148 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



seedlings are soil consumers, and some are soil improvers. 

 Man simply improves on Nature, and makes sure that every 

 plant enriches the soil when he plants crimson clover. Note 

 how well this plant fits into the Delaware orchardist's plans. 

 On his light soils in the early spring, when the plant is only 

 six inches high and practically all the water that the ground 

 has caught during the winter is still there, it may be ploughed 

 down, and at that stage of growth will give ninety-five per 

 cent of its possible fertilizing value. 



As the size of the fruit, its color, flavor and quality, the 

 growth of the tree, and care of next year's buds, depend 

 usually on a wise conservation of the spring store of water, 

 this adaptability to early ploughing is of very important value. 

 The pertinent question for the Connecticut orchardist is, what 

 plant can we use to equal crimson clover? And that problem 

 is theirs to solve, if not already done. The only hint I can 

 give to them is my belief that nature has provided the plant 

 just suited to their soil, climate and other conditions. 



In Delaware so important is the queston of water supply 

 to orchard fertility, or rather to orchard results, that the univer- 

 sal practice is to give clean culture from spring time to har- 

 vest, reversing perhaps the old way which gave continuous 

 early cultivation, to giving the most cultivation later, when the 

 energy of the tree is devoted to perfecting the fruit. The sum 

 of Delaware endeavor for orchard fertility is then : Wisely 

 using Nature's best plants to add nitrogen, and adapt mineral 

 elements, cutltivation, conserving the water supply, and give 

 the sun and air a chance to ai(5 in improving the soil. 



The motto is, make Nature work for you. 



Now, then, I have been speaking of light soils. In the 

 upper part of Delaware, where they have a heavy clayey soil, 

 it was found that they would lose nearly 50 per cent, of the 

 value of the clover plant by ploughing it under at that stage 

 of its growth. Now then, in ploughing that crimson clover 

 down early in the spring, we have ploughed it in at a time 

 when the winter's rains are in that soil, so that we have all 

 the value of the crimson clover and we have all the water 

 we can get in the soil. Now at once we begin to put on our 

 harrows, and we work that soil to keep the water contents 



