Working the Land 229 



in diameter, than not to plow the orchard at all. The 

 severed roots usually send out numerous branches near 

 their ends, and these branches increase the foraging power 

 of the roots in soil normally laid under small tribute. 

 Figs. 69 and 70 are 

 drawn from actual speci- 

 mens of roots that were 

 broken by the plow. It 

 would seem as if the' 

 absorbing area of the 

 root had been actually 



increased, for the many F IQ> 70 . The branching of a broken 



small roots present more a PP ie-root. 



surface than did the main shaft of the root. It must be 

 remembered, however, that the real surface of the original 

 root extended far beyond the present point, and there is 

 no way of telling whether the adventitious roots actually 

 present more surface than the whole of the original root. 

 This breaking of the small roots is not recommended, but 

 it is not necessary to take great pains to avoid it. 



The particular methods of caring for plantations of 

 small-fruits can scarcely be discussed in a general work on 

 fruit-growing, but it may be said that a deep tillage 

 with a spring-tooth cultivator (No. 9, Fig. 16, page 86) 

 is usually sufficient for breaking up the ground in spring 

 among bush-fruits, if the land is clean and in good con- 

 dition. If the land is soddy or infested with bad weeds, 

 however, a regular plowing may be necessary. A handy 

 plow for such plantations is one of the type shown in Fig. 

 19, page 96, managed by a single horse. The manage- 

 ment of the land in small-fruit plantations does not differ 

 in principle from the management of orchard lands, and 

 the tools are of the same general kind, except smaller 



