318 WESTERN FEUIT BOOK. 



It is believed that the green manure, thus left with the 

 animal droppings, will be very advantageous, and may be 

 plowed in with good effect. The swine will not be apt 

 to injure the trees materially, unless they are kept on too 

 long, so as to pasture the green crop very closely. In all 

 the tillage, the greatest care must be exercised to avoid 

 wounding the bark by carelessly striking the stems with 

 the single-trees, when the plowing is done with horses ; 

 an additional hand will be needed in plowing next the 

 trees, to save them. When the trees have made a good 

 growth, and bear well, the tillage may be suspended, and 

 the ground sown to clover, to be pastured with swine for 

 a year or two, and again broken up and tilled. 



Many orchards have been planted in grass lands, how- 

 ever, without any especial preparation of the soil, as above 

 recommended. When this is necessary, there should be 

 a substitute for the thorough and continuous tillage. The 

 ground about the trees must be turned over with the 

 spade, in a sort of rough-digging, twice or three times a 

 year ; in the Fall, or early Winter, in the latter part of 

 Spring, and again during the Summer, so as to make the 

 earth loose and mellow, and to keep down the weeds. This 

 digging should be about six feet in diameter, and grad- 

 ually increased, as the roots extend ; it should be shallow 

 next the tree. In some situations this kind of treatment 

 will be necessary, and must be adopted as the best that 

 can be employed; but thorough and continuous tillage 

 with the plow and cultivator is recommended for several 

 years ; indeed, some persons insist upon constant culture 

 of orchards, as conducive to their best success ; one or two 

 plowings, during the season, with a naked fallow, or 

 green crops turned in. 



The distance at which the trees should be placed, will 

 depend upon the soil, and also, in a great degree, upon 

 the character and habit of the variety ; since some kinds 



