662 CULTIVATION OF THK OKCIIABD AND GARDEN. 



continue the cultivation of his orchard for some years after he shall 

 have first planted the trees in it. There is no necessity for leaving 

 the soil of nis new orchard to the trees alone, for while they are 

 young, there will be no detriment in growing a crop of roots, turnips, 

 beets, or potatoes, but it will not be well to seed to grass or grow to 

 grain or corn, or plant with corn. If the ground is to be plowed 

 this labor must be performed with care, so that the trees or their 

 roots may not be injured. The ground should be continued pulver- 

 ized and soft, as we have suggested concerning its first preparation. 

 It should be fertilized well, and if manure is used that fertilizer 

 should be mixed well with the ground. Old trees if there are any 

 in the orchard, should have rotten straw, or hay, and plenty of ma- 

 nure placed about their roots. They will in this way thrive better 

 without the care which it is necessary to give young trees. In 

 laying manure about a tree, it is not advisable to place it too near 

 the trunk, because inasmuch as the roots extend out from the tree 

 for many feet even when the trunk of the tree is small, the susten- 

 ance which the fertilizer will give is required not immediately at 

 the trunk, but where the roots are. In fall, fertilizers of manure or 

 some other compact substance should be placed right at the foot of 

 the trees for the protection of them from vermin. When spring 

 comes the fertilizer thus used can be scattered about over the ground 

 beneath the trees. Weeds should be carefully removed. Small 

 trees will not thrive if they are surrounded by grass or weeds. Poor 

 and unproductive fruit yielding trees are not infrequently the re- 

 sult of the want of proper attention to this idea of keeping the 

 ground about them thoroughly weeded. 



Trimming or Pruning the Orchard This is not 

 difficult if the work is undertaken at the proper time and be care- 

 fully and thoroughly completed; but if the trees are left uncared for 

 for too long a time, then the work will be rendered difficult of per- 

 formance, and its result cannot be expected to be entirely satisfac- 1 

 tory. With old trees that have been allowed to go without care for \ 

 some years, the proper course to pursue will be to remove a large 

 portion of its upper branches, so that it may be reduced to a good 

 shape. With trees of young growth, cutting in a hap-hazard fash- 

 ion will be deleterious, and may result in their absolute destruction. 

 Ordinarily, when the management of the fruit orchard is what it 

 should be, it will not be necessary to take away large branches of 

 any tree. 



When to Commence Trimming This should be under- 

 taken immediately after the tree has been transplanted, and in each 

 succeeding spring all the limbs which shall have spread out, and which 

 it is not advisable to retain, should be lopped off. While the trees 

 are small a knife will be a sufficient instrument for the work. As 

 they increase in size it will be necessary to use pruning shears and 

 a saw. Sometimes, buds will be found shooting out in parts of the 

 tree where they are not desired, and these can be taken off without 



