GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF ORCHARDS. 189 



may all be removed after one season. As a general rule, 

 leaning fruit-trees are neglected quite too much. 



When to cease Scarifying a young Orchard. Every am- 

 bitious pomologist appears to think as by some sort of 

 instinct that after a few years the land round about ap- 

 ple-trees must be stocked down to grass. There are in- 

 stances where it would be a decided advantage to the 

 young trees that are now producing a few bushels of ap- 

 ples each, to have the laud stocked down. But such cases 

 are rare. So long as the branches ripen the wood satisfac- 

 torily before cold weather, the ground should not be stock- 

 ed down. On the contrary, when trees continue to grow 

 so rampantly in late autumn that the extremities of the 

 twigs do not ripen before the end of the growing season, 

 it will be better to stock the ground down to grass or clo- 

 ver, for the purpose of checking that luxuriant growth late 

 in the season. As has been already stated in another part 

 of this work, let it be distinctly understood, and constantly 

 borne in. mind, that the young trees must be cultivated ; 

 the soil must be constantly stirred, and kept clean, until the 

 orchard has fairly got under way with a thrifty growth. 

 This is best effected by continuing the culture several 

 years. As pomologists are often unwilling to work with- 

 out an immediate return for their labor, a naked fallow 

 among the trees will too often be neglected ; but a partial 

 crop between them will be an incentive to giving the or- 

 chard just such attention in the way of cultivation as it 

 requires. J. J. Thomas says, touching this subject, that the 

 length of time that this culture should be continued will 

 depend upon the condition of the trees, and the character 

 of the soil and surface. The orchard should have assumed 

 the most thrifty growth before the cultivation is suspend- 

 ed, whether this may have required three years of culture 

 or six. On hilly lands, with a soil disposed to wash into 



