Nq. 7. 



Cultivating Orchards. 



223 



been observed by every one, at all conversant 

 with the rearing of sheep, that these mon- 

 grels, which have black, or dark-coloured 

 spots, are always the best sheep in the flock. 

 And I know at this time, a remarkably fine 

 pen of spring pigs, a cross between the Ches- 

 ter county and Berkshire black and white, 

 each of which has the requisite number of 

 white feet, &c., according to Albany statute; 

 but two amongst them, and by tiir the best 

 pigs, have a tinge of red mixed with the 

 white, a proof that they are " breeding back" 

 to their old Berkshire blood. To this cause 

 may also be attributed, I have no doubt, the 

 varieties we so often find in corn, which, al- 

 though selected with the greatest care, and 

 planted far away from every other variety, 

 will still be found to " sport" in a most sur- 

 prising manner. P. W. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Cultivating Orchards. 



Considerable difference of opinion exists 

 among farmers respecting the best method 

 of cultivating orchards; bat the practice may 

 be divided into the following three methods; 

 1st, leaving them unploughed, but pasturing 

 them more or less, either with all kinds of 

 stock, or with hogs only ; 2d, ploughing 

 every year, and raising crops of annual grain, 

 or pasturing them in the green state ; or, 3d, 

 subjecting them to the usual rotation of crops, 

 in all respects as other uplands, I propose to 

 give my views briefly, of the advantages and 

 disadvantages resulting from each of these 

 modes, as applicable to orchards in clay soils, 

 from which iny experience has been princi- 

 pally derived : in such soils the roots of the 

 trees generally extend farther around the 

 stem than the branches do, and are found 

 nearer or farther from the surface, as the 

 plough has been more or less frequently used, 

 but, generally, the larger roots are in the 

 subsoil, below the depth to which the plough 

 penetrates. In the first, or non-ploughing 

 mode, we find the ground covered with 

 fibrous-rooted perennial, or annual grasses, 

 the roots of which require, for their full sup- 

 port, all the rain that falls and can be retained 

 a sufficient time in the soils in common sea- 

 sons; but the roots of the tree also require, 

 for luxuriant, or fidl growth, probably the 

 whole of the rain that falls, and that can be 

 rendered available; and being lower in the 

 ground, and thus deprived of a portion of the 

 moisture by the grass, they arc obliged to 

 send out small roots toward the surface to 

 contend with the grass-roots for the moisture 

 in the soil proper; thus there are two sets of 

 roots in the upper soil, each requiring, in dry 

 seasons, all the available moisture present; 

 the consequence is, that the fruit, not having 



sufficient nourishment, grows slowly, and 

 much of it drops prematurely, neither ac- 

 quiring the proper size nor sufficient ripe- 

 ness ; and the grass (if of the fibrous-rooted 

 perennials) not seeding, on account of being 

 closely pastured, extends itself by its creep- 

 ing roots, and, through its necessities, multi- 

 plies them indefinitely, making little growth 

 above ground, and that suitable for pasturage 

 only. 



In the second mode, that of ploughing 

 every year, and raising and ripening annual 

 crops of grain, it must be obvious, that for a 

 part of the time we escape the disadvantages 

 of the first method, the crop sown not requir- 

 ing the whole moisture and strength of the 

 ground, until considerable growth has been 

 made, during which time the moisture will 

 have full, free, and easy access to the roots 

 of the trees, the soil, or surface, being loose 

 from recent ploughing — but after the crop 

 sown has attained half its growth, and from 

 that time till it is entirely ripened, the strug- 

 gle will be in some measure as before, but, I 

 think, generally more favourable for the fruit; 

 nay, I believe that both the grain and the 

 fruit will suffer less, and that neither will be 

 so imperfectly supported as in the first me- 

 thod ; for owing to the loose and open state 

 of the ground, the moisture will penetrate 

 deeper to the roots of the trees, passing first 

 through the soil in which the roots of the 

 grain are foraging ; and much more will be 

 absorbed by the ground, and less will run off, 

 in heavy rains, than when the ground is 

 covered by a close-cropped, short covering of 

 grass ; in addition to which we are entitled 

 to presume that grounds annually cropped 

 will require and receive frequent manuring. 

 — Of these methods, when no crop is taken 

 but the fruit, I shall take notice hereafter. 



The other, and most common method, that 

 of subjecting orchards to the usual rotation 

 of crops, seems to combine the disadvantages 

 of both the preceding methods, and to pre- 

 clude the possibility of the tree accommodat- 

 ing itself to its circumstances, which, in 

 ordinary cases, it does in some degree — for, 

 commencing with that point in the round 

 when the sward is broken up for Indian-corn, 

 we have two years in which the ground is 

 frequently ploughed, and, of course, all the 

 tree-roots within the range of the plough are 

 cut off, and a crop of Indian-corn and a crop 

 of oats are grown and taken off", and a crop 

 of wheat sown ; during this time every thing 

 is similar to that of the second mode, above 

 stated ; here the labours of the plough are 

 intermitted for a period, generally of from 

 three to five, or more years ; clover, timothy, 

 herd, or other grass-seeds are sown, and the 

 whole is laid down for mowing or pasturage ; 

 and when a firm and close sod is formed upon 



