THE TIME TO STOP CULTIVATION 87 



with the transference of water from the subsoil into the furrow 

 slice which was turned over, and that therefore a considerable 

 time must elapse before new feeding roots can be established 

 in this surface layer, we may see at least some of the objections 

 to deferring plowing until summer in order to grow a cover crop. 



After-tillage. — Following this first " fitting " of the land 

 there is a period of cultivating. This period varies in length 

 with different men, all the way from not over a month to three or 

 even four months. The principal objects of this cultivation are 

 to keep down the weeds and to conserve the soil moisture, and 

 individual conditions are going to very decidedly modify not only 

 its length but its thoroughness and the implements necessary to 

 do it. As a rule the land ought to be gone over every ten days 

 or two weeks, but if one is so unfortunate as to have a bad case 

 of witch grass to contend with, or if the season is especially dry, 

 or the land, either from lack of humus or from any other 

 cause, is not in condition to hold moisture, then it may be de- 

 sirable to cultivate oftener. In particular it is well to get over 

 all the orchard just as soon as possible after a rain, unless of 

 course it is a rainy spell. Even then it is important to start the 

 cultivator just as soon as the rainy spell is over. For most of this 

 cultivation very shallow stirring of the soil is all that is neces- 

 sary. It is often the practice after the land is once gotten into 

 shape in the spring to use some harrow of the spring-tooth type 

 for most of the work. The one shown in Figure 42 is admirably 

 suited to this part of the work and will cover more land in a day 

 than anything that was ever turned loose in an orchard. The 

 acme harrow is also excellent. 



The time to stop cultivation, as has been suggested, varies 

 greatly with different men. A rather short, sharp campaign is 

 usually best. Get the orchard under cultivation as early as 

 possible, make the cultivation thorough, and then stop it early 

 and sow in the cover crop. It is rare that it needs to be con- 

 tinued after the first of July. Several of the disadvantages of 

 cultivation may be largely overcome by seeding down early. On 

 land which does not hold moisture well and with a heavy crop of 

 fruit on the trees and a dry season, late culture may be desirable 



