CULTIVATION 225 



do in a poor soil like this. Then comes this entire change of 

 conditions. The soil is plowed up and supplied with an abun- 

 dance of both moisture and food, particularly nitrogen. The 

 large, spreading root system at once develops an abundance 

 of feeding roots throughout its entire length, as it is also well 

 known that trees will do when conditions are favorable. The 

 result is that the trees are worse off than trees accustomed to 

 good care from the start. They " over-eat, ' ' over-grow and are 

 not able to withstand the cold of winter. 



Therefore, if you are tempted to use nitrogen in a renovated 

 orchard resist the temptation, under most conditions. 



Damage from this source is usually first shown by the 

 trees having a sickly appearance as they leaf out in the spring. An 

 examination of the bark about the base of the trunk will fre- 

 quently show that it is loose and separates readily from the wood 

 over considerable areas. In severe cases practically the entire 

 cambium layer is killed and the bark may be pulled off in long 

 strips. When the cambium layer is killed all around the trunk 

 there is nothing to do but cut the tree down. But where the 

 damage is less severe we may cut away the injured bark and 

 paint over the wound and the tree will probably recover. 



On the potash and phosphoric acid side, the case is quite 

 different. There is certainly no danger of damaging the trees 

 and probably every reason to expect that you will benefit them. 

 Consequently, the orchardist should use from 400 to 600 pounds 

 of basic slag and from 200 to 300 pounds of high-grade sulfate 

 of potash per acre. Doubtless these amounts could be varied 

 still more and yet give good results, but the amounts suggested 

 have been used on different orchards with entire success. 



4. Cultivation. It is assumed that the orchard is not going 

 to be kept in sod. Most of these old orchards of the type under 

 consideration have long been in sod and occasionally it may be 

 possible to renovate them by sod culture, but usually not. If 

 they are to be cultivated the first problem is to get them plowed, 

 and sometimes it is a very difficult problem. A steady team is 

 needed, a very strong plow, and a man who has a good grip on 

 his temper. With these essentials and with plenty of time and 

 15 



