CHAPTER XIX 



TILLAGE 



Land which has been planted in fruit should be cultivated 

 in much the same way as land planted to other crops. Of 

 course before the fruit has been set out the land has been 

 deeply plowed and thoroughly prepared. For several years 

 after trees have been set out, the land can be cultivated in 

 such crops as corn and potatoes. These are called hoed crops, 

 because we try to keep down all weeds by cultivation. Such 

 crops as wheat, oats, and timothy should not be raised in an 

 orchard. They choke the trees too much. Cultivating in the 

 orchard has the same effect as it has in other fields. It saves 

 moisture, kills weeds, and makes plant food available. What- 

 ever kind of fertilizer is applied to the crop is also helpful to 

 the trees. Potatoes are one of the best crops to raise in a small 

 orchard, because they occupy the ground only a couple of 

 months during the summer. The tops of the potatoes shade 

 the ground well, but the tops of the trees are not shaded and 

 crowded as they are when corn is grown in the orchard. Po- 

 tatoes can be dug early in the fall and with a harrow the 

 ground can be put in shape for the sowing of a cover or 

 mulching crop, such as rye, crimson clover, or cow-peas. It 

 is quite desirable to have some covering on the ground during 

 the autumn and winter, for the crop prevents a loss of the 

 available plant food by using it in growing. Furthermore, 



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