PREPARATION FOR ORCHARD PLANTING 85 



retains moisture enough to start them. A special advantage of such 

 summer-fallow in regions where rainfall is apt to be short is that by 

 prevention of evaporation, the trees or vines set the following winter 

 will have a good part of the rainfall of two seasons to grow with, 

 and the result will often be very noticeable. If there are supplies of 

 manure available, as are often found in old corrals on our grain or 

 stock farms, it is better to gather and apply this the winter before 

 the planting of the trees. If this is not done, it should be left until 

 after the trees are planted, and then be spread upon the surface 

 during the winter, and plowed in after it has been in part leached 

 into the soil by the rains. Application should be made evenly all 

 over the surface, and not massed around the roots of the trees, un- 

 less it is to be applied as a mulch to the surface after the spring 

 cultivation is over, as will be considered later. 



If it is thought desirable to plant the land immediately after 

 breaking up, put in the plows as early in the fall as it is possible to 

 do deep work, that is, to plow to a depth of ten or twelve inches, or 

 more. Harrow thoroughly. If it is still early, cross-plow. Thor- 

 ough and deep breaking up as soon as practicable to plow in the 

 fall, and following in the furrow with the subsoil plow, working to 

 a depth of fourteen inches or more, is a good preparation for fruit 

 planting. For this kind of work tractors are now largely used, but, 

 if not available, good teams are needed and the plow should be 

 sharp and bright. If the work is hard for the team, set the plow so 

 as to take less land, but do not sacrifice the depth. Harrow again 

 thoroughly, and the land is ready for the trees or vines. 



In breaking up alfalfa for fruit planting, it has been found de- 

 sirable to plow at first only about four inches deep to cut off the 

 plants with short stubs, and then to replow deeply somewhat later. 

 Plants cut with long stub roots, as in deep plowing, are more likely 

 to start again than are the short-stub plants. 



Avoiding Dead Furrows. Unless dead furrows can be used to 

 advantage for surface drainage in case of heavy rain-storms, it will 

 be of decided convenience in laying off to have the field free from 

 them. This can, of course, be secured by beginning the final plow- 

 ing at a line in the center of the field, turning all furrows inwards. 

 In this case, too, if a right-hand plow is used, the team will always 

 turn on unplowed land, and thus avoid trampling upon and packing 

 the loose soil. The slight ridge in the center of the field formed by 

 the first two furrows can be easily leveled by a couple of back fur- 

 rows, and when properly harrowed the field will be found smooth as 

 a floor for staking out for planting. 



LAYING OUT FOR PLANTING IN SQUARES 



It is very desirable, both for convenience in cultivation and for 

 the beauty of the orchard, that the trees should stand in straight 

 lines, and care should be taken to attain that end. Most orchards 

 and vineyards in this State are laid out in squares ; that is, the rows 



