86 



STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



favoring the growth of trees. With this treatment, however, the 

 roots are developed near the surface and in time of severe 

 drought, especially if the mulching is not carefully renewed as 

 required, the trees are liable to injury. In the management of 

 orchard lands it is not so much a question of how the tillage shall 

 be performed, as that it be given. So in lands where the plow 

 cannot be used I say unhesitatingly — though aware that I am 

 treading on dangerous ground — use hogs. From frequent 

 observation of the practical use of hogs in orchards that have 

 reached a bearing age I am convinced that they may be used to 

 advantage. The practice in this case would be to use shotes, 



•Cultivated plot in 1902. Tallman shown in figure 6 in the foreground. 



rather than hogs a year or more old. If six or eight young hogs 

 are put in an enclosure of about an acre, they will during the 

 season, if not too highly fed. pulverize the soil as completely as 

 could be done wath plow and harrow, and will in addition serve 

 an important purpose in destroying fruit infested with noxious 

 insects. 



I have referred to the use of cover crops under certain condi- 

 tions, and before referring to specific work in orchard culture, 

 it mav be well to consider the purpose of these very useful 

 adjuncts. Briefly speaking, a cover crop is some quick growing 



