50 



trees and for a distance on each side of the rows as far as the branches 

 spread the surface could be kept in grass. If not sown down immedi- 

 ately after planting, which might not be desirable in all cases, it should 

 be done after the trees attain a fruit-bearing size, or from five to seven 

 years after setting out. The shelter which will be afforded to other 

 crops by these orchards will be found valuable as a protection from 

 winds as well as in forwarding early crops. This method is particularly 

 applicable to apple and pear trees. 



MANAGEMENT OF ORCHARDS. 



Whether the land occupied by orchard or fruit trees should be plowed 

 and cultivated, or sown in grass or clover and remain undisturbed, is 

 still a frequent subject of inquiry in the correspondence of the Depart- 

 ment. The object in planting fruit trees, it is hardly necessary to state, 

 is to produce fruit, and that course of general treatment which best 

 maintains the trees in a healthy state of growth and at the same time 

 keeps them in a condition of productiveness may be considered as being 

 good, whether the treatment involves the plowing and cultivation of the 

 soil or whether these good results are attained by sowing the orchard 

 in grass and keeping the surface covered with sod. It is well known 

 that eminently productive and profitable orchards can be shown under 

 both of the above systems of management, for the time being. Culti- 

 vation or noncultivation are simply expedients to be adopted in gaining 

 certain wished-for results 5 the primary mistake is to attempt to turn 

 either expedient into a fixed and unchangeable system. 



It is understood that the processes generally included in the term 

 "cultivation," such as plowing, harrowing, etc., are all favorable to 

 the encouragement of growth in plants, and when applied to fruit trees 

 the usual result of increased vigor will be produced. But it is also 

 well understood that the greatest vigor of growth is not always com- 

 bined with the greatest productiveness of fruit ; on the contrary, it is a 

 recognized fact that a tree can not display unusually great vigor of 

 growth and at the same time be correspondingly fruitful. On the 

 other hand, it is common knowledge that trees growing in poor soil, 

 arid without receiving cultivation of any kind, will not long continue 

 to maintain sufficient vitality to enable them to produce perfect fruit, 

 nor, indeed, fruit of any quality. These extremes of poverty and lux- 

 uriance are similar, inasmuch as neither condition is the best for 

 the production of fruit, and therefore the efforts of the fruit-grower 

 should constantly be directed towards a medium between these ex- 

 tremes. When young trees are planted in ordinary good soil, aud 

 afterwards receive good care, so far as cultivating, stirring, and ma- 

 nuring the soil is concerned, they usually make strong growths. It is 

 well to encourage this luxuriance at this stage of their existence, the 



