54 THE AMERICAN APPLE ORCHARD 



of cultivation for an orchard. We have, therefore, 

 what may properly be called a system of culture. The 

 system may prove to be wrong, and it may be greatly 

 improved in the future; but for the present we may 

 confidently follow it as the best working outline at 

 hand. 



Preparatory Cultivation In the first place it is 

 very generally agreed that a field should be brought 

 into the best possible state of cultivation before it is 

 planted out to fruit trees. There are still to be found 

 occasional cranks who preach that fruit trees should 

 be set out in sod. Mr. Stringfellow of Texas, who 

 may be called a crank without offense, has recently 

 advised the setting of orchards in sod, using a crowbar 

 as the only tool, and cutting off all the roots of the 

 young trees to make them fit the crowbar hole. Still 

 more recently, however, after trying this method on a 

 large scale, he has reported that it was not successful. 



The preparatory cultivation of a field destined for 

 fruit trees should be clean and thorough, because 

 otherwise it is difficult to give clear and thorough cul- 

 tivation after the trees are set out. If the ground is 

 full of sassafras, hackmatack, poison ivy, blackberry 

 briers or perennial grasses it is much easier to get rid 

 of them before the trees are planted than after. 



This preparatory cultivation should be not only 

 clean and thorough, but it should be deep. The ground 

 should be loosened up as deeply as plowing will do it. 

 On some soils the use of a good subsoil plow, run 

 down to a depth of twenty to twenty-six iaches, is par- 

 ticularly indicated. Soils which are too loose, and are 

 subject to leaching, may come in here among the ex- 

 ceptions. 



