STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ORCHARD CULTIVATION. 



If cause of partial or entire fruit failure is sought, after the 

 orchardist has fulfilled his part, it may confidently be expected 

 to result from one of two interfering conditions. Either the 

 fruit buds or growing fruit have been injured by untimely, frosty 

 or sufficient moisture has been lacking at some time during the 

 growing season. Loss or damage from the latter cause is now 

 quite as common here in the East as in the arid or semi-arid 

 fruit-growing districts of the far West. There they have 

 become fully convinced that no fruit need be expected without 

 an adequate and continuous supply of moisture, either by con- 

 serving that falling during the wet season or artificially supplied^ 

 or by both methods combined. Here it will be presupposed that 

 the orchardist has faithfully done his part in fertilizing, pruning,, 

 insect protection and, if need exist, in draining, and at June first 

 has a fair setting of fruit. Up to that time, in the East and mid- 

 dle West, there is but little liability of drouth. It is the period 

 from that date till harvest that is the most critical for the fruit- 

 grower and which annually keeps the statisticians guessing as ta 

 the outcome. 



Ripe fruit contains from 85 to 90 per cent of water. When 

 wie consider this fact in relation to another, that the leaves of a 

 tree are constantly exhaling moisture into the air at the rate of 

 hundreds of tons to each acre of large and thrifty fruit trees 

 throughout the summer season, it becomes at once apparent how 

 necessary it is that no moisture in orchard or vineyard should go 

 to waste. It also becomes plain why fruit often drops in crop- 

 ruining quantities even when a drouth is of but short duration 

 when sufficient cultivation has not been given to conserve the 

 moisture. The tree will obey the law of self-preservation by 

 sacrificing its fruit rather than its life. 



Where special attention has not been given to moisture-con- 

 servation by cultivation, it is not generally understood how abso- 

 lute a protection against evaporation of soil moisture is afforded 

 by a dust mulch. A convincing and practical illustration of its 

 e^ticacy was witnessed last season in a garden potato patch, 

 which, after deep plowing and thorough preparatory tillage, was 

 given conscientious stirring and cultivation from once to three 



