46 rEnnie's agriculture. 



soil should be used for covering the roots, and this 

 should be carefully worked among them. If the 

 ground is dry, it is well to pour in some water when 

 the hole is partially filled. See that the ground is 

 firmly packed over the roots, by exerting the full 

 weight of the planter upon it, so that the roots will 

 not dry out. Fill the holes full enough to be even 

 with the surrounding surface after the fresh earth 

 settles. Never put manure in contact with the roots. 

 The young trees should be staked and tied, so that 

 the wind will not loosen the roots. When the trees 

 are planted they should be mulched with coarse 

 farm manure four or five inches deep, for a space two 

 feet more in diameter than the extent of the roots. 

 This keeps the earth moist and of even temperature. 

 The following spring a strip of eight or ten feet wide 

 in line with the rows of trees should be plowed 

 shallow, then harrowed and cultivated with wide 

 points (to clean the land and conserve moisture) at 

 intervals of two weeks until July. Then seed this 

 strip with either Alfalfa or Red Clover, to remain over 

 winter as a cover crop. In the following spring the 

 clover should be plowed under, harrowed and cul- 

 tivated until July, and again seeded with clover as 

 in the previous year. After three years of this 

 treatment the strip in line with the trees may be 

 seeded with alfalfa, and allowed to remain for two 

 years without plowing. This allows the alfalfa roots 

 to penetrate down among the roots of the trees and 

 perforate the subsoil, 

 cropping A hoe crop may be grown between the rows of 



Row^o? Trees, trees the first season after planting, followed with a 

 grain crop, seeding the second year with alfalfa. 

 The space between the rows of trees may be seeded 

 with alfalfa when the trees are planted. Provided 

 the land is clean and in good condition, the alfalfa 



