No. 4.] SOIL IX FRUIT CULTURE. (39 



and July come on, it is astonishing what great demands are 

 made for water by fruit trees and grass that are occupying 

 the soil. Unless this amount of water comes, positively 

 they must perish. Of course in the great subterranean sup- 

 plies which are underneath our farms everywhere this large 

 quantity of water is constantly finding its way to the surface. 

 The higher the temperature of the atmosphere over the sur- 

 face of the soil, the greater becomes the pressure of the 

 water from below. If it were not for this principle, vege- 

 tation could not exist. As I have alreadj^ stated, our an- 

 nual rainfall is so unequally distributed that if plants had 

 to depend upon it through the growing season they would 

 very often fail. This mulch system may possibly be suc- 

 cessfully adopted for a time where an orchard is situated on 

 a natural water-shed, wdiere the water is constantly supplied 

 by the higher land, or where there is an inexhaustible sub- 

 soil supply. 



I Avant to give here an illustration of the danger in accept- 

 ing a new plan without giving it a most careful trial. A few 

 years ago I laid out the plan for an extensive apple orchard 

 on a farm in a New England State. I had been called upon 

 to examine the land, and to determine its adaptability to 

 the growing of apples. I found the soil most superior 

 for that purpose, the elevation good and the quality of 

 the apples in the locality most excellent. All the condi- 

 tions seemed to be present for the establishment of an ex- 

 ceedingly valuable orchard. Twenty thousand trees were set 

 out. The advice was followed for two years on the line of 

 careful culture. During those two years the trees made ex- 

 ceptionally fine growth. The i)lan then was to top-work 

 the trees, which I will discuss a little later. But in the 

 mean time the policy Avas changed to that of nmlching the 

 trees. A dry season followed, when the top-working or 

 the budding w^as to be done. The budding was practically 

 a failure ; the trees stopped growth. During the following 

 winter mice collected in the mulch, as hay was drawn and 

 put about the trees in addition to the grass that was cut and 

 placed about them. The following season the trees declined 

 still more, with the result that the advice was given that. 



