is like 

 a leaky roof, which sheds part of the water 

 and allows a part to pass through. The 

 waters hasten to their home in the sea, since 

 they are not welcomed by the land. The 

 reservoir runs dry, the plants are sick unto 

 death of thirst and hunger, and the bugs 

 foreclose their cut-throat mortgages. — Affi: 

 Agriculturist. 



