234 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



ject of the enterprising planter seem to 

 have been to secure and plant all of the 

 numerous varieties within his reach with- 

 out considering the question of the adapt- 

 ability of the variety to the conditions of 

 soil and climate. For a time at least, 

 while the soil was new and diseases and 

 insects were less numerous, his efforts 

 gave fairly satisfactory results. Now, 

 however, conditions have changed and 

 many of the sorts that were once popular 

 and profitable are considered valueless. 

 So that, notwithstanding the fact that the 

 list of desirable varieties is greatly in- 

 creased, growers find themselves com- 

 pelled to study more carefully the adapt- 

 ability of the varieties suited to their 

 special conditions and purposes." 



CULTIVATION 



Keasons for Cnltivation 



We cultivate the apple orchard much as 

 we cultivate any other crop and for the 

 following reasons: 



It improves the physical condition of 

 the soil. 



It tends to drain the soil, which is im- 

 portant if the soil is wet. or is likely to 

 become so. 



It breaks up the compact particles of 

 soil and releases new plant food. 



It tends to mix more thoroughly the 

 fertilizers that are in the soil with the 

 soil itself. 



It conserves the moisture by forming a 

 dust mulch on the top which lessens evap- 

 oration. 



It kills the weeds that sap the moisture 

 and fertility of the soil. 



Deep Plowing 



In the beginning it is not possible to 

 break the ground too deeply. Deep plow- 

 ing is the best in preparation of the land 

 for planting an orchard, and it is the 

 best later if it does not interfere too 

 much with the roots of the trees. By 

 this means the hard substances of the 

 soil are broken up and the land aerated; 

 it enables the soil to absorb more of 

 the water coming from rains and snows; 

 it brings to the surface stores of plant 

 food not generally drawn upon; it turns 

 under the humus in the surface soil, plac- 



ing it within easy access of the roots of 

 the trees; it hastens growth during the 

 bearing period and increases the size and 

 capacity of the trees. 



Illinois Experiment 



These principles herewith set forth 

 have been learned by experience and ob- 

 servation through generations of trial. In 

 Illinois, for instance, we discovered that 

 trench plowing was better in case of 

 drouth and better in case of extreme wet 

 weather which we often had in that coun- 

 try. Trench plowing is what in some 

 sections is called "sub-soiling," but it is 

 properly distinguished from sub-soiling in 

 that in sub-soiling one team hitched to 

 a plow turns a furrow, another team 

 hitched to another plow called a "sub- 

 soil plow" follows and loosens up the 

 soil in the same furrow, and without 

 throwing it out upon the surface leaves 

 it to be covered by the next furrow. 



This method is intended to break up 

 the lower stratum of soil which may have 

 been hardened by years of cultivation of 

 the surface or from other causes. Trench 

 plowing is the same, except that the sub- 

 stratum is turned out upon the surface 

 and on top of the first furrow. At first 

 it was doubted whether this was better 

 in case of extremes of wet or dry weather, 

 but later all doubts were dispelled by 

 comparison of the quantities of crops that 

 grew on soils that had been subsoiled. 

 It was discovered that trench plowing 

 tended to drain the soil in case of ex- 

 cessive rain and to hold the moisture by 

 preventing rapid evaporation in case of 

 drouth. 



Kansas Experiment 



In Kansas we met new conditions. The 

 question in that state was not so much 

 how to drain the soil of the water that 

 fell upon the surface, but how to con- 

 serve the moisture. I made several ex- 

 periments which determined the value of 

 deep plowing as a check to rapid evap- 

 oration. Near Dodge City, Kansas, I had 

 40 acres of land in what was called the 

 semi-arid belt. A controversy arose 

 among the farmers in regard to the depth 

 of plowing best suited to the growth of 

 corn, wheat, millet and other crops. I 



