is supposed to yield the owner good returns in fruit, is not only contrary to 

 common sense, but opposed to every law of nature. It is most unreasonable 

 to expect land to produce two crops at one and the same time. Either dig 

 up your fruit tres and leave commercial orcharding alone, or plough up your 

 grass and let the trees have the full benefit of the soil. More under-sized, 

 poorly flavoured fruit is produced by attempting to make a hay field out of 

 an orchard than probably any other means. 



G. B. Brackett, United States Pornologist, says : 



" Thorough and oft-repeated stirring of the soil is absolutely essential to 

 success. Such culture as is needed to produce a first-class crop of corn or 

 potatoes will keep an orchard in good health and vigour, provided the ground 

 is sufficiently fertile. As already stated, in no case should small grain or 

 grass be grown in an orchard. This mistake is often made by thoughtless or 

 inexperienced planters. , 



" The ground having been properly prepared before planting, a two-horse 

 cultivator frequently run between the rows will keep it in good condition 

 during growing sason. Each spring the surface should be well stirred with 

 a two-horse plough, using a short single-tree next to the row of trees to avoid 

 danger of bruising the trunks of the trees. In ploughing, the furrows 

 should be alternately turned toward and from the trees. Such culture 

 should be continued from year to year, at least until trees come into full 

 bearing, and even then it is questionable whether it should be discontinued. 

 If it should be, red or crimson clover is the only crop allowable, and that 

 should be turned under as often as once in every two years. As a rule, 

 continuous cultivation gives the most satisfactory results." 



DRAINAGE. 



Intimately connected with cultivation is the subject of drainage, for badly 

 or imperfectly drained laud cannot be successfully cultivated. To land with 

 clay sub-soils this remark more particularly applies, as it is on such soils that 

 water will lie longest on account of the retentive nature of the sub-soil. In 

 such localities, as soon as the roots of the trees have penetrated to the clay, 

 theie is a suspension of growth, with a consequent deterioration in the health 

 of the tree, rendering it susceptible to the attacks of insect pests, fungous 

 diseases and parasites in the shape of lichens and mosses. As a rule, the 

 appearance of mosses and lichens is a pretty sure indication of an undrained 

 state of the land, and whilst the application of washes of differene kinds are 

 useful for the removal of the effect, the true remedy lies in the removal of 

 the cause. Therefore, if draining has been neglected, no time should be lost 

 in immediately proceeding to remedy the defect by a thorough system of 

 surface and under-draining. No orchard can survive any length of time 

 where stagnant water lies, either on the surface or in the soil, and, there- 

 fore, all surplus water, either from excessive precipitation or any other cause, 

 should not be allowed to remain on the land. By draining the surplus water 

 from the soil the air is allowed to circulate through the soil. This has the 

 effect of rendering the soil warmer and decomposing those elements of fertility 

 in it which otherwise would remain unavailable as plant food. Well drained 

 land is also less susceptible to drought than land where surplus water lies. 



