96 



awaj. Another point in plowing is the question of throw- 

 ing the furrow towards or away from the trees. One fre- 

 quently finds an old orchard in which the) plowing has been 

 for years always in the direction of the trees, until each row 

 stands along a ridge, with deep hollows between. Such an 

 orchard should be plowed away from the trees, until the land 

 gets back reasonably level again. After that it is well to 

 plow the orchard alternately towards and away from the 

 trees, — one year north and south and the next east and 

 west. In this way the land can be kept in the best condition 

 for the trees. 



Occasionally it is impossible to do even a makeshift job 

 of plowing, and then one can sometimes begin operations 

 by running a heavy disc harrow through the orchard, to cut 

 up the sod and start things in the right direction, and per- 

 haps plow it the following year. 



After the ]3lowing has been done it is always advisable 

 to use the disc harrow and follow it with the spring tooth 

 harrow, going both ways with each one of them, and going 

 over the land several times, so as to get the land in good tilth. 

 After this, through the balance of the season, it is best to 

 cultivate the land once every week or ten days, up to perhaps 

 the middle of July. And let this weekly cultivation be 

 thorough ! If the two harrows suggested, disc and spring 

 tooth, are available, it is well to run the disc over first, the 

 long way of the orchard, and then finish with the spring 

 tooth, the opposite way. This insures all the land being 

 worked over, and leaves it more level than if one finishes 

 with the disc, which of course is desirable on account of re- 

 ducing evaporation. It is difficult to overdo cultivation at 

 this season of the year, and with an old, neglected orchard 

 I should feel inclined to let this be the principal feature of 

 the programme, so far as the soil is concerned. 



jSJ'ow for our second point in the programme, pruning. 

 This is apt to vary more in the extent to which it is needed 

 and in the character of it which is best to apply than any 

 one of the other factors. If the trees are very high, with 

 little or no bearing wood near the center, as is very apt to 



