ORCHARDS 



229 



little grass or weeds that grow near the trunk are of no 

 consequence. Under any ordinary circumstances, a few 

 feet of until led land about the base of large trees does no 

 harm. 



Apple orchards will stand more abuse than most kinds 

 of trees, so that they are frequently grown in sod. They 

 should ordinarily be tilled. The effects of tillage are 

 strikingly shown in New York state. Five hundred and 

 sixty-four orchards in Orleans county, containing 4,881 

 acres, were examined. The average yields and incomes 

 from these orchards for five years are shown below: 1 



YIELD PER ACRE OF TILLED AND SOD APPLE ORCHARDS, FIVE-YEAR 

 AVERAGES (1900-1904), ORLEANS COUNTY, N. Y. 



The sod orchards that were used as pastures for hogs 

 or sheep were better than the average, but not so good as 

 the tilled ones. There are, of course, many conditions 

 under which tillage is not desirable, such as orchards on 

 steep hillsides. 



215. Spraying Orchards. Spraying is now a regular 

 practice of the best fruit-growers, but the majority of 

 orchards are still unsprayed. The particular treatment 

 varies with the kind of fruit and the region. Peaches and 



iNew York (Cornell) Bulletin No. 229. 



